TIrEATE

BY MICHAEL GILTZ verything's coming up roses for "Spring Awakening," the critically acclaimed Broadway musical that's on its way to being a genuine from-the-ground-up hit. It is that hoped-for Holy Grail: a Broadway show that can cross over to a young, pop/rock audiencea la "Rent." And the young, mostly unknown actors who give it life are what theater dreams are made of - talented, ener- getic, and beautiful. Liberally adapted from a German play "The othernight, Rosie O'Domell by Fram Wedekind - written in 189I, came to the show," says Gallagher, a na- flrst produced in 1906 and controver- tive of Wilmington, Del "She came back- E sial for its time - the new "Spring," still stage md her first words to me were, 'It's set in the I890s, captues the turbulent 'Rent" times a thousand.' = voice ofteenagers grappling with sex "If you'd told me when I was 14 and c and desire and lust and love in a world blning the 'Rent' soundtrack in my liv- o where their parents brely mention the ing room and pretending to be the chil- words. And it does it with a mod- acters that I would be starring in c \ em, bold and sexy story maried a show that someone would to a sophisticated Out mdeni- / refer to as going leaps md ably citchy; score by Steven bounds bevond that show o I Sater md Grammy-nomi- that I loved, I would have u= z nated pop-rocker Duncan thought you were crazy." Sheik, in his first musical For the hmdsome md = John Galagher Jn - who engaging Jonathan Groff , ct plays the magnetic, spiky- 2l - who plays the shou/s was playing Rolf in a touring production "When we came to Broadway, it was haired, sex-obsessed Moritz heart and soul. the smart. of "The Sound of Music " right around the time that 'The Times with a ferocious, punkish ener- restless Melchior - experi- "During previews, we couldn't sell half They Are a-Changin' was closing, and F gy- knows about rock'n' roll His encing the groMh of "Spring o the house- Now that we've opened and 'High Fidelih/ wasn't doing so well," she prents are folk mmicims, md Gallagh- Awakening" - first its off-Broadway word is getting out and people are com- says (both shows have since gone dark). N er hm been playing in bmds all his life, incarnation, then onto the Great White in8 back again and telling their friends, 'I remember lauren o Pntchard [who N including his cunent group, called Old Way and now into a potentia.lly long-M- it's spreading. It's really exciting " plays Ilse, "Spring's" rebellious lonerl e. Springs Pike Gauagher,22, admits that ning hit - is a thrill, especially after the Lea Michele, 20 bom and raised cme up to me, wide-eyed and dead se- G - l he felt so out of place at the auditions, he Iancaster, Pa., native's frrst Broadway in Tenafly, N J. - plays the female lead, rious, saying to me, 'What if we close? o initially walked out. He wasn't a Broad- show was the notorious flop "In My Life." Wendla, who is seemingly sweet but What if this doesn't work out?' way baby, even if, c a kid, he had fallen "The audiences just keep getting big- with dmk urges that stun wen "I looked what o serual at her and didn't know hard for musicals like'West Side Stort'' ger and bigger md we keep doing bet- Melchior She says nothing prepued her to say. This is my fourth Broadway show I md "Rent." ter," says Groff, whose first big break for "Spring Awalening's" roclry joumey. [after "Ragtime" and the recent reviv- & '\i .

aI of "Fiddler on the Roof',1,and I,m shuw becomes a must-see for lourists supposed to know what to do - and I and hip New Yorkers idike - it's cleil didn't Then I sat in the audience and "Spring Awakenirrg" will certainly be we were Iighting and Lauren got on the a touchstone in the cueers of all ihree stage and she sang 'Blue Wind,' her pertomers duet with John Gallaghdr And it was "The people that are in this show so beautiful - that was the flrst time I mean so much to me," says Groff. cried during this whole experience I "We've really gone through so much other eYery night on stage started crying! Just together We knew the show was so- "We're just so wlnerable md open "I looked at her aftemard and said, ing to be special when we stanedlwe in this show. and everybody is pou- 'if every night you do what youjust clid, spend every waking moment togeth- ing their hearts out and so happy to be we'll be fine ' That's rea.lly how ,, I felt er And we share an even more soecial there. I've no doubt these pmple re go As word of mouth spreads - and the bontl, because we get to watch eich ing to be in my life for a long time.. O rb i \3nlrr(tildr) ,.,i , : tr ,,ii iit ,