Monday, March 05, 2007

Maybe I could work for New York Magazine...

I totally had this idea.

I've been talking about it for a month or so. I've been really fascinated by the young cast of "Spring Awakening" because the show is about sexual awakening and adolescence, and the cast members have all either just gone through that or are still going through that. Also, the fans of the show are teenagers themselves, so there's another interesting dynamic there. I'm pretty bummed that New York Magazine beat me to the punch, but I can take comfort in the fact that I had an idea worthy of New York Magazine.

And I'm not going to be bitter, I applaud Brian Keith Jackson on his article. He gets to the heart of what I think is really interesting right in the first paragraph:
"There’s a real sweetness on that stage (not to mention one real coupling), and now the young actors are effectively pop stars. Among a generation not exactly known for flocking to musicals, they’ve set off a whole new wave of swooning, YouTubing fandom. Brian Keith Jackson spoke with them about the show, their lives, and what they listen to when they’re not singing 'The Bitch of Living.'”

Although "Spring Awakening" is based on an 1891 German play, it is essentially a musical for the YouTube generation. The scenes are fairly short, broken up by musical numbers, which are basically mini-rock shows, perfect for those with short attention spans. "Spring Awakening" is the only show I've ever seen with it's own MySpace page and the line between fan and friend is becoming increasingly smaller.

Jackson asks what I would have asked--What do they do when they go out, what do they listen to, what is it like to date a co-star, and what the fans are like. His individual profiles of the actors are fairly short, but each one gives a sense of who these teenagers are.

Even though I couldn't write the article, I'm glad somebody did, so please read it and if you have a chance, see "Spring Awakening."

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