As surely as all good things must come to an end, so must all good things eventually be resurrected as a reboot, reunion, or revival on a major streaming platform. The latest example, of course, is the Broadway musical Spring Awakening, whose 2006 original cast reunited for the first time on November 16 as part of a sold-out concert, soon to be the subject of an HBO special.
With book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, the controversial early-aughts rock musical about teen angst, sexual desire, and “My Junk” became an enormous hit among teenage audiences—and theater kids in particular—going on to win eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show’s explosive popularity helped launch the careers of a number of celebrity singers, most prominently John Gallagher Jr., Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, Lauren Pritchard, and Skylar Astin, all of whom came together for the concert at Broadway’s Imperial Theater in November.
According to Deadline, the resulting HBO documentary will be a sort of anniversary celebration of all things Spring Awakening, featuring not only the reunion concert but also “behind the scenes moments with cast members as they reunite for the first time in 15 years, newly filmed interviews, and archival footage featuring original performance footage.” After debuting on HBO in 2022, the feature will be available to stream on HBO Max, though an official release date has yet to be announced.
Photos released from the reunion concert reveal it is a little surreal to watch the original cast, most of whom are now in their mid-30s, sing “Totally Fucked” with the enthusiasm of 18-year-olds. We’ll have to judge the quality of their commitment to the bit when the actual performance drops next year.
Lauren Puckett-Pope
Associate Editor
Lauren Puckett-Pope is an associate editor at ELLE, where she covers news and culture.
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