Midtown Utopia: Not Gone...Another Broadway Closure

The Bitch Of Living, indeed.

This is shaping to be a very hard season for Broadway and Broadway fans.

With the closing of Rent, Xanadu, [title of show], Legally Blonde, and the soon to be closed Hairspray and Spamolot, this is a heartbreak season.

Add my heartbreaking to this list, Spring Awakening with end its run on Broadway, January 18.

Spring Awakening has a close place in my heart. I first heard about it when it opened on Broadway December 2006. A few friends had seen it early in its run and blogged their comments and soon, I was downloading the cast recording on iTunes and quickly memorizing the lyrics.

It wasn't until June of 2007 that I was able to see the Original Cast on Broadway do their thing. I remember being so mesmerized by the set and especially the amazing light design.

Since then I have seen it 8 times, the most recent was last May. I suppose the reason I haven't gone back is because the Original Cast has left, so an empty feeling is felt. Although I haven't seen the new cast, I have heard many goods thing along with the not so good things. This shouldn't be the reason why the show is closing its doors. I find it hard to believe that the Original Cast is what brought people into the show. It won 8 Tony Awards and has an amazing pop/rock score thanks to Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater

The show will go on of course. There is a National Tour that recently started this fall. Three Broadway actors are included in this tour, and fresh new faces as well. I most likely won't see the tour until it hits Boston in April.

The news of Spring Awakening's close breaks my heart. Now I won't have a very good reason to walk down 49th street anymore. True story: I took a job working at a summer camp in the summer of 2007 to babysit little kids for two months, just so I could come to NYC to see Spring Awakening. I ended up being lucky enough to see it twice that summer, and many times since then, so in writing this entry, it truly saddens me that many young adults will not get to see this incredible show. What touched me, has affected thousands, much much more. I can't imagine a greater show for our generation, right now, that has the same resonance and heart.

Now they’ll walk on my arm through the distant night
And I won’t let them stray from my heart
Through the wind, through the dark, through the winter light
I will read all their dreams to the stars

I’ll walk with them now
I’ll call on their names
I’ll see their thoughts are known

Not gone –
Not gone –
They walk with my heart –
I’ll never let them go

I’ll never let them go
I’ll never let them go
You watch me
Just watch me
I’m calling
I’m calling –
And one day all will know