Exclusive: SPRING AWAKENING Will Incorporate Musical ‘Changes’ That Inform Revival’s ‘Vision’

When Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s Spring Awakening returns to New York City, it may feel different than the 2006 Tony Award-winning production fans know and love. 

“There’s such a clear vision to it, and it’s so exciting to see,” music supervisor Or Matias exclusively tells BroadwayWorld of the upcoming Studio Seaview production directed by Tony Award winner Danya Taymor with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall. 

“They’re really holding it [like it’s] Shakespearean text, in terms of really trying to excavate every little bit of nuance,” Matias explains. 

The music supervisor — who also worked with Sheik on his musical Memoirs of Amorous Gentleman before the songwriter tragically died at age 56 on September 17 — tells BroadwayWorld that their conversations around Spring Awakening were “more contained” because “a lot of the new content that we are looking at has to do with tone, with context, with the visual language that Celia is going to be playing with choreographically and that Danya is evoking directorially.” 

While Matias says that the Off-Broadway revival will not be completely reorchestrated or feel like a new version of the show, he reveals that “there will be changes musically that inform” Taymor and Rowlson-Hall’s “vision.” 

“What we are doing is saying, ‘We actually love the source material and some things are going to feel different because of the context of how we are approaching them,’” Matias explains. “For those things that feel different dramatically, there will be musical adaptations that enforce that.” 

In doing so, he says, “That actually allows Celia and Danya’s work to feel fully supported musically from every angle.” 

Before Sheik’s untimely death, he told Spring Awakening’s music supervisor, “You’re the boss. You know how to take what’s there and make it the best possible version of itself for this production,” Matias explains. 

“His missive to us was like, ‘I can’t wait to come see it,’” Matias adds. “He felt very, very excited to release the creative machinations of it to myself and Celia and Danya because I think he put an immense amount of trust in the three of us.” 

The talks Matias had with Sheik about Spring Awakening prior to the composer’s death were “conversations of blessing,” he explains. 

Tony Award-winning book writer and lyricist Sater previously told BroadwayWorld that he is intimately involved in the show’s process, working “hand in hand” with Taymor ahead of the production, which will begin performances November 27.

“It’s a complete re-envisioning of the show,” Sater explained. “I only really agreed to do it when Danya was interested in doing it [after] we met and I heard her thoughts for it.” 

Taymor’s approach to the musical is what made the revival of Spring Awakening a reality. 

“She’s really bringing so much heart, soul and dimension to it — and just a new way of looking at it,” Sater explained, adding that choreographer Rowlson-Hall’s vision is unlike anything audiences have seen before. 

“Think of the original Spring Awakening and what a stamp [choreographer] Bill T. Jones left on it,” Sater said. “Celia’s opening up whole new depths of the show. I’m not comparing; I’m saying it’s a whole new view of the show and really integrating choreography a lot into the show. It’s stunning what’s going on.” 

Spring Awakening is currency on sale through April 4, 2027.