PaliHi’s ‘Awakening’ Brims with Energy in Stellar Performance

By MATTHEW MEYER | Reporter

“Spring Awakening” is a musical steeped in tension—the tension between adolescence and adulthood, between old and new schools of thought, and between lustful teens.

Palisades Charter High School’s rendition of the Tony Award-winning production capitalized on the explosive potential that this tension holds. As a result, “Awakening” poured forth in fits of youthful energy—sometimes humorous, sometimes angsty, sometimes tragic—and always true to the expression of adolescent vigor that makes the original so beloved.

Set in late-19th century Germany, the rock musical follows a group of teens as they begin to question their sexuality and the rules that govern it, along with the adults who create those restrictions without taking the time to explain them.

Act I opened with the introduction of Wendla, portrayed tenderly by Roberta Alaman, a familiar face—and voice—by now in Pali musicals. Alaman’s vocal performance shone from the start in her opening solo, “Mama Who Bore Me,” an expression of frustration with her mother’s sheltering approach to Wendla’s womanhood.

Then we met the leading boys, Melchior (Gabriel Galef) and Moritz (Max Vaupen), and their classmates as they stumbled through Latin recitations and then grappled with elicit dreams.

Both of the leading men were expertly cast. Galef, as the brilliantly intelligent and rebellious “Melchy,” managed his character’s cerebral, self-assured charm while still remaining likeable and believably boyish.

Vaupen, meanwhile, portrayed the crippling anxiety and angst of Moritz, squirming as the tensions of school and sex bubbled inside of him. When he finally burst into cathartic song, Vaupen did so with a distinctive vocal style that captured the inner tumult of a tortured young man. “Help me out, out of this nightmare,” he satisfyingly shrieked on “The B—- of Living.”

While the leads laid the foundation, “Awakening” excelled on the work of its ensemble. Pali’s cast mastered the intricate harmonies and interjections that make the musical’s songs so distinct—often serving as a satisfying counterpoint to the lead vocalist.

On the reprise of “Mama Who Bore Me,” Wendla’s friends joined her to transition the soft, opening ballad into a powerful rock anthem. The supporting girls’ stomping, soaring performance alongside Alaman on the reprise was one of the show’s musical highlights.

Similarly, the schoolboys’ Latin chanting beneath Melchior’s pondering solo, “All That’s Known,” and their hysterical contributions to Moritz’s tales of sexual frustration on “The B—- of Living” gave the songs vital color and life.

Ensemble strength was at its absolute peak on “Totally F—–,” an exhilarating, Act II song led by a strong performance from Galef. The entire cast (sans-Vaupen) joined him in a heart-pounding, raucous display of melodic, adolescent rage. It was the show’s most complete number.

“Awakening” simply felt rich—from the aforementioned vocal accompaniments to each number’s excellent cast of dancers and each scene’s lived-in ancillary characters (Harrison Larkins as jack-of-all-trades “stodgy adult”—he portrayed three, including a hilariously droll headmaster—gets a nod here).

The production was all the better for its richness in the second act, when the subject matter grew dark and the teens grappled with tragedy of multiple kinds. The severe misfortunes of each lead character felt all the more real because the world they inhabited felt whole.

Sisters Cheri and Monique Smith, who directed the production together, and musical director Joshua Elson deserve tremendous credit for guiding a cast of students through such an ambitious and challenging project, both in subject matter and technical elements.

The production’s band, helmed by student-conductor and pianist Trevor Meseroll, was also fantastic, bringing the musical’s rollicking numbers to life from their dimly lit position upstage.

It all combined in a potent commentary on the tensions of youth—and the dire consequences that result when they’re ignored and repressed. A credit to the cast and crew for bringing this classic coming-of-age tale to such vibrant life.

“Spring Awakening” closes this weekend, with shows on March 23, 24 and 25 at 7 p.m. and March 25 at 2 p.m.