SPRING AWAKENING Comes to Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre, 8/3-5

Winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Spring Awakening comes to the Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre for one weekend. Performed by the Alumni of the Downtown Performing Arts Center of Lambertville, NJ, Spring Awakening will be presented on Friday, August 3, Saturday, August 4 and Sunday, August 5 at 7:30 pm. This musical contains strong adult language and situations and is recommended for mature audiences only.

This electrifying, folk-infused rock musical was hailed by critics as "daring" and "remarkable. Spring Awakening explores the intimate journey from adolescence to adulthood with unforgettable poignancy and passion. It is inspired by author Frank Wedekind's controversial 1891 play about teenage sexuality and society's efforts to control it. Set against the backdrop of repressive, late 19th century Germany, the musical follows a group of teenagers as they navigate through adolescence on their way toward adulthood: Wendla, who is constantly asking questions her prudish mother will not answer; Melchior, whose anti-authority mentality makes him a girl magnet; and Moritz, whose insecurities cause him to constantly second-guess his own actions. Spring Awakening seamlessly merges past and present, underscoring the timelessness of adolescent angst and the universality of human passion.

With book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening was universally hailed as the "Best Musical of the Year" by The New York Times, New York Post, Star Ledger, Journal News, New York Observer and USA Today.

The cast of the Open Air Theatre's production of Spring Awakening features graduates of Lambertville, NJ's Downtown Performing Arts Center. DPAC has been a presence in the region for over a decade providing classes in dance, musical theatre and acting as well as performance opportunities for young performers of all ages and skill levels. In the leading roles of Spring Awakening are Ben Cramer of Morrisville, PA as Melchior, Mike Nappi of Doylestown, PA as Moritz and Angelica Staikos of Flemington, NJ as Wendla. These DPAC graduates have gone on to pursue careers in the arts and have appeared in numerous productions throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre production of Spring Awakening performed by the Alumni of the Downtown Performing Arts Center will be performed on Friday, August 3, Saturday, August 4 and Sunday, August 5 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, age 65 and older. Group discounts are available to groups of 12 persons or more. Tickets can always be purchased at the Open Air Theatre Box Office prior to the performance. 10-Show Ticket Packages also available for purchase at the Box Office as well.

For complete information about the 2012 Summer Season of mainstage shows and children's theatre productions, directions and more, visit the website at www.downtownpac.com. The Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre is located inside Washington Crossing State Park at 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road in Titusville, New Jersey. Box Office phone is (267) 885-9857.

Pictured: Mike Nappi as Moritz, Ben Cramer as Melchior and Angelica Staikos as Wendla.

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