'Spring Awakening' revival reveals its new off-Broadway cast

Spring Awakening sets new off-Broadway cast, with previews starting November 27 ahead of its December 17 opening show

The upcoming off-Broadway revival of Spring Awakening has announced its cast, with the production set to begin previews this fall.

Ashlyn Maddox will play Wendla, with Tyler Jordan Wesley as Melchior, Ryo Kamibayashi as Moritz and Amalia Yoo as Ilse. The cast also includes Jack Bateman as Georg, Jada Simone Clark as Thea, Leif Coomer as Ernst, Nando Morland as Otto, Antonio Porciello as Hanschen, Khadija Sankoh as Martha and Grace Slear as Anna.

Bateman and Porciello were among the performers selected through the production’s open casting call in July. The audition process saw 2,532 actors considered for roles in the revival.

The Spring Awakening revival will begin previews on November 27, with opening night scheduled for December 17 at Studio Seaview. Tony Award winner Danya Taymor is directing, while Celia Rowlson-Hall is handling choreography and Or Matias is serving as music supervisor.

The musical, written by Steven Sater with music by Duncan Sheik, follows a group of German teenagers in the late 19th century as they navigate sexuality, repression, fear and discovery. Its contemporary rock score includes songs such as "Mama Who Bore Me", "The Bitch of Living" and "Totally Fucked".

Spring Awakening originally premiered on Broadway in 2006 and helped launch the careers of Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele and John Gallagher Jr. The musical later received a Broadway revival in 2015 with Deaf West Theatre.

Producers have described the new production as an exploration of young people caught between desire, repression and discovery, connecting the themes of the original musical with contemporary experiences.