A lively 'Spring Awakening' gains in relevance

Teenage pregnancy. Abstinence. Abortion. Sex education.

All of a sudden, the subject matter of "Spring Awakening," Broadway's rock-pop look at youthful sexual and social anxieties, is sounding more relevant than ever - thanks to the culture wars being reignited during the current presidential campaign. Maybe the show's producers should thank Sarah Palin in the Playbill.

That relevance couldn't be timed more perfectly with the introduction of a new cast to the Duncan Sheik-Steven Sater musical, now racing toward the end of its second year at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

A repeat visit to the show reenforces the triumph of director Michael Mayer's spare yet striking staging. Mayer expertly guides the production as it morphs from episodic morality tale to rock concert whenever Sheik's intoxicating music and Sater's pungent lyrics take over.

The cast sits on stage, along with some members of the audience, as Sater's crisp, concise adaptation of Frank Wedekind's classic story of naive, confused teenagers in late 19th century Germany unfolds.

It may not be fair to compare the replacement actors to the show's original performers whose electricity was doubly felt because it was so unexpected. The shock of the new is gone now for seasoned "Spring Awakening" groupies, but there still are performances to be savored, particularly for theatergoers who have never seen the musical.

The standout is 18-year-old Alexandra Socha, a touching Wendla, the young girl whose innocence is so brutally destroyed. Socha possesses a pure, sweet voice that effortlessly negotiates Sater's haunting lyrics.

The most prominent member of the new company is Hunter Parrish, best known these days as Mary-Louise Parker's older son on Showtime's "Weeds." If Parris's singing voice is more serviceable than distinctive, he possesses leading-man good looks and a disarming personality that proves winning as the rebellious Melchior.

And there is a quirky portrait of the doomed Moritz by Gerard Canoncio, whose gutsy vocal pyrotechnics perfectly captures the young man's desperate descent into oblivion.

Special mention should be made of the two adult actors in the musical: original cast member Christine Estabrook and Glenn Fleshler, who portray a parade of authority figures - primarily parents and teachers. They create vivid portraits, often in only a few minutes. Quite an accomplishment.

But then, the whole show is. "Spring Awakening," as it juxtaposes strait-laced Teutonic society of more than a century ago with the wild abandonment of a modern throbbing rock score, remains one of Broadway's most unique achievements.