SPRING AWAKENING Cast In-Store Appearance at Bloomingdale's South Coast Plaza 11/19

COSTA MESA, CA—Bloomingdale's South Coast Plaza will welcome members of the cast from Spring Awakening, which comes to the Orange County Performing Arts Center November 17 – 29, to perform "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind" from the show on Thursday, November 19 at 3 p.m. The event will be located at the cosmetics entrance on the second level of Bloomingdale's. Additionally, customers who spend $200 in the Y.E.S. Contemporary Sportswear Department between Saturday, November 14 and Thursday, November 19 will receive a 50 percent discount coupon for selected performances of Spring Awakening.

Spring Awakening swept the 2007 Tony Awards winning eight out of its 11 nominations, including Best Musical, Best Director (Michael Mayer), Best Book (Steven Sater), Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), Best Orchestrations (Duncan Sheik), Best Lighting Design (Kevin Adams) and Best Featured Actor (John Gallagher, Jr.).

Hailed as the "Best Musical of the Year" by the NY Drama Critics Circle, the Drama Desk, the Outer Critics Circle and the Tony Awards, Spring Awakening has emerged as the most talked about new musical on Broadway. Charles Isherwood of The New York Times proclaimed, "Broadway may never be the same. This brave new musical, haunting and electrifying by turns, restores the mystery and the thrill to that shattering transformation that stirs in all of our souls." John Heilpern with The New York Observer called the show, "A miracle that must be seen to be believed…The best new musical in a generation." And Michael Sommers of The Star-Ledger said, "The most explosive new musical since RENT!"

Based on the infamous 1891 Frank Wedekind play, Spring Awakening features an electrifying score by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater, direction by Michael Mayer and choreography by awardwinning Bill T. Jones.

Set against the backdrop of a repressive and provincial late 19th century Germany, Spring Awakening tells the timeless story of teenage self-discovery and budding sexuality as seen through the eyes of three teenagers. The musical deals frankly with social and sexual issues that still fAce Young people today. Haunting and provocative, Spring Awakening celebrates an unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, a poignancy and a passion you will never forget.

Set design is by Christine Jones, costume design is by Tony Award-winner Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Tony Award-winner Kevin Adams and sound design by Brian Ronan.

Spring Awakening opened on Broadway on December 10, 2006 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, following its world premiere at the Atlantic Theatre Co. The original cast recording of Spring Awakening won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Spring Awakening is produced by Ira Pittelman, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and the Atlantic Theatre Co.

Spring Awakening contains mature themes, sexual situations and strong language.

Photo: Taylor Trensch as Moritz by Paul Kolnik.

-----

Tickets to see Spring Awakening are $20 - $70 and are available at OCPAC.org, at the Center's Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling 714.556.2787. For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 15 or more, call the Group Services office at 714.755.0236. The TTY number is 714.556.2746. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, November 28 will be sign-language interpreted. Please note that on-stage seats are sold out.

Cox Communications is the Media Partner of the Center's 2009-2010 Broadway Series.

For more information please visit springawakening.com. To join the Guilty Ones and be eligible for discount tickets, merchandise, autographed items and a chance to meet the cast go to OCPAC.org/GuiltyOnes.