A Musical for the Emo generation?

So last night I went to see what all the hype was about. That's right. The first touring cast of Spring Awakening performed last night right here in little ol' Des Moines. So I went.

And let me say right up front that I enjoyed the show. No question, it's definitely full of energy and has some very beautiful music by Duncan Sheik. Visually, it was marvelously simplistic in its design. The performers, musicians and singers alike, gave every bit of themselves to the audience. In a nutshell, it's a very well put-together show.

But I just couldn't get into the story. Maybe it's the fact that I just don't respond well to angsty whining from priviledged white kids. Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm a bastard, but that's how I feel. That's why I hate Emo music so much. I had a rough childhood too, a lot rougher than most of these scenesters and self-proclaimed emo kids that flock to this genre. But I don't go around bitchin' about it. It annoys me when people do.

And maybe I'm just getting old, I dunno. I liked RENT. I remember a few years ago when the one of the first touring casts came through town. An arts patron a number of years my senior said he didn't care to see a bunch of kids whining about not being able to pay rent when they could very well go out and get jobs! I thought it was kind of a fuddy-duddy thing to say at the time, but now I wonder if that's me.

In any case, maybe I'm just not the demographic. Theatre is a business after all. Some shows sell well to different market segments. Spamalot brought more 18-30 year old males to the theatre than many shows previous. It's all about how you sell it.

Maybe I'm just an innocent victim in the wrong market segment. Victim? Wait that sounded emo...