Composer: Duncan Sheik.

Lyricist: Steven Sater.

There's an understandably cynical atmosphere to this updated musical version of the German playwright Franz Wedekind's controversial late-19th-century play about adolescent sexuality and its repression by a strict society. However, songs like "Totally Fucked" and "Bitch of Living" energize their pessimism with hormone-fueled abandon and an intriguingly sophisticated presentation, courtesy of a score by the musician Duncan Sheik and the lyricist Steven Sater. Echoes of Weill collide with the explosive energy of Galt McDermot in the themes, but the roots of Sheik's compositions lie in a moody rock-&-roll base, in the intricately woven melodies of 4AD. With PASSING STRANGE and the revival of HAIR, SPRING AWAKENING heralded the return of the rock opera.

Rolling Stone (p.76) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Sheik recasts the shades of Reed, Nick Drake and Talk Talk from his own solo albums into beguiling chamber pop..."

Entertainment Weekly (p.81) - "[T]he most gorgeous (and occasionally rocking-out) Great White Way score this decade." -- Grade: A