Spring Awakening: Stephen Spinella joins cast

Stephen Spinella is to play the male adult authority figure in the pop-rock musical Spring Awakening, music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater, that will open on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on 10 Dec 2006, following previews from 17 Nov 2006.

Spring Awakeningl is adapted from Frank Wedekind's controversial masterpiece about a dozen young people and how they make their way through the thrilling, complicated, confusing and mysterious time of their sexual awakening.

The young people make their difficult journey into puberty under the watchful eyes of adult athoratarian figures, played by two 'adult' actors, one male and female.

The male adult authority figure was originally played by Frank Wood when the musical had its world premiere at the Off-Broadway Atlantic Theatre (15 Jun - 6 Aug 2006). The female adult character role, played by Mary McCann at the Atlantic, is still to be cast.

Spinella joins the previously announced cast of children characters played by the following young adults, who re-create the roles they played at the Atlantic: Jonathan Groff (Melchior Gabor), Lea Michele (Wendla Bergman), John Gallagher, Jr. as Mortiz, Skylar Astin (Georg), Lilli Cooper (Martha), Gideon Glick (Ernst), Brian Johnson (Otto), Lauren Pritchard (Ilse), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Jonathan B. Wright (Hanschen), and Remy Zaken (Thea).

Stephen Spinella returns to the Broadway stage following his performance as Simon Stimson in the revival of Our Town (2002). He made his Broadway debut in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (1993) and Best Actor (Play) for Angels in America: Perestroika (1993), for which he won two Tony Awards - Best Featured Actor (Play) and Best Actor (Play) respectively.

Mr Spinella's other Broadway credits include playing Freddy Malins in James Joyce's The Dead (2000), Servant to Orestes in the 1998 revival of Electra and Alfieri in A View From the Bridge (1997).

Spring Awakening will once again be directed by Michael Mayer and choreographed by Bill T. Jones.

The same creative team for the off-Broadway production will also work on the Broadway show: Set design will be by Christine Jones, with costumes by Susan Hilferty and lighting by Kevin Adams.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on 15 Oct.