"Awakening" and singing

The picture is starting to come into focus on the national tour of "Spring Awakening" which hits the Ahmanson Theatre at the end of October. I've been blogging about this Duncan Shiek/Steven Sater musical -- based on the 1891 Frank Wedekind play -- for awhile now, or at least since it took last season's Tony Award for best musical.

Not that that makes me especially prescient. I gather that people have been drooling over this musical -- about hot and bothered kids in a German prep school -- as a genre changer since it was in workshops.

Before it officially opens its national tour in San Francisco, it will have a "pre-tour" run at the Balboa Theatre in San Diego August 15-31. As it happens that I will be vacationing in San Diego during the run, I will try to interview a cast member or two in person. Maybe check out the show, too. Dunno yet.

Anyway, for the tour, they've plucked two of the current Broadway company members to play Moritz and Melchior. Blake Bashoff (Moritz) had a recurring role on "Lost." Canadian musician Kyle Riabko (Melchior) has an album, "Before I Speak," and has toured with Maroon 5 and Jason Mraz and John Mayer.

No casting on the girls yet, but we can rest assured the role of Wendla will not be played by original company member Lea Michele. Michele will in fact be out our way doing a cabaret Aug. 15-16 at Mark's Restaurant in West Hollywood (www.inticketing.com/evinfo.php?eventid=25950.). She'll also be part of the concertized "Les Miserables" cast at the Hollywood Bowl playing another doomed heroine, Eponine, Aug. 9-10 opposite Brian Stokes Mitchell, Rosie O'Donnell, John Lloyd Young et al. www.hollywoodbowl.com.

There's a little bit of irony in the "Les Miz" gig. Michele had done the workshops of "Spring Awakening" well before it moved on to become a hit. She was reportedly offered the role of Eponine in the Broadway revival of "Les Miz" but turned it down to stay the course with "Awakening." Smart lady.

Anyway, if anyone out there simply can't WAIT to get into this tale, s/he can catch the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble's production of the Wedekind play ("Spring's Awakening." This is NOT the musical) at the Powerhouse Theatre, July 3-26. (310) 396-3680 x3, www.latensemble.org.