On Tuesday night’s two-hour premiere of 90210, the kids at West Bev were prepping their school musical, current Broadway darling Spring Awakening. Truly, the scene was heinous with doting Kansas-to-Beverly Hills transplant Annie (Shenae Grimes, pictured) warbling "Mama Who Bore Me" with all the sad panache of a bobblehead.
But that’s not the point: What really struck us here at EW.com was simply the use of Spring Awakening. Sure, with its contempo, Duncan Sheik-penned tunes, it’s a hot property and one of the edgiest productions on mainstream Broadway right now. Perfect for what’s supposed to be a hot teen show. But, as we suspected and is customary for productions currently running, Awakening isn’t actually available to for licensing for high schools or community groups. As of right now, it’s illegal. So, then, why show a TV high school (albeit a totally fake one) singing the tunes? To sell tickets for the Broadway production, of course! Reps for the show said they were "flattered to be included in the season premiere of 90210" but that, of course, "subsidiary rights for productions [will be] held until the completion of the Broadway and National Tour engagements." And it’s probably not closing any time soon. Sorry, kiddos — guess it’s back to Hello, Dolly!
Of course, 90210 is far from reality — actually, it’s much more like fantasy — but, PopWatchers, do you think it’s fair to viewers to give them a taste of something they can’t actually have? Discuss!
great point. i was thinking the same thing. it would have been smarter if they went with rent, which is just now available for licensing. but then again, after 10 years on broadway, i suppose that’s not edgy enough?
There is no way a high school would or could do a production of Spring Awakening…it’s way too risque…back to Into The Woods…
About as fair as portraying West Bev as an actual school. The more burning question is how on earth did you get a still of Shenae Grimes where she wasn’t smiling and squinting fakely?
Licensing rights? Who cares? The nudity, language, suicide and themes might be an issue though.
uhm really? out of all the things that arent realistic in the show you choose that one?? who cares!
The themes of Spring Awakening are all about teenagers, puberty, hormones, repressive parents and society – I think there’s some interesting tie-ins to a show that’s all about teenaged sexuality
What’s not realistic is that the school would even be allowed to put on a production like SA. I can’t envision a school board anywhere, even an edgy school like West Beverly High, allowing it to happen.
Okay, everyone is flipping out about 90210 using Spring Awakening. Yeah, it’s not realistic. But seriously, it’s 90210. Do you really think it’s a show that is supposed to be taken seriously? Let’s not kid ourselves.
Yes, the rights aren’t allowed. Yes, a high school would never be allowed to do the full blown show because of it’s content. But the girls didn’t totally suck. Yeah, there’s a reason they’re on a remake of 90210 and not Broadway, but they didn’t suck.
Money changed hands, and SA is getting some good publicity. With the loss of the OBC, the producers have to realize that they aren’t going to have the same fanbase and that’s what this is all about: drawing in new audience members.
So perhaps we should just accept the fact that this is good for ticket sales, yes?
Yeah, it bugged me, but SA has the perfect themes, so it makes sense they would use it. Not that it needs help, but perhaps this will encourage people to see the stage show – it’s coming to L.A. in a few months anyway!
To the person who said “back to Into the Woods” …that show isn’t exactly ‘proper’ either. But as others have said, this show isn’t for real and it does connect well to Spring Awakening with the themes. Also, Spring Awakening too risque for the show? A guy was getting a b.j. in the beginning of the pilot episode.
I mean no offense, but I’ve seen clips from the Broadway production of SA, different casts, and they don’t sound much better than the kids singing in 90210′s version. Besides, it’s high school, not Broadway. The kids on Broadway in this show don’t exactly have brilliant, jaw-dropping talent – or if they do, they don’t get to show it. Considering the voices needed for the music though, you don’t need incredible talent. Again, no offense but the vocals don’t require much skill beyond keeping in tune. That’s just the kind of show it is musically – nothing wrong with it, it’s just a fact.
Gina, have you seen the show beyond clips on the internet?
I think it’s great that SA is getting a shout out on a buzzed about television show. It’s a great show. But I agree that high schools wouldn’t be able to perform it even if it were licensable. It’s subject matter, while written in 1897, is way to controversial for today’s high schools. Too many religious, conservative crackpots would cry foul.
wow gina, you are so wrong. the vocals only require being on tune??
you must not know anything about music and should not be saying anything about it. the spring awakening broadway cast is amazing, the 90210 cast is borderline mediocre.
My husband and I have a couple of ideas where 90210 is attempting to go with the use of Spring Awakening. I apologize for the shameless self-promotion, but if you read the last two segments of the link below, it will be better explained in what we’ve already written:
http://childrenofsaintclare.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/90210-lucky-strike/
Oh relax, Tanner — it’s not like any actual high school would ever put on SA given its subject matter! (I saw it last year in NYC and the all-adult audience was all atwitter when we almost saw actual sex onstage, so you can imagine the outrage parents/community leaders would have if a bunch of teens did that!) And I agree with other posters — I also like that SA is getting a broader audience through inclusion in 90210.
No high school would be able to do a show like Spring Awakening, anyway. Most can’t even do Rent. Spring Awakening is a fantastic show, but with two characters having sex on stage, gay themes, teen pregnancy/abortion, and suicide, most school boards in American wouldn’t approve of doing that in a high school. Also, the extremely small cast would be a turn off as well, they look for shows with big choruses like Once Upon A Mattress, Hello Dolly, Grease, etc.