The national tour of Spring Awakening finished up in Orlando on May 23rd 2010 and here is some parting words from Jake Epstein:

"I'll never forget our closing show in Orlando. It was a truly great moment in my life- being up there on stage with people I love and respect, doing a play that had so much to say and meant so much to so many people, and realizing what an incredible year it's been.

My favourite city- though there were some great ones- was Washington DC. It was my first city officially taking over the role of Melchior, and we had a 4 week run at the Kennedy Center.

What a mindblowing year. I can't even put into words what this year has been. My fingers can't possibly do it justice: It was a dream-come-true, it was hard, it was fun, it was gruelling, it was lonely, it was like camp, it was like theatre school, it was so meaningful, I laughed 'till I cried a lot, I sang more than I've ever sung, I had a blast....it was amazing. Thanks to everyone for coming to the shows and saying hi after! You guys made this show so special."
Source at Totally Trucked!



Jake has been screen capped for the TotallyTrucked webisodes he was in (if I didn't miss any). Here's a list, complete with a link to the youtube video if you haven't watched it yet and the album in the gallery here at craig-ashley.com.

M&M's - An Obsession Gone Wrong *Youtube **Screencaps
Equality March: Lets Get This Done! *Youtube **Screencaps
The Bitch of Living Montage *Youtube **Screencaps
Totally F*cked Montage *Youtube **Screencaps
Paranormal Activity *Youtube **Screencaps
Jake Epstein Profile of The Month *Part 1 on Youtube *Part 2 on Youtube **Screencaps
Who Wants To Be An American Idiot? *Youtube **Screencaps
Juggling Competition *Youtube **Screencaps
Pizza Challenge *Part 1 on Youtube *Part 2 on Youtube **Screencaps
Matt's In The Heights *Youtube **Screencaps
The End, But Not *Youtube **Screencaps

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The Miami Herald Christine Dolen column: Musical about rock music, rage and the timeless anxiety of being young comes to Miami
by Christine Dolen for The Miami Herald

...Canadian actor Jake Epstein, who now plays Melchior, also likens being in the show to graduate school.

"It's incredibly grueling, so I'm lucky I love the show," says Epstein, a veteran of the popular Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation. "It makes you crazy, it's such an intense story line. But you can't half-ass your performance. The show doesn't allow it."

That love scene? He admits that it's tougher for him.

"I find that scene terrifying. I feel scared, excited, crazy -- this mix of emotions. Is it love? Is it lust? Is it violence? It's not my job to decide. I have to be in the moment."
Read more at the source.

Actor is unlike the characters he portrays
By Marvin Glassman for sun-sentinel.com

When an actor plays enough roles as a teen in trouble, people may think his life is in distress as well.

However, the life of 23-year-old Canadian actor Jake Epstein is very different from the roles he has played since being a teen himself, such as the bi-polar teen musician in the television series "Degrassi: The Next Generation" or the Hasidic Jewish gang member in the film "Crown Heights." Epstein is currently starring as the rebellious teen Melchior in "Spring Awakening," playing through May 16 at the Arsht Center.

Epstein is not a malcontent youth although he portrays one. Rather, Epstein comes from a middle class Jewish family in Toronto who have been supportive of his talents and whom he could always talk with. "My parents and sister have been supportive of me as a teen both in my career and in my own quest for independence, not like the teens I portray," said Epstein in a phone interview.

Epstein is deeply proud of his Jewish roots, learning that his maternal grandparents that he never met were Holocaust survivors from his mother, award winning author Kathy Kacer, who writes on children who survived The Holocaust. "The first book I wrote 'The Secrets of Gabi's Dress' was based on my mother. I wrote it first and foremost to my two children as a way of preserving that history for them — and both Gabi (Jake's sister) and Jake have helped me with my research for my books," said Kacer.

Epstein relishes the idea of playing a Holocaust survivor child if one of his mother's books becomes a play or film. "What my grandparents went through is tragic and I would be immensely proud to play such a role on the stage or screen. One of my mother's books is being discussed as a film project, so it would be a way of me paying homage to my family," said Epstein.

Epstein has been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike for his portrayal of Melchior as the teen who needs to express love and disappointment in the repressive nineteenth century of Germany.

"Playing Melchior is a dream come true," Esptein said. "The play is relevant and topical and I hope that parents and teens can talk about the issues the play raises. It's a play that does not talk down to the audience and likes to portray teens who are not shying away from intense issues."

Read more at the source.

Check out a video clip of Jake Epstein with his Spring Awakening co-star Christy Altomare here, shot after the opening night in Orlando for cfnews13.com.


For more screen captures, visit this gallery album.

For other reviews of the national tour visit the official blog: Spring Awakening Reviews in Orlando

Coming soon: screen captures of all the TotallyTrucked you tube webisodes Jake has appeared in.

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Spring Awakening Tour Interview with Jake Epstein
uploaded by PaulLeary

Paul Leary interviews Jake Epstein (Melchior) about the Broadway Tour of Spring Awakening at the Arsht Center May 11-16th.

(Broadcast on WLRN 4/30/10)

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Rites of spring: Teens discover new world in rock musical
By Andrea Blum for thenewsherald.com

Jake Epstein hasn’t shied away from controversial roles during his acting career, and his latest follows that trend.

The 22-year-old from Toronto took over the role of Melchior Gabor in the first national tour of the sexually charged “Spring Awakening” in July 2009.

A fusion of morality, sexuality and rock ’n’ roll, the show won eight Tony awards in 2007 and sparked much talk in the Broadway community.

Set against the backdrop of a repressive and provincial late 19th-century Germany, the show tells a timeless story of teenage self-discovery and budding sexuality.

The alternative rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind features music by rocker Duncan Sheik.

The original play was banned for nearly a century and still sparks controversy with themes ranging from masturbation and rape to abortion and child abuse.

“The whole show is about teenagers discovering their sexuality, but it’s portrayed in a really honest way,” he said. “We don’t just allude to it.”

The groundbreaking show comes to Detroit’s Fisher Theatre April 20 to May 9 for its first Michigan run.

“I’m from Toronto and Detroit is the city closest to that, so it’s exciting for me,” he said. “I have a busload of friends coming.”

Epstein, 22, was born in Toronto and has spent half his life working in theater, film and television.

He’s best known for his role as Craig Manning on the Canadian TV series “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” which helped establish him as a teen heartthrob.

After spending four seasons on the show, he decided to change his career’s course.

Epstein bowed out of his role on the hit TV show to go to college.

He recently graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada, where he had the opportunity to work with Canada’s leading directors and artists.

“I sort of did it backwards,” he said. “I was a lead on ‘Degrassi’ and that was going really well. But in the sixth season, I felt like it started repeating things.

“As a young actor, I wasn’t being challenged.”

read more at the source.

Reviews from Dallas:
Theater review: Too bad there's no encore in 'Spring Awakening'
Theater review: Spring Awakening at Winspear Opera House in Dallas
Spring Awakening Puts Teen Angst to a Driving Rock Beat and Lets It Go Buck Wild.

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