'Spring Awakening' star saw role coming
By Keith J. O'Connor

Three years ago when Jake Epstein saw "Spring Awakening" on Broadway, he knew instantly the lead role was made for him.

"I fell in love with the show and said to myself, 'Yeah, I can totally do that.' Of course, it's ridiculous and far fetched to pick out your own role and think you're going to get it. But, in my case, I really did," said Epstein, who portrays Melchior in the play's national touring production opening at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford on Tuesday.

Based on the infamous banned 1891 Frank Wedekind play and featuring an original indie rock score by Grammy-nominated recording star Duncan Sheik with book and lyrics by Steve Sater, "Spring Awakening" is about kids trying to break loose and adults trying to hold on. The story centers around a brilliant young student named Melchior, his troubled friend Moritz, and Wendla, a beautiful young girl on the verge of womanhood.

The coming of age tale told through rock music had its off-Broadway premiere at the Atlantic Theatre Company on May 19, 2006 before opening on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on Dec. 10, 2006, closing last January after nearly 1,000 performances.

"Spring Awakening" is the winner of eight 2007 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Director, Best Book of a Musical, Best Score, Best Orchestrations, Best Lighting Design, Best Choreography, and won John Gallagher Jr. an award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. It is directed by Michael Mayer and choreographed by the award-winning Bill T. Jones.

The play boldly depicts a dozen young people and how they make their way through the thrilling, complicated, confusing and mysterious time of their sexual awakening. Sheik and Sater's score features songs that illuminate the urgency of adolescent self-discovery, the burning intensity of teen friendships, and the innate suspicion of the uncomprehending adult world.

"I think the show is amazing and unlike anything else out there. "It's so unique and innovative and people of all ages can relate to it," said Epstein.

The 23-year-old actor, a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, honed his acting skills for his first national tour with roles in film and television, including "The Zack Files" which ran on ABC Family and "Degrassi: The Next Generation" seen on TeenNick. He also performed on stage in Canada in "Cinderella," Cameron MacKintosh's "Oliver!" and "Dog Sees God."

"Funnily enough, the 'Spring Awakening' tour was in Toronto and the cast came to see 'Dog Sees God,' and by some miracle they were looking for a replacement for the show's lead. They saw me and talked to their director, and the next thing I knew I was on my way to New York to audition, and I got the role," he said.

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