Inside the ‘Spring Awakening’ Off-Broadway Revival & Why Its Choreographer Prioritized ‘Female Desire’

“I have gotten some random emails from people saying, ‘Don’t f–k it up,’ ” Celia Rowlson-Hall says with a laugh. The choreographer has worked across fashion, film (The Testament of Ann Lee, The Drama) and music videos (David Byrne, Alicia Keys) — but her latest project is especially high stakes: the off-Broadway production of the groundbreaking musical Spring Awakening (in previews Nov. 27 for a Dec. 17 opening).

Based on a late-19th-century play about German teens confronting sex, academic pressure, abuse and suicide, Spring Awakening’s Tony Award-winning folk-rock score (co-written by Steven Sater and the late Duncan Sheik) and standout youthful cast (including stars-to-be Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff) revolutionized Broadway when it opened 20 years ago. This revival, which boasts a cast of new names and is directed by Tony winner Danya Taymor (The Outsiders), is likely to be one of the buzziest shows of the fall season (its run has already been extended through April 4, 2027). It’s one of two examples of Sheik’s work going up onstage before the end of the year, following his untimely death in September from cardiac arrest at 56; his new musical, Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen, based on a Japanese manga series, recently began performances off-Broadway.

“The one thing that is not lost on me is the incredible impact that this show had 20 years ago and continues to,” says Rowlson-Hall, who recently wrapped choreographing Please, Halina Reijn’s A24 movie that will feature Gracie Abrams’ film acting debut. “I can’t tell you how many friends my age say, “This is the show that changed my life.’ ”

Had you seen the original Broadway production before signing on for this one?

I couldn’t afford to go because I was fresh out of college, but I remember the buzz. When [Danya and I] met, I was like, “I confess, I didn’t see [the original],” and she said, “Neither did I.” We decided to use that as understanding what we’re stepping into but also that we’re going to bring our own lens to it.

What are you focusing on through the movement?

A big thing is representing the women and their bodies and their physicality in a very empowered way. Making sure the female desire is very felt. As I’ve been observing teens over these past few months, I think there’s this incredible understanding and force inside the body that actually gets a little lost as you become an adult. They’re in their bodies in a really self-assured way, even if their minds are doing something really different, and that’s a really exciting juxtaposition.

There was a huge open call for this production. What were the auditions like?

We had people come in and sing pop and rock songs, and it was a lot of Olivia Rodrigo, Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile — a lot of Brandi Carlile actually sung by men!

Was it intentional to avoid casting established stars?

It was exciting [to find] a cast that weren’t household names — I think that’s following the spirit of the show 20 years ago. In storytelling, if you don’t have associations with that face in front of you, you get to put a lot of your own story onto it.

A version of this story appears in the Oct. 3, 2026, issue of Billboard.