Spring Awakening Los Angeles 2012 - Lindsay Pearce Interview

NICK LAZZARINI: Hey guys.
I'm here with the beautiful and talented Lindsey Pearce.
You may know her from The Glee Project, Glee, and starting in
Spring Awakening here in LA.
So you've never seen a Broadway show.
LINDSAY PEARCE: Never.
NICK LAZZARINI: So how did you get into Spring Awakening?
LINDSAY PEARCE: I mean, I didn't really know anything
about the story.
I just listened to the songs.
I was so into the music that I researched the show.
And then it was Lea and Jonathan Groff
originating the roles.
And they were just so poignant, and the
show is just so raw.
And then auditions came about in LA, and I went, and ta da.
NICK LAZZARINI: Yeah.
And now you're starring in it.
That's crazy.
LINDSAY PEARCE: Yeah.
And it's a dream come true.
And to be able to step into the big shoes
that Lea left behind.
And it's just really cool to be the LA premiere of it.
NICK LAZZARINI: Tell me what makes the LA production of
Spring Awakening different and unique from the New York
production.
LINDSAY PEARCE: Very much like the original Frank Wedekind
script, there's a lot of direction of
where the show goes.
Because I think when it was written and when it was
adapted into a musical, it was so obvious that certain parts
of the story get carried forward by certain actions.
And so we never wanted to take away from the
actions in the show.
But we definitely didn't want it to be from the blueprint of
the original musical.
And we all bring a different character to the show.
And we would hate to basically just plagiarize what Lea and
Jonathan and all the original cast did.
So we created our own show within what worked from the
original Broadway show.
NICK LAZZARINI: So tell us a little bit about the
choreography in the show.
LINDSAY PEARCE: Our
choreographer is Laura Harrison.
She's got this great natural kind of pedestrian organic
movement that she does.
But she's also very contemporary and modern.
And so we went from being a dance-heavy show to not a
dance-heavy show to back to a really modern, contemporary,
dance-heavy show.
NICK LAZZARINI: So tell us, what is your
favorite part of the show?
LINDSAY PEARCE: Am I allowed to say the song?
Am I allowed to say it?
OK.
My favorite and an audience favorite is a song called
"Totally Effed." The character of Melchior, Mat Vairo, gets
accused of writing this essay about sex.
And led to everyone's sexual debauchery in the show.
And it's his inner monologue of, like, oh my god.
I'm so screwed.
And we're all there kind of rocking out like he's
Aerosmith, and we're his fan girls.
And then they say, Melchior Gabor, did you write this?
And he's like, yes I did.
And then we all just start going crazy and jumping on the
stage and getting in the audience's faces and
flipping them off.
And it's amazing.
And the audience--
every single time we've done that number, someone starts
standing up or screaming or singing along.
And it's just really great to be a part of a number that
brings in not just your cast camaraderie but the audience
participation.
And we rip the fourth wall right down.
NICK LAZZARINI: The show sounds amazing.
LINDSAY PEARCE: Yes, thank you.
NICK LAZZARINI: Where can we see the Show
LINDSAY PEARCE: It's in Hollywood.
It's at the Egyptian Arena Stage.
And we are running from March 16 to April 22.