An upcoming Hamilton musical may open up conversations between parents and their teens about sexuality.
The musical, Spring Awakening, which is based on the more explicit 1891 play, has won eight Tony Awards overseas and is now coming to Hamilton. The R16 show is set in the 19th Century in Germany and, through 13 teenagers, discusses hard hitting themes like puberty, sex, teenage pregnancy, depression and suicide.
Director and producer Mel Martin said: "These are timeless issues and things that we as young people now still experience, so that's why we chose to do it," Director and producer Mel Martin said.
She says the message behind the show is that there is a lack of communication between parents and teenagers in society and because of this there is a lot of confusion.
People who do not regularly go to musicals will still enjoy the musical as much as regular theatre-goers, she says.
Mel and musical director Steven Sater have been talking about doing the show for 10 years, but think now is the right time in Hamilton.
"Ten years ago it wasn't the right climate in Hamilton to do a show like this, whereas 10 years later we're much more progressive. The art scene here is booming," said Mel.
They aim to make the musical more realistic and intimate than other Spring Awakening shows. The stage will be set up in a way that the band will be present on stage and there will be an audience from three different sides, which they hope will help create intimacy and emotion.
Hannah Doherty, who will be playing Wendla in the musical, said although there are some explicit scenes they are not awkward.
"You want it [the scene] to fit in with the storyline and you want it to be believable, so you put all the awkwardness behind you and work together to make it comfortable," she said.
The crew will not be too surprised if people walk out because they may not be able to handle the intensity of the themes, but hope that people stick around for the journey. The musical will run Wednesday to Saturday from July 8-16, 7.30-10pm with a matinee on Saturday, July 16 from 1.30-4pm at the Meteor Theatre on Victoria St. For more information on ticket prices go to iticket.co.nz