The Broadway smash-hit, coming-of-age rock musical “Spring Awakening” receives its regional premiere in Seattle on Jan. 6, courtesy of the award-winning Balagan Theatre and featuring Kirkland resident Tatum Ludlam.
A Juanita High School freshman, Tatum is thrilled to make her debut with Balagan Theatre in this show as Anna.
She recently performed in Hairspray (Penny) with Village Kidstage and The Giver (Lily) with Village Originals. Tatum’s other favorites include Singing in the Rain (Kathy Selden), Fiddler… (Chava), and Into the Woods (Little Red) with Studio East; Little Women (Jo) and Les Miserables with Core Theatrics.
Outside of theatre, Tatum enjoys playing soccer, scrapbooking, and spending time with her family. She was recently her middle school valedictorian and is currently a freshman in the Cambridge program at Juanita High School.
Directed by Seattle musical mainstay Eric Ankrim, “Spring Awakening” features other promising, local young actors Brian Earp (Beauty & the Beast, Robin Hood), Jerick Hoffer (Red Ranger Came Calling, Threepenny Opera), and Diana Huey (A Christmas Carol, Take Me America), as the leading trio in this musical.
Performances are January 6-8 and 12-15 at the Erickson Theatre on Capitol Hill, 1524 Harvard Ave., Seattle. Tickets start at $20 and are on sale at www.brownpapertickets.com.
“Spring Awakening” features music by Grammy-winning musical artist Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater. The 2006 Broadway production won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score; and launched the careers of Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff (of television’s Glee).
Set in late-1890s Germany, the musical follows a group of teenagers as they discover and explore their minds, bodies, and passions in the journey through adolescence to adulthood.
The “Spring Awakening” cast features more notable, young local artists like Justin Huertas (Speech & Debate, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). Justin is currently under commission as a playwright at Seattle Repertory Theatre for a performance piece chronicling five years’ worth of experiences auditioning for, touring with, and ultimately starring in “Spring Awakening.”
Even the production crew is a veritable who’s-who of the Seattle theatre scene. “Spring Awakening” Assistant Director Shawn Belyea is Balagan’s artistic director and executive producer of 14/48, The World’s Quickest Theater Festival.
Casting Director Brandon Ivie is artistic director of Contemporary Classics, for which he received the 2010 Gregory Award for Person To Watch. He most recently directed Cinderella at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
This production contains some adult content, including explicit language, sexual references, and brief nudity; it is not recommended for audience members younger than 14 years old.
For more information, visit www.balagantheatre.org.
