Bashoff and Riabko to Rock Tour of Spring Awakening

By Adam Hetrick
June 26, 2008

The current stars of Broadway's Spring Awakening – Blake Bashoff and Kyle Riabko – will head the cast of the national tour of that Tony Award-winning musical, which begins a pre-tour engagement in San Diego Aug. 15.

In December 2007, Bashoff replaced Tony Award-winning actor John Gallagher Jr. in the role of Moritz. He will reprise his performance as the ill-fated character for the national tour of Spring Awakening opposite Canadian musician Kyle Riabko as Melchior. Riabko made his Broadway debut in May when he succeeded Jonathan Groff as the musical's freethinking catalyst, Melchior.

"I have been performing and touring as a musician since I was 10 years old. The fact that I now get to tour America as Melchior in Spring Awakening is an incredible dream come true," Riabko said in a statement.

"I am excited to bring this role to cities across America," added Bashoff. "Moritz is a complex character but very relatable. I think audiences of every age will understand and recognize him and be moved by the story."

Riabko, whose solo recording "Before I Speak" is currently available on the Columbia Records label, has toured with musicians including Jason Mraz, Maroon 5 and John Mayer.

Bashoff was recently seen on ABC's "Lost" in a recurring role, and has also appeared on the television series "Judging Amy," "Numb3rs," "Without a Trace" and "One Tree Hill." His film credits include "Bushwhacked," "Big Bully," HBO's "A Child Betrayed: The Calvin Mire Story" and "The New Swiss Family Robinson." Bashoff will be seen in the upcoming feature "Together Again for the First Time."

Replacements for Bashoff and Riabko in the Broadway company of Spring Awakening have not been announced. Complete casting for the national tour of Spring Awakening is expected shortly.

Spring Awakening will play a pre-tour engagement at San Diego's Balboa Theatre Aug. 15-31 prior to moving to San Francisco's Curran Theatre Sept. 4-Oct. 12, for the official tour launch.

Additional tour engagements for Spring Awakening include:
Seattle, WA (Oct. 13-19, at the Paramount)
Portland, OR (Oct. 21-26, at the Civic Auditorium)
Los Angeles, CA (Oct. 27-Dec.7 at the Ahmanson)
Tempe, AZ (Dec. 9-14, at the Gammage Auditorium)
Tampa, FL (Dec. 30, 2008-Jan. 4, 2009, at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center)
Houston, TX (Jan. 6-18, 2009, at the Hobby Center)
Des Moines, IA (Jan. 20-25, 2009, at the Civic Center)
St, Louis, MO (Feb. 10-22, 2009, at the Fox Theatre)
East Lansing, MI (Feb. 24-March 1, 2009, at the Wharton Center)
Cleveland, OH (March 3-15, 2009, at Playhouse Square)
Toronto (March 18-April 19, 2009, at the Canon Theatre)
Boston, MA (April 28-May 24, 2009, at the Colonial Theatre)
Pittsburgh, PA (May 26-31, 2009, at Heinz Hall)
Louisville, KY (June 2-7, 2009, at Kentucky Center)
Baltimore, MD (June 9-21, 2009, at the France Merrick Center)
Philadelphia, PA (June 23-28, 2009, at the Kimmel Center)
Washington, D.C. (July 7-Aug. 3, 2009, at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater)
Chicago, IL (Aug. 4-16, 2009, Theatre TBA)

Based on the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening won eight 2007 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Spring Awakening features direction by Michael Mayer, choreography by Bill T. Jones, book and lyrics by Steven Sater and a score by Duncan Sheik.

Songs featured in the Tony-winning score are "All That's Known," "And Then There Were None," "Blue Wind/Don't Do Sadness," "Left Behind," "Mamma Who Bore Me," "My Junk, "The Bitch of Living," "The Dark I Know Well," "The Guilty Ones," "The Song of Purple Summer," "The Word of Your Body," "Those You've Known," "Totally Fucked," "Touch Me," "Whispering" and "The Mirror-Blue Night."

Spring Awakening's cast album recently earned a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

The musical made its world premiere Off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theater Company in June 2006. Spring Awakening transferred to Broadway the following November, where it continues to play at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

For further information visit www.springawakening.com.