Set to officially open in Manila Sept. 25, Spring Awakening will feature New York-born Lati as Wendla opposite Valdes as Melchior. Also set for the production is "Philippine Idol" finalist Miguel Mendoza as Georg. Complete casting will be announced shortly.

Chari Arespacochaga directs the production, which features a Filipino design team. Spring Awakening will run through Oct. 17 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium.

Spring Awakening's Philippines bow is produced through a special arrangement with Ira Pittelman, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel. The original New York producers have final casting approval.

The Broadway production of Spring Awakening closed in January 2009, while a London engagement, utilizing the original creative team, closed in May 2009. A current American national tour of the musical continues with numerous international productions taking place worldwide.

Based on the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening won eight 2007 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The original Broadway production of Spring Awakening featured 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."

Atlantis productions will also stage Xanadu and Legally Blonde for Philippine audiences in the coming year. Atlantis previously presented productions of Avenue Q, Rent, Urinetown, Doubt, Beauty and the Beast, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, tick, tick… BOOM! and Proof starring Lea Salonga.

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