Spring Awakening original cast: Who are they and where are they now?

Spring Awakening: Those You've Known, directed by Michael John Warren, will premiere on HBO on May 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT and will also be available to stream on HBO Max.

It has been 15 years since the hit Broadway production Spring Awakening came to the big screen. The original cast and creative team reunited for a spectacular, one-night-only reunion show to benefit the Actors Fund in 2021.

There is a lot of attention paid to the characters as they re-connect and rediscover what makes the show so timeless and beautiful, as well as its underdog roots. There is also a lot of attention paid to the universal themes of adolescent depression and anguish, as well as the unorthodox love story of rising stars Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele.

---

HBO's documentary Spring Awakening: Those You've Known inspired by the original Broadway production

Frank Wedekind's 1981 play of the same name served as the inspiration for the coming-of-age rock musical. Almost a decade later, Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater came together to write the music, book, and lyrics for the movie.

Set in nineteenth-century Germany, the show follows a group of teenagers as they come to terms with their sexuality. Michele and Groff were cast as Wendla Bergmann and Melchior Gabor, respectively, and became fast friends throughout the show's run on Broadway.

To celebrate the show's 15th anniversary, the original cast came together for a special performance in December 2021. Spring Awakening: Those You've Known was shot for an HBO documentary that will air in May 2022.

The original cast and band reunited in November 2021 to perform the show for what one Frozen voice actor described as a 'crazy' performance experience.

---

Meet the original cast of Spring Awakening: What they have been upto since?

1) Jonathan Groff

Prior to starring in Glee, Looking, and The Matrix Resurrections, the Mindhunter alum performed a major role for Melchior in the original piece. He made his Broadway comeback in 2015, portraying King George in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: An American Musical. Apart from that, the Pennsylvania native also played minor roles in the 2022's And Just Like That and Life & Beth.

---

2) Lea Michele

Lea Michele is a New Jersey native who got her start on Broadway before landing the part of Wendla in Spring Awakening. She has subsequently appeared in New Year's Eve, Scream Queens, The Mayor, and Same Time, Next Christmas, after the show's six-season run. Michele has four unique CDs to her credit as a music artist, including a lullaby mix dedicated to her baby.

---

3) John Gallagher Jr.

As Moritz in the Broadway musical, John Gallagher Jr. made his Broadway debut. Along with The Heart Machine, Olive Kitteridge, and The Newsroom under his belt, he's also been in 10 Cloverfield Lane, Hush, and The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

---

4) Skylar Astin

In the original Broadway production, Skylar Astin portrayed Georg. Since then, he's been in Pitch Perfect, Wreck-It Ralph, 21 & Over, Glee, Ground Floor, Pitch Perfect 2, Graves, and Secret Society of Second Born Royals, among other films. His later appearances included Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.

Other cast members from the original Broadway production include stars like Lauren Pritchard (Grammy's nomination for Panic! At The Disco's Death of a Bachelor), who portrayed Ilse, Lilli Cooper (Dynasty) played Martha, and Gideo Glick (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Ernst.

---

The HBO documentary Spring Awakening: Those You've Known debuts on May 3 at 9 pm ET/PT.