The show starts strong with “Mama Who Bore Me,” where Stephanie Hoston, who plays Wendla, shows off her strong and striking voice. Soon she is joined by the other girls in the cast, and their harmonies mix perfectly together to create a sassy opening.

The angst picks up speed as Melchior, played by David Alcala, and Moritz, played by Zachary Yowarski, begin to rebel in school. The extremely catchy “Bitch of Living” can resonate with anyone’s frustration in life. Alcala’s Melchior is too cool for school, while Yowarski’s Moritz is endearingly awkward and twitchy. Their friendship feels true and heartfelt, as Melchior tries to help Moritz with his insomnia and seemingly uncontrollable urges.

Each of the characters go through realizations of their own during the course of the show. Melchior and Wendla begin a torrid love affair, Moritz deals with being kicked out of school, while Martha (played by Jessica Patterson)  reveals that she is the subject of her father’s physical and sexual abuse.

The heavy subjects are played off with dry humor and tongue-in-cheek songs like “My Junk”, and “Totally Fucked.” The ensemble voices were strong and carried most of the songs. Yowarski’s solo “Don’t Do Sadness” was teary-eyed but strong, as was Hoston and Alcala’s duet “Whispering.”

The show is really about the sexual awakening of these teenagers. It’s powerful but fun, and just artistic and sexual enough to make the audience feel awkward. Thea, played by Caelie Molina, quickly sums up the play in one line: “How will we know what to do if our parents don’t tell us?”