If you go …

WHAT: “Spring Awakening”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 23

WHERE: Kent State University at Trumbull, 4314 Mahoning Ave. NW, Champion.

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for students and senior citizens and $15 for children ages 12 and younger and free for Kent students and faculty. They are available online at www.kent.edu/trumbull/theatre and by calling 330-675-8887.

CHAMPION — “Spring” arrived at Kent State University at Trumbull Theatre on a cool fall night with the opening of the musical “Spring Awakening.”

With music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater, “Spring Awakening” is based on a play written by Frank Wedekind in the 1890s about German teens discovering their sexuality without the information or understanding to realize the consequences of their actions. Parents, in an effort to shelter and protect, leave them ill-equipped to deal with the realities of their lives and emotions.

It’s a show about teenagers that deals frankly with sexuality, masturbation, sexual assault, suicide and other topics that may make some viewers uncomfortable.

Director Paul Dahman handles the material thoughtfully. He doesn’t shy away from the sensitive topics, but it also doesn’t feel exploitative. His casting choices and approach complement the source material.

From the first notes of “Mama Who Bore Me” to open the show, it’s easy to understand how Carly DelliQuadri was cast as Wendla with her clear, pure mezzo-soprano.

Gwen Baker as Moritz also stands out vocally, particularly on “I Don’t Do Sadness.” Baker conveys the mix of rage, frustration and hopelessness of the character throughout their performance.

Dakota Smith as Melchior brought power and attitude to “Totally …” (the song whose full title can’t be printed here), but there were a few times when his vocals were so faint that he barely could be heard, and it wasn’t because the band led by music director Clay Colley was playing too loud. The live band, unseen behind the stage, propelled the musical numbers but didn’t overpower them.

However, the headset mics used by some of the characters were hit or miss. They were visible on the actors’ faces but frequently seemed to be silent. Hannah Misko was saddled with a particularly static-y microphone, but even that couldn’t detract from her beautiful rendition of “Blue Wind” or her lead vocals on the finale, “The Song of Purple Summer.”

In addition to directing, Dahman also appears on stage as the headmaster of the school, and he uses several actors to play the adult characters instead of having all of the parts played by one male and one female. There’s nothing wrong with that choice (and the Broadway revival strayed from the original staging as well), but it can be a real showcase for two actors who get to play multiple, significantly different characters. It dilutes that theatricality by splitting them up among several people.

Kenzie James Ramsey’s set design is simple but serves the story, and the costumes by Kim Gapinski effectively establish the late 19th century setting.

Makenna Liller Dahman’s choreography has almost a balletic quality on some of the numbers led by the female cast members and a frenetic energy on “Totally …”

“Spring Awakening” won eight Tony Awards including best musical in 2007 and is one of my favorite 21st century musicals. Thursday’s opening night performance definitely had a few off-key notes and some technical issues, but it captured the spirit of Sater’s and Sheik’s creation.