Christy Altomare and Kyle Riabko appear in "Spring Awakening," based on an 1891 drama that was considered so racy it was banned. The show, which stops at Arizona State University, won eight Tony awards last year.

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Teen angst can be so painful — even the memory of it can be so painful — that it's hard to imagine a musical about it.

But "Spring Awakening" is exactly that. And according to critics from around the country, teen angst has never been so beautifully expressed.

The road show of the rock 'n' roll musical, which snagged eight 2007 Tony awards, including Best Musical, makes a stop in Tempe next week.

Frank Wedekind's 1891 drama was the inspiration for this play about German teens discovering desire and sex. It was considered so racy that it was long banned from the stage.

Now it's traveling around the country. Hey, times change.

"Though it's written in classical text, I find it to be very relatable," said Phoenix resident Kimiko Glenn, 19, who is one of the cast of 21 people.

"The issues are timeless; the issues we deal with in the show are issues we deal with in life."

Those issues will be familiar to anyone over the age of 13: out of control hormones, curiosity, parental pressures. And some that too many are familiar with, such as rape and child abuse.

The play has been on the road since July, and just like the Broadway production, it has won critical praise.

"Steven Sater, who wrote the book and lyrics, and Duncan Sheik, who composed the hypnotic music, transport us back to this phase of life with a brooding authenticity that distinguishes this work from the commercial pop of 'High School Musical.'" wrote the Los Angles Times.

"But even if the subject matter seems like water under the bridge to some of you, 'Spring Awakening' is worth seeing for its utterly original production."

The San Francisco Examiner was just as smitten: "'Spring Awakening' is an expertly crafted masterwork in the art of musical theater. The show . . . connects on a powerfully emotional and visceral level. It breaks all the rules and dares to be as bold as it is beautiful."