Though April showers and May flowers are many months away, the emotions that bloom in the musical “Spring Awakening” featured this weekend at the Union Theater can sprout any time of the year.

“Spring Awakening,” originally written by Frank Wedekind as a play in 1891, chronicles the lives of sexually repressed teens living in Germany during the late 19th century as they navigate through charged issues including child abuse, rape, pregnancy, abortion, homosexuality, violence and teen suicide.

Partial nudity and profanity will confront audiences ready to embrace this unique marriage of cultural history and musical modernity.

“I think [the audience will] probably see some things that are shocking, because they’re dealt with in a very real way,” adult male under-study Travis Stroessenreuther said. “I think if we get the conversation going then we’ve done our job, and that’s the point of art.”

The Columbine shootings spurred the idea to rework Wedekind’s play into musical form and give teenagers a voice, thereby bridging the experiences of teenagers both past and present.

“What’s incredible to me is the issues that teenagers were facing then are the same issues that teenagers are facing now,” Stroessenreuther said.

“Spring Awakening,” a Broadway veteran and winner of eight Tony awards adapted by Steven Sater, fuses taboo subjects with soaring rock music by Duncan Sheik to explain the inner tumult and angst that plagued the teens who lived in such an outwardly frigid and tight-lipped society.

“It’s a complex musical and it deals with issues I think every teenager is going through, that people wonder about but don’t necessarily talk about,” Stroessenreuther said. “It really deals with these things in a […] very tasteful and tactful way.”

The characters in “Spring Awakening” rebel against the authoritative adult establishment comprised of headmasters, fathers and doctors represented by just one actor in the musical.

“It’s been very interesting for me to delve into these nine different roles and to see the compassion or the lack of compassion that these adults have for what these kids are going through,” Stroessenreuther said.

The title of the musical hints at the charged content that awaits audiences just behind the curtain.

“Because it’s dealing with teenagers and young people, I think there are multiple meanings [of] ‘Spring Awakening,’ in that it’s an awakening of these young people sexually and emotionally,” Stroessenreuther said. “They’re really exploring and opening up to a world.”

The musical creates a powerful contrast between the historical costume and dialogue of the characters and current musical expression. The immense talent of the cast and their interpretations of Sheik’s modern rock ballads lend deep insight into characters’ innermost emotions and feelings.

The musical’s second national tour spreads the musicality, euphoria, heartache and raw passion of “Spring Awakening” to an even wider audience.

“The play was banned for a long time, because it was controversial,” Stroessenreuther said. “For us to be able to bring it to smaller towns in the Midwest and to places like Madison is a great thing. I think it’s fantastic.”

The musical’s diverse content will affect audiences anew with every viewing.

“Each show something else gets me. Something will make me laugh where I didn’t expect or tear up where I didn’t expect. There’s such an explosion of different emotions that have different ways of expressing themselves in the young people. It’s remarkable,” Stroessenreuther said.

The musical has since sparked a productive dialogue about bullying and teen angst among audience members of all ages.

“I think it’s important to watch this play, and talk about what’s often hard to talk about. When you don’t and you push things aside, then I think you get some really hard truths about bullying,” Stroessenreuther said.

Through plot conflicts and choreographed numbers, “Spring Awakening” reminds modern audiences of the importance of open discussion and the catastrophic effects of narrow-mindedness. The musical holds meaning for modern audiences, especially in light of recent bullying and suicide tragedies across the country.

Before donning the knit caps and dusting off the snow shovels, head to the Union Theater this weekend to experience spring like never before.

Watch “Spring Awakening” on Oct. 23-24 at 7 p.m. with a special midnight performance on Saturday, Oct. 23.