Krystina Alabado left her studies at ASU for New York last spring, determined to make it in the fast-paced, brightly lit world of Broadway. Now she is returning — cast and show in tow.

Alabado would be a sophomore had she continued at ASU. Instead, she took a leave of absence to join the cast of hit the Broadway play “Spring Awakening,” which comes to ASU Gammage Dec. 9.

An adaptation of the 1891 Frank Wedekind play of the same name, “Spring Awakening” on Broadway won eight Tony Awards in 2007 for its portrayal of adolescence and sexual discovery.

Alabado has already completed 115 shows in five major cities with the cast. She will begin a more strenuous schedule in January, visiting a different city every two weeks, she said.

“Doing the show every night is a thrill,” she said. “It never gets boring, and I’m learning more than I’ve ever learned about theater.”

Alabado originally planned to graduate early from ASU in hopes of moving quickly to the professional stage, but an opportunity presented itself earlier than she expected.

During the spring of her freshman year, Alabado saw an open casting call for “Spring Awakening” and flew to Boston in the middle of the school week to audition. In a rapid succession of events, one callback became two and she left for a second round of auditions, this time in New York.

“I took a week off of school, and I went through a couple days of auditioning,” she said. “The day I got back to school, they called me. It was a really quick process.”

After securing her part in the play, Alabado took a leave of absence from ASU and since then has been continually practicing and touring.

“To be as young as she is and to have accomplished this is really something special,” said David Britton, a professor of music at ASU.

Alabado studied singing with Britton at ASU.

“She was a very vivacious, energetic student,” he said. “She was very serious about what she wanted to do.”

Alabado performs as part of the ensemble for “Spring Awakening,” a part that takes place mainly off the stage. She sits among audience members, singing and performing choreography.

Her part symbolically portrays the connection between the play’s world of 19th century Germany and the modern day by getting the audience involved, she said. Many of the play’s underlying themes still have relevance today, and her part helps communicate that continued significance, she said.

Alabado also plays the “swing,” or understudy for multiple parts. She rehearses five additional female roles. If any actress can’t work, Alabado takes her place.

Continually rehearsing five characters in addition to her regular routine takes a lot of extra work and perseverance, but working with the cast and experiencing life in a touring Broadway show makes it all worth it, Alabado said.

“You have to be really passionate about what you do,” she said. “It’s a hard business to get into. If you work hard enough, you’re going to make it.”

Traveling with the play doesn’t leave time for school and Alabado probably won’t be returning to her studies anytime soon, she said.

But school will always be there should she choose to return, she said.

“If I end up returning to school, it will be on the East Coast because it’s closer to New York,” she said. “My reason for going to college was to make it into a Broadway show.”

Reach the reporter at channing.turner@asu.edu.