~ THEATER 'lD o o N c5 "" Q; -" E :3 (lJ o ;0:; '" u c co (f) teven Sater is running a little late rushing from the Eugene O'Neill Theatre to talk about the musical "Spring Awakening," which opens today after a long journey fraught with delays. "IJust added an intro to the last song, 'The Song of Purple Summer,''' explains Sater. who wrote the show's book and Ivrics Bttt Broadway musicals are like puzzles, and altering one Inoment can have a cascade effect. "We needed to change the music. and then we needed to change the lyrics But we got through it." This final bit of tweaking - a luxury fOI 3 show that has been gestating for about seven years -is the favorite moment for director Michael Mayer, the Tony·nomi· nated force behind "Thoroughly Mod· ern Millie," "Side Man" and the re-being explained to them. the young people. explode into rock songs like "The Bitch of Living" and "My Junk" with lusty plea sure.</p><p> Slyly pulling out a wireless micro phone to sing becomes an act of rebellion Though the music is sophisticated enough to please any Stephen Sondheim fan, Gramuly-winning musician Duncan Sheik was determined -in his first stage effort -not to try and change the subtle, Nick Drake-flavored yearning of his rock albums to fit what some might imagine a Broadway musical should sound like. .</p><p> Ani189f~h1V ' . ....</p><p> Yields ·a;~exy :,;1." " Broadwav '.: cent family him "Flicka," among many other projects. "When Steven and I statted wlit lllg these songs, ~ ','II [lItem live kind of rocl< p81>0n, J purpose ly didn't want to write songs in a different genre," says Sheik, who has grown from the pop artist behind the hit song "It's really fun," says Mayer. "I love this pro cess \-vhere the structure is firmly in place. the per lot mances are really solid "Barely Breathing" to deliver acclaimed albums like "Phan and 1 can hne-tune .</p><p> That's . , nllisifaV';': my favonte lime.</p><p> You don't always get to -sometimes you're scrambling to the very last tom Moon" (another collabo- minute to try and make it work But it works. and now we're getting to linker." Broadway is waiting to see if that tin Kering pays off Thanks to ecstatic re views wben it ran Off-Broadway, many 'Ire hoping "Spring Awakening" will be Ihe next "Rent" - a sexy musical about Ihe sexual awakening of young people that will bring more real, live young peo ple to Ihe Great 'W11ite Way.</p><p> Based on a scandalous 1891 play, it de [.licts the stultifying life of teenagers in a provmcial German town in the 1890s Learning Latin, strictly overseen by Iheir parenls, wondering what mysteries aren't ration with Sater) and his latest, "Whit" UmoU$me. " "It WflS definilely Ollr idea that the mu'ie r 'Spring AI akel'ung ' should be Ihe alrernative rock music of [he day, and to be slt icl with ourselves about not letting it turn into something more traditional," says Sheik, "There are many Broadway shows that have been intlu- . ential on me, like 'Porgy and Bess' and Sweeney Todd,' and certainly there have been recent shows that influenced us "So it's not like we're not influenced by Broadway, but stylistically, we want ed to make sure the music was going to be really relevant to 20-and 30-year-olds and teenagers" If the show clicks, it will be a sweet finale to a sometimes torturous journey.</p><p> It began with a workshop in La lalla, Ca lif • in 1999, which led to more work shops and then a turn at the Roundabout in 2001, where plans to take the show to Broadway were deralled by Sept.</p><p> I i and financial and ~11istic demands . "It was heartbl eaking at the time," says Sater, who has written a number of plays. notably "Carbondale Dreams" and, in collahoration wilh musician Lau rie Anderson. a version of "The Tem pest" "Then, after three years, times had changed .</p><p> It was post-9/11 but also post 'Hairspray.' People wanted fun. and we were a pretty dark show" But that delay proved a blessing, ac cording to Mayer. 'We really wanted to put the show on before," says Mayet: "But it would not have been as good if we hadn't had all this time Because we never stopped working All the -' time it was on hiatus, we kept adding.' And now Sheik, whose album sales of late have not matched his critical ac claim, may very well find his higgest au dience yet in a place he never expected to be: Broadway "1 think I've learned a lot about lyric writing from Steven. because he's so immersed in the world of words." says Sheik "Steven is so prolific as " lyricist and I'm more prolific with music. so it does allow me to create a 101 more Ihan otherwise would bave "I did some albums tbat were less commercial and a bit confounding to people And even my family was saying, 'You're working on a musical'" !\nd 1001 ing at me like I'm out of my mmd," !, He laughs. "Honestly. i have 10 say it' I he most satisfying creative expel ience of my life so lar -sitting 111 that theater and watching the show It's really, really amazing to me," •
