Steven Sater - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Life and Career

Evansville, Indiana

Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...

, Sater attended Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...

as an undergraduate. Due to an apartment fire Sater was forced to jump from his balcony and damaged his spine, as well as several other limbs. The months spent recovering from his injuries and burns inspired Sater to teach himself Ancient Greek and seriously pursue the arts, and he went on to study English literature at Princeton University

Princeton University

Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....

. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/theater/prometheus-bound-gets-a-rock-treatment-at-american-rep.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=steven%20sater&st=cse

After completing his graduate program, Sater took a position with a New York literary agent, but continued to write plays on the side. It was during this time that he joined the Soka Gakkai, a lay Buddhist organization. His membership has proved important to his life beyond spirituality, as it brought Sater together with both his future wife, and his future creative partner, Duncan Sheik

Duncan Sheik

Duncan Scott Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik initially found success as a singer, most notably for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing". He later expanded his work to include compositions for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, leading him to involvement in the...

.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/14/garden/14dakota.html

Soon after meeting, Sater collaborated with Sheik on his play Umbrage, with Sheik providing the music for Sater's lyrics. To produce Sheik's third studio album Phantom Moon
Phantom Moon
Phantom Moon is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik. Released via Nonesuch Records, the album was a collaboration between Sheik, who provided the stark instrumentation, and poet/playwright Steven Sater, who wrote the lyrics for the album. The album is considered a tribute of...

, Sater gave Sheik lyrics and Sheik set them musically, cooperatively producing the album. They returned to stage to produce Nero at the Magic Theatre

Magic Theatre

The Magic Theatre is a theatre company founded in 1967, presently based at the historic Fort Mason Center on San Francisco's northern waterfront...

in San Francisco, California, with book and lyrics by Sater and music by Sheik. The project remains in active development, most recently workshopped with New York Stage and Film at the Powerhouse Theater at Vassar College

Vassar College

Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...

in July 2008, starring Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel

Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...

, Lea Michele

Lea Michele

Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...

, and Michael Arden

Michael Arden

Michael Jerrod Moore , also known as Michael Arden, is an American stage actor, singer, and composer. He was born in Midland, Texas.-Early and personal life:...

, under the direction of Daniel Kramer.http://www.playbill.com/news/article/119378.html

Sater and Sheik continued their stage work with Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...

, a musical interpretation of German playwright Frank Wedekind's play of the same name. In 2007, Sater won two Tony Awards for his work on Spring Awakening. He won the Tony for Best Book and Best Musical Score, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics

The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics is an annual award presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors...

, and the Outer Critic Circle Award for Best Lyrics. The pair received the 2007 Grammy Award

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

for Best Musical Show Album and, in addition, The Dramatists Guild Hull-Warriner Award, the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama Desk, the Lucille Lortel, New York Drama Critics' Circle, the Drama League Award, and the 2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical. Spring Awakening currently is on its second national tour in the US and has opened internationally in over 25 countries, including Australia, Sweden, Japan, Israel, Serbia, Brazil, Korea, Argentina, Norway, and Great Britain (in London, at the Lyric Hammersmith and Novello theaters).http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/charlesspencer/4511140/Spring-Awakening-at-the-Lyric-Hammersmith---review.html http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/first-night-spring-awakening-lyric-hammersmith-london-1545156.html Productions are already scheduled for eighteen countries around the world throughout Europe, Asia, and South America.http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117999687.html?categoryid=19&cs=1&nid=2569

Stage

Sater and Sheik are currently at work on a musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen story "The Nightingale", which will be part of the 2011 Powerhouse Season of New York Stage and Film (directed by Moises Kaufman

Moisés Kaufman

Moisés Kaufman is a playwright, director and founder of Tectonic Theater Project. He is the author of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, 33 Variations and is perhaps best known for writing The Laramie Project with other members of Tectonic Theater Project...

, and produced by Dodgers Theatricals). The piece, also called The Nightingale, has previously been workshopped at the O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference, La Jolla Playhouse

La Jolla Playhouse

La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...

, American Conservatory Theater

American Conservatory Theater

American Conservatory Theater is a large non-profit theater company in San Francisco, California, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. A.C.T. was founded in 1965 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Playhouse and Carnegie Tech by theatre and...

, and New York Theater Workshop.http://www.playbill.com/news/article/116900.html

Sater has also worked with System of a Down's Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...

on a musical version of Prometheus Bound
Prometheus Bound
Prometheus Bound is an Ancient Greek tragedy. In Antiquity, this drama was attributed to Aeschylus, but is now considered by some scholars to be the work of another hand, perhaps one as late as ca. 415 BC. Despite these doubts of authorship, the play's designation as Aeschylean has remained...

, directed by Diane Paulus

Diane Paulus

Diane Paulus is an American director of theater and opera who became Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University in 2009. Paulus was nominated for the Best Director Tony Award for her revival of Hair...

, which opened at the American Repertory Theater on March 4, 2011 to rave reviews. http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Flash_PROMETHEUS_BOUND_in_Rehearsal_at_ART_20110201 The A.R.T. partnered with Amnesty International on Prometheus Bound, dedicating each week of performance to a different prisoner of conscience around the world. “The Hunger”, a single from the show recorded by Shirley Manson, has been released on iTunes, with all proceeds going to Amnesty International.
http://www.theatermania.com/boston/news/03-2011/shirley-mansons-andquotthe-hungerandquot-from-prom_34669.html

Sater is currently working with recording legend Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach

Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...

on a new musical, called Some Lovers, based on the short story The Gift of the Magi

The Gift of the Magi

"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story written by O. Henry , about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money...

by O. Henry. The musical will be produced at The Old Globe

Old Globe Theatre

The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons...

in November and December 2011. British vocalist Rumer

Rumer

Rumer may refer to:*Rumer , British singer*Rumer Willis , actress, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore*Rumer Godden , English author*Yuriy Rumer , Russian physicist also known as Georg Rumer...

recorded a single from the show as part of a special Christmas album, also featuring Bacharach’s Alfie.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/145832-British-Vocalist-Rumer-Records-Song-from-Steven-Sater-Burt-Bacharach-Musical-Gift-of-the-Magi

Film/TV

Sater is also co-creator and executive producer, with Paul Reiser

Paul Reiser

Paul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...

, of recent pilots for both NBC and FX, and has developed two projects for HBO, and another for Showtime.http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117873705.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 He is also at work on a feature film with Jessie Nelson.http://www3.courierpress.com/news/2007/Jan/12/ursuin-his-theatrical-dreams/ In 2010, he completed a draft for Sony Picture’s upcoming remake of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/137745-Steven-Sater-Working-on-Chitty-Remake-Musical-With-Bacharach-Spring-Awakening-Film-and-More

Sater's screenplay for a movie adaptation of Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening

Spring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...

is currently in development at Playtone, with McG attached to direct. http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/cannes-handicapping-2010-movie-sales/

Music

Sater works as a lyricist with various composers in the pop/rock world, including Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach

, Johnny Mandel

Johnny Mandel

Johnny Mandel is an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. Among the musicians he has worked with are Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, and Shirley Horn.-Life:...

, Andreas Carlsson

Andreas Carlsson

Andreas Carlsson is a Swedish music producer, composer, and pop songwriter.-Biography:Carlsson was part of the Cheiron Studios team until the studio was closed down in 2001....

, Leo Z, Desmond Child

Desmond Child

Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...

, Brian Byrne

Brian Byrne

Brian Byrne is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician, best recognized as the second vocalist for I Mother Earth.-Biography:...

, and William Joseph

William Joseph (musician)

William Joseph is a pianist and recording artist from Phoenix, Arizona.William Joseph won, at age 8, a full music scholarship provided by the Boys Club of America, enabling him to study piano with Russian pianist Stella Saperstein....

.

Sater wrote two songs with Sheik for Michael Mayer's feature film A Home at the End of the World

A Home at the End of the World

A Home at the End of the World is a 1990 novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Michael Cunningham.The book is narrated in the first person, with the narrator changing in each chapter. Bobby and Jonathan are the main narrators, but several chapters are narrated by Alice, Jonathan's mother,...

as well as the independent features Brother's Shadow and Mary Stuart Masterson's The Cake Eaters

The Cake Eaters

The Cake Eaters is a 2007 American independent drama film about two small town families who must confront old issues with the return of one family's son. The film was directed by Mary Stuart Masterson and stars Kristen Stewart, Aaron Stanford, Bruce Dern, and Jayce Bartok...

.

Further recorded songs include:
Trash (Play)
Ragdoll (Lucy Woodward)
Some Lovers (Rumer)
Come In Ogni Ora (Karima, Burt Bacharach)
Just Walk Away (Karima, Burt Bacharach)
Something That Was Beautiful (Mario Biondi)
The Hunger (Shirley Manson, Serj Tankian)

Sources

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.