Spring Awakening
Author biographies
Steven Sater (Book and Lyrics)
Steven Sater was awarded the 2007 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score for Spring Awakening along with the Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle Awards for Best Lyrics. With alt-rocker Duncan Sheik, he received the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album for Spring Awakening. In addition, the two received The Dramatists Guild Hull-Warriner Award, the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama Desk, the Lucille Lortel, New York Drama Critics' Circle, and Drama League Awards for Best Musical. Steven is the author of numerous plays, including the long-running Carbondale Dreams, Perfect for You, Doll (the Rosenthal Prize, Cincinnati Playhouse); Umbrage (Steppenwolf New Play Prize); A Footnote to the Iliad (New York Stage and Film, The Miniature Theatre of Chester); Asylum (Naked Angels); Murder at the Gates (commissioned by Eye of the Storm); In Search of Lost Wings (Sanford Meisner Theater) and a re-conceived version of Shakespeare's Tempest, with music by Laurie Anderson, which played London's Lyric Hammersmith and toured throughout Great Britain. In addition to Spring Awakening, Sater has collaborated with Sheik on the NY premiere of Umbrage (HERE), Nero (The Magic Theatre, workshopped at the New York Shakespeare Festival and New York Stage & Film), and The Nightingale (workshopped at the O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference, La Jolla Playhouse, A.C.T., and New York Theater Workshop). He is also hard at work with System of a Down's Serj Tankian on a musical version of Prometheus Bound, to be directed by Diane Paulus at the American Repertory Theater. Sater is the lyricist for Sheik's critically acclaimed album Phantom Moon (Nonesuch), and together the two wrote the songs for Michael Mayer's feature film A Home at the End of the World (Warner Classics) as well as the independent features Brother's Shadow and Mary Stuart Masterson's The Cake Eaters. Sater is also co-creator and executive producer, with Paul Reiser, of recent pilots for both NBC and Sony/FX, and has developed two projects for HBO, and another for Showtime (with Reiser). He is also at work, with Jessie Nelson, on a feature film and is creating an original movie musical for producer Larry Mark. In addition, Steven works as a lyricist with various composers in the pop/rock world - recently writing songs with Burt Bacharach, Johnny Mandel, Andreas Carlsson, and William Joseph.
Duncan Sheik (Music)
In addition to writing the music for Spring Awakening (2007 Tony Awards for Best Orchestrations and Best Original Score, 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album), Sheik's other theater credits include: Nero (Another Golden Rome) (currently in development), The Nightingale (currently in development), Whisper House (currently in development). Recorded works include: Whisper House (Sony/Victor 2009), White Limousine (Rounder 2006), Daylight (Atlantic Records 2002), Phantom Moon (Nonesuch 2001), Humming (Atlantic Records 1998), Duncan Sheik (Grammy Nomination Best Male Vocal) (Atlantic Records 1996). Film Scores include: DARE (2009), Little Spirit: Christmas in New York (2008), Capers (2007) and The Cake Eaters (2007). Producer Credits include: Holly Brook (forthcoming CD 2009), Micah Green (2008), Spring Awakening Original Cast Album (Universal 2007) and Chris Garneau (2006).
AnnMarie Milazzo (Vocal Arrangements)
Composer/lyricist: Pretty Dead Girl, Sundance Film Festival. Vocal arranger: Broadway productions of Spring Awakening and Next To Normal. Bright Lights, Big City at The New York Theater Workshop, and the Paramount feature film, The Marc Pease Experience. AnnMarie is a Grammy nominated singer from The East Village Opera Company on Universal/Decca.
Simon Hale (String Orchestrations)
After graduating from the University of London with an honors degree in composition, Simon Hale's acclaimed solo album, East Fifteen, led to recordings with many artists, including George Benson, Simply Red, Jamiroquai and Björk. In 1996 he orchestrated Duncan Sheik's first album, and their musical collaboration has continued ever since. Simon's involvement with Spring Awakening marked his Broadway debut and the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations in 2007. He continues to work with Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik on other projects.