A Purple Summer by Steven Sater
Paperback Release Date: March 13, 2012
Publisher: Applause Books
Genre: Theater
ISBN: 978-1557838247
Source: Received from Publisher
In February 1999, Steven Sater conceived the radical notion of creating a rock musical from Frank Wedekind’s notorious Symbolist drama, Frühlings Erwachen, and he enlisted his friend and writing partner Duncan Sheik in the enterprise. That night, Sater came home and began writing the first lyric of Spring Awakening: “Mama Who Bore Me” – a lyric which still stands, verbatim, just as he first wrote it.
Ten years later, in the wake of the enormous international success of this groundbreaking, multiaward-winning show, its original director, Michael Mayer, urged Sater to write notes explicating its famously evocative, poetic lyrics.
In rich detail, Sater’s notes address the literary sources and allusions of each lyric. He also writes feelingly of what prompted the songs over the course of the show’s eight years of development. In so doing, Sater expands on his partnership with Sheik and his experiences with original cast members, Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff, now also known from Glee.
These notes will prove invaluable for fans of the show, for all those interested in theater, and most especially for all the young performers who will play the roles and sing these songs.
A Purple Summer by Steven Sater is a quick read, filled with so much meat that there’s always more to discover and digest as you read through again and again. Sater wastes no time with a lengthy introduction and gets right to the point of giving us his notes for every song of Spring Awakening, in the order that they are performed. As someone who bought the original cast recording before seeing the musical, connecting with the music and lyrics prior to getting my standing room only Broadway ticket and reading the play… I formed my own story about Spring Awakening through his lyrics. So finally being able to see the lyrics and hear the music through Sater’s understanding… well, this is long overdue. What once was lost in translation is no more. No longer do I have to wonder what certain lyrics allude to, how other countries translated certain lyrics (i.e. “My Junk” became “My Drug” in Korea), how much a song was revised, etc… It’s all explained here.
There are certain aspects of the lyrics that are so consistent, the foreshadowing seemed to hide very cleverly within. But now I see just how intricate those pieces are. And the imagery, oh the imagery really comes to life more than ever with these notes for “Left Behind” especially. “The Word of Your Body” and “Whispering” also make an even more powerful impact on me now after reading Sater’s notes. I was especially excited to see what Sater’s notes were for my favorite numbers, “Don’t Do Sadness,” “Blue Wind,” and “The Dark I Know Well.” You can imagine my surprise when I learned that “The Dark I Know Well” was almost cut because the show was dark enough as it was. I love this number because it is so dark. Needless to say, I am more grateful than ever knowing that this number made it to the final production. Also, the meaning of the line “And who can say what dreams are” in “The Guilty Ones” is made clear in Sater’s notes which fans will very much appreciate. It clears so much up so there is no more debate about that. Thank you Sater!
What’s so wonderful about this book, what makes it such a quick read is that some lyrics speak for themselves so well that Sater does not bother waste our time going in depth with such. Some lyrics have more notes than others but Sater is always precise and to the point, so every note written is just as significant as the ones without much explanation. That said, certain notes were not as thorough as one may expect… although I remember one Broadway actor telling me that you never really stop getting notes. So perhaps this was just a peak into the world of notes! If that’s the case, I’ll gladly take it. When it comes down to it, A Purple Summer is a must read for any Spring Awakening fan and a must have for any actor who is planning on playing a role in this musical in the future as the insight here is really for you. Go out and get your copy today!
Read A Purple Summer: Notes on the Lyrics of Spring Awakening by Steven Sater today.
Thanks for yor post. Yes, there are always more notes when it comes to Steven. He is steeped in literature and it's always so interesting to see his references. Lori sater
Thank you so much for reading the review and commenting! It means a lot! I agree, it definitely is always interesting to see his references. All the best!