BreakOUT News

Show Queens, Start Your Chanting

June 22, 2006

The latest Off-Broadway musical rumored to be ripe for a Broadway move began with Buddhists—New York City Buddhists, but meditating-chanters nonetheless. In fact it was chanting that brought songwriter Duncan Sheik and playwright Steven Slater.

And while Buddhism isn’t actually rife with gays, at least not officially, the musical, “Spring Awakening,” does have a few homosexual twists.

Sheik and Slater first met during a chanting session, they say. Slater mentioned he was working on a play that needed a song; Sheik asked to see the lyrics. The composer sent back a melody, Slater loved it and out of that initial effort, the two agreed to write a musical version of the 19th-century German classic, "Spring Awakening," which is receiving accolades at the Atlantic Theater Company.

Although the source material is more than 100 years old, Sheik’s music is au courant. Rock verging on punk. Slater calls it “pop-contemporary.”

Whatever you call it, the show is a hit. Sheik and Slater are now working on new musical productions together including an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Nightingale."

Sheik says that in the process, he has developed a new respect for musical theater. "I never realized how passionate about this I would be," he says. In honor of his newfound enthusiasm, OUTzone Sheik an honorary title: Theater Queen-in-Training.

 

Comments

Robert La Mont wrote:

Give Lee a break. He is from the Republic of China (Taiwan), a liberal democracy, not the Peoples' Republic of China.

posted at June 26, 2006 12:47 AM

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