Steven Sater’s Nero reaches London after two decades of development
Original report:
Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s musical about the Roman emperor is receiving its second full professional production in London. Sater discusses its political resonance and a separate play recasting John F Kennedy’s assassination through the structure of Greek tragedy.
Nero, the musical by Spring Awakening collaborators Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, is receiving its second full professional production at London’s Southwark Playhouse Elephant, running until 5 December. First produced in San Francisco in 2006, it spent two decades moving through workshops and presentations to prospective backers. Andrew Barth Feldman plays the emperor, conceived by its writers as a charismatic performer as well as a tyrant.
Speaking to the Guardian, Sater linked the production’s contemporary relevance to American politics, while suggesting producers had regarded his work as financially risky. He also described a separate play about John F Kennedy’s assassination, modelled verse by verse on Aeschylus’s Agamemnon, with Jackie Kennedy taking Cassandra’s prophetic speech.
The long route to London illustrates the financing difficulties Sater describes even after Spring Awakening won eight Tony awards in 2007. He says prospective producers questioned whether audiences could connect with Nero. His explanation reflects one writer’s experience; the article does not provide production budgets or independent accounts from those backers.
Source
the Guardian — 4 November 2026
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