One of the most influential figures of 20th-century theater, Stephen Sondheim was said to have “reinvented the American musical”
The following written content from Quinci LeGardye
Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, one of theater’s most prolific and influential songwriters, passed away at the age of 91 at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. His lawyer and friend F. Richard Pappas announced his death, the cause of which is currently unknown, per New York Times. According to Pappas, the composer celebrated Thanksgiving with a dinner with friends at his home the day before.
Sondheim’s work has touched the hearts of several generations of theater lovers. From his early work writing the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy, to his streak of original musicals in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, including Company, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods, the composer-lyricist was known for expressing a wide range of human emotion, from defiance to yearning to vengeance to artistic frustration to grief, through his gorgeous songs.
In a recent New York Times interview, taken days before his death, the composer revealed that he was working on a new musical, adapted from two movies by the Spanish director Luis Buñuel. He was also attending Broadway shows up until the end, attending the revivals of his musicals Assassins and Company in the past month.
Countless Broadway stars, most of whom have either performed Sondheim’s works or were deeply influenced by the songwriter, shared heartfelt tributes honoring his legacy and his contributions to theater.
The Hamilton star posted a heartfelt tribute directed towards future historians who will study Sondheim’s legacy. He also shared an email from the composer, who wrote and recorded a voicemail message for Miranda’s film Tick, Tick…Boom!.
The Broadway legend, who appeared in the original casts for Sondheim’s Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park with George, wrote, “I am so so sad to lose my friend Steve Sondheim. He gave me so much to sing about I loved him dearly and will miss him so much. Thank you for all the gifts you gave the world Steve.”
“Thank the Lord that Sondheim lived to be 91 years old so he had the time to write such wonderful music and GREAT lyrics! May he Rest In Peace,” wrote the star, who recorded eight Sondheim songs on her 1985 collection, The Broadway Album.
Marianne Elliot, director of the new Broadway revival of Sondheim’s musical Company, wrote a message for the show’s official account. “We have lost the Shakespeare of musical theatre. He was the most generous collaborator with the greatest spirit. The joy of working with him was that he knew theatre could and should evolve with time. He was always open to the new.”
“We dedicate this production of Company to his artistry and joy,” she says. Read more from HarpersBazaar
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