Broadway musical legend Stephen Sondheim’s 91. died in

New York:

Legendary Broadway songwriter Stephen Sondheim, widely credited with revolutionizing American musical theatre, died Friday at the age of 91. Sondheim – a songwriter and composer, known for works including story of the west And Sweeney Todd – He died suddenly at his Connecticut home the day after celebrating Thanksgiving with friends, his lawyer F. Richard Pappas said. Publicity for the ongoing Broadway production of Sondheim’s musical company At the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Rick Miramontez confirmed the news to AFP.

“We have lost the Shakespeare of musical theatre,” Marianne Elliott, director of the “company,” said in a statement shared on the production’s Twitter page.

Before the show, Elliott and the cast took to the stage to join the audience in a standing ovation for the songwriter. Outside the theatre, an attendee wrapped up against the cold of New York November, with Mike Morris saying: “It’s the end of an era. This is a man who revolutionized American musical theatre.”

Another theatre-goer, Austin Philemon, called Sondheim “a monumental figure in the history of musical theatre”. “He will be remembered for hundreds of years,” he said.

Describing what made the songwriter so good, director Elliot told AFP: “He never wrote a note, he never wrote a word, it didn’t mean anything psychologically.

“So all his meaning is in the melody of the song, as well as in the lyrics of what they’re actually singing. And so he’s like Shakespeare, because you can follow the rhythm or you can listen to it and you Feel comfortable that he is telling you something about the character.”

Born in New York City on March 22, 1930, Sondheim was involved in musical theater from an early age, even though both of his parents worked in the fashion industry. He began playing the piano at the age of seven and was a family friend of Oscar Hammerstein II, half of the famous musical theater writing duo Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Sondheim’s first professional writing assignment was for the television comedy “Topper” in the 1950s. He also wrote crossword puzzles for New York Magazine from 1968 to 1969, which contributed to his writing style and sense of dramatic misdirection. With his success on Broadway came story of the west in 1957, soon after gypsy Two years later.

story of the west The first was adapted into a film twice in 1961, starring Rita Moreno. The second, due for release in early December, starred Ansel Elgort and newcomer Rachel Ziegler.

prolific career

During his career spanning more than five decades, Sondheim won eight Grammy Awards, eight Tony Awards—including Special Lifetime Achievement in Theater—an Academy Award and a Pulitzer. He was nominated for several more Grammys and Tones as well as two Golden Globes. As well as company, his play killers, has also been revived on Broadway this fall.

In 2015, then-US President Barack Obama awarded Sondheim the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour, for his life’s works. Sondheim’s repertoire includes much-loved shows such as A funny thing happened on the way to the stage And in the woods,

In 2017, Sondheim married her partner, Jeffrey Romley, who survived her. “Thank God Sondheim was 91 so he had time to write such amazing music and great songs!” Singer Barbra Streisand tweeted.

“Thank you for everything Mr. Sondheim, who recently won the Tony Award for Best Actor,” tweeted Broadway actor Aaron Tveit. “We are so lucky to have what you have given to the world.” Broadway actress and singer Lee Salonga also thanked Sondheim for his “massive contribution to musical theatre”.

“We will always be singing your songs. Oh my heart hurts,” she wrote on Twitter. The UK-based Stephen Sondheim Society, dedicated to promoting and studying his work, tweeted with three heart emojis, one of which was broken.

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