According to his lawyer’s words with the New York Times, Sondheim passed away at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut. Stephen Sondheim, a legendary American composer and songwriter has died at the age of 91. He was a musical theatre legend who turned the most unlikely themes into cultural classics.
Over his successful career, he created the music for some of Broadway’s most well-known productions, including Company, Follies, and A Little Night Music. West Side Story’s lyrics were also composed by Sondheim.
Sondheim, who was born on March 22, 1930, attended his first Broadway musical when he was nine years old. He joined Oscar Hammerstein II, of The King and I and Oklahoma! fame, the very next year, and he became his mentor as he began his musical theatre career.
Born in New York, the composer received eight Grammys, nine Tony Awards, one for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, and an Academy Award. He was also awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Sondheim received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour, from US President Barack Obama in 2015 for his contributions.
According to Sondheim’s lawyer, the composer had enjoyed Thanksgiving with friends the day before he passed away. The tributes to one of the musical theatre’s most famous composers have begun to flow in.
Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, also tweeted on the sad demise of Stephen Sondheim. Anna Kendrick, a US actress, and vocalist remarked that performing Sondheim’s work was one of the greatest honours of her career and that his death was “a tragic loss.” Journalist Fae O’Toole shared a letter from Sondheim in 2011 when she was a “theatre-mad 16-year-old” on Twitter.
Source: BBC News
