It is with great sadness we report that legendary composer Stephen Sondheim passed away early Friday morning, November 26, 2021. He was 91 years old. A man who needs no introduction, Sondheim was often lauded as the greatest and most influential American musical theatre composer-lyricist.
Sondheim changed the landscape of the American musical with iconic works like West Side Story, Gypsy, Company, Follies, and Into the Woods, just to name a few. He won eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Sunday in the Park with George, one of his most beloved musicals.
As soon as the news was announced, the outpouring of love came flooding in from the theatre community and all those influenced by his work. Broadway favorites like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Benj Pasek, and Audra McDonald were among those honoring the composer.
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♥️
— Bernadette Peters (@OfficialBPeters) November 26, 2021
The last of the great Musical Comedy composers has died. Steve, I will never be a able to properly thank you for the lessons learned. You are the Gold Standard.
— Patti LuPone (@PattiLuPone) November 27, 2021
On what he would like his legacy to be, Sondheim told The New York Times “Oh, goodness. Oh, I just would like the shows to keep getting done. Whether on Broadway, or in regional theaters, or schools or communities, I would just like the stuff to be done. Just done and done and done and done and done. You know, that would be the fun.”
With a revival of Company opening on Broadway this December, an Off-Broadway revival of Assassins currently in performances, and a new film adaptation of West Side Story premiering in theaters this December, it has already been proven that his legacy will be eternal.