Stephen Sondheim, ‘West Side Story’ lyricist and Broadway legend, dies at 91

The composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, known for works like “West Side Story” O “Gypsy“and considered one of the greatest Broadway legends, he died this Friday at the age of 91 in the town of Roxbury (Connecticut), reported the New York Times.

According to the outlet, Sondheim’s death was confirmed by his lawyer and friend, Richard Pappas, who described the death as sudden, since he had been celebrating Thanksgiving the day before at a dinner with friends.

Sondheim (New York, 1930), winner of an Oscar, a Pulitzer and more of a fortnight of Emmys and Grammys, began to reap successes in the late 50s, when he wrote the lyrics for “West Side Story” and “Gypsy”, and continued to triumph until the 90s, with the lyrics and music of “Assasins”, with which he gave voice to people who had killed or attempted to kill a US president

The first work in which he composed both music and lyrics was the 1962 comedy “Golfus of Rome“, which won a Tony and was represented for more than two years on Broadway. In the 70s and 80s, her most productive years, she produced works considered varied and original, including”Company” (1970), “Follies” (1971), “A Little Night Music” (1973), “Pacific Overtures” (1976), “Sweeney Todd” (1979), “Merrily We Roll Along“(1981), and”Into the Woods” (1987).

In total, Sondheim composed both lyrics and music for 12 Broadway shows, of which five won a Tony for the best musical, and six of them a Tony for the best soundtrack, while the show “Sunday in the Park”, which did not receive either of these two awards, was awarded with a Pulitzer.

In addition, in 1993 he received a career award from the prestigious Kennedy Center, and in 2015 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by former US President Barack Obama. In 2010, one of Broadway’s theaters, until then known as the Henry Miller, was named in his honor.

In 2020, the UK’s theater mecca, the London West End, He also wanted to pay tribute by baptizing one of its theaters with his name, but Sondheim could not attend that event, after having suffered a spectacular fall.

That same year, his 90th birthday was celebrated in style in a virtual party, courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic, in which figures of the stature of Meryl Streep, Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone y Audra McDonald.

Recently, three films nominated for various awards featured his music: “Daggers in the back“, “Joker” and “Story of a marriage“, which precisely contained a scene in which the protagonist, played by Adam Driver, sang”Being Alive“, from the show” Company “(1970).