West Side Story Lyricist Stephen Sondheim Dead at 91

Broadway has lost a legend. 

Stephen Sondheim, the acclaimed composer and lyricist, has died, his lawyer F. Richard Pappas confirmed, according to The New York Times. Sondheim reportedly died at his Connecticut home on Friday, Nov. 26 after celebrating Thanksgiving with friends a day earlier. The musical theater legend was 91 years old. 

An icon in the theater world, Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for beloved shows such as Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd and authored the lyrics for the likes of Gypsy and West Side Story, which Steven Spielberg has adapted into a new film due out in December.

For his life’s work, Sondheim amassed eight Tony Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008, as well as eight Grammy Awards and an Oscar for Best Original Song. “I never thought very highly of awards,” he said during his 1971 Tony Award acceptance speech, “but I must say it’s awfully nice to win one.”

source: eonline.com