Theatre Mourns a Giant: Artists From Broadway and Beyond React to Stephen Sondheim’s Passing | Playbill

Obituaries Theatre Mourns a Giant: Artists From Broadway and Beyond React to Stephen Sondheim’s Passing Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and more paid tribute to the legendary composer on social media.
Stephen Sondheim Friedman-Abeles/©New York Public Library

The theatre community lost a giant November 26; composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim passed away at the age of 91. Within hours, performers, writers, and other theatre artists—several of them alums of various productions of his shows—took to social media to share their memories of the creator and pay tribute to his artistry.

Read on below for messages posted in memory of Stephen Sondheim.

Bernadette Peters

Vanessa Williams

Audra McDonald

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Steven Pasquale

Jason Robert Brown

Harvey Fierstein

Marianne Elliott and Company

Celia R. Gooding

Jeremy O. Harris

Hugh Jackman

Rob McClure

LaChanze

Alex Lacamoire

Jordan Fisher

Kate Shindle

Benj Pasek

The Tony Awards

Michael Cerveris

Alex Wyse

Lea Salonga

Barbra Streisand

Elaine Paige

George Takei

Darren Criss

Chita Rivera

Donna Murphy

Michael Ball

Anna Kendrick

Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Seth Rudetsky

Debbie Allen

Brian Stokes Mitchell

Katherine McNamara

Hugh Jackman

Gideon Glick

Anika Noni Rose

Jackie Hoffman

Betty Buckley

Lynn Nottage

Ava DuVernay

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Patti LuPone

Claybourne Elder (Read the full thread here)

MTI Chairman Cameron Mackintosh
“The theatre has lost one of its greatest geniuses and the world has lost one of its greatest and most original writers. Sadly, there is now a giant in the sky. But the brilliance of Stephen Sondheim will still be here as his legendary songs and shows will be performed for evermore. Goodbye, old friend and thank you from all of us.”

MTI Co-Chairman Freddie Gershon
“HEY OLD FRIEND
FUNNIEST GUY OLD FRIEND
ONE OF A KIND OLD FRIEND
IT’S COME TO THE END OLD FRIEND”

MTI CEO Drew Cohen
“In addition to being considered the greatest composer of our time, Steve was a most vital part of the MTI family. Not only did we represent Sondheim’s incredible collection of shows, but Steve was an ardent supporter of everything MTI did to expand the audience for musical theatre. In particular, he was an eager participant when Freddie approached him over two decades ago with an idea to abridge musicals so that younger students could perform them. Based on Steve’s early endorsement of Broadway Junior, the collection was born, resulting in tens of thousands of productions and millions of new eyes, ears, and voices aware of and engaged in musical theatre.”

 
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