Stephen Sondheim was a composer and lyricist who attended one his Broadway musicals just eleven days before his sudden death at the young age of 91.
Company on Broadway was restored to public view by the theatre’s orchestra. Sondheim was there to see the musical which he had written in 1970.
The crowd stood as he made his way to his seat. It was just before the showtime, so they gave him a standing ovation.
Stephen Sondheim (91) went to see his most well-known shows two weeks prior to his death.
The nonagenarian could be seen being chaperoned to his seat in the fifth row of the theater
He made his way to his auditorium seat, but few people noticed.
When the performers dedicated the performance, they turned their attention to the composer.
The theater was filled with people who cheered Sondheim’s recognition.
He was unsteady as he made his journey to his fifth-row aisle seat.
Sondheim waved briefly to the crowd, and then he pulled his mask down as he acknowledged the admiration.
The cast met on the stage before the production started with Patti LuPone (one of the show’s stars) making an announcement.
With her vocal cracking, she stated, “Stephen. The cast of Company dedicates the performance to you,”
Sondheim then turned around and waved as a single light shined on him.
Sondheim was seen to recognize the cheers of the audience when he took the seat.
Sondheim was briefly seen in the spotlight as he smiled and waved while removing his mask.
Patti LuPone is pictured as one of the stars in the show, and she stepped forward to dedicate Sondheim’s performance.
Sondheim was seen moving to his companion while the rest of the cast applauded him.
Marianne Elliott was the director and welcomed everyone back into the theatre after the pandemic.
Marianne Elliott, director of the show welcomed back the audience to the theatre. “It is incredible to be here at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre after 631 day,” she stated from the stage.
Sondheim was injured when he took a tumble at his Connecticut home. He had to cancel his trip to London, where the theater was to be renamed in his honor.
In a recent interview, the lyricist and composter revealed He was currently working with David Ives on Square One, a musical.
Ives stated in 2013 that he is the spirit of the age because of his brilliant musicals. He is the spirit and soul of this age.
In 1957, Spielberg’s West Side Story was his first big success. He provided the lyrics. Pictured is Spielberg’s musical adaptation, due out next month
Sondheim’s work remains a vital part of today’s cultural landscape.
He is a prominent figure in Tick, Tick, Boom!, an adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s biographical musical.
Steven Spielberg opens West Side Story in theatres as the version that Sondheim has written the lyrics for.
Another of his musicals, Assassins, a story which looked at the men and women who wanted to kill presidents, from John Wilkes Booth to John Hinckley, is also playing in a New York theater until January.
The official opening of the show will be on December 9, after nearly a month’s worth of previews
Outside the Bernard B. Jacobs theatre, there was a celebration scene
This weekend, you can see a sign from Stephen Sondheim’s “Company – A Musical Comedy” outside of the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.