Recently, American Broadway musical titan lyricist Steven Sandheim died at home on November 26 at the age of 91. According to his friends, he died suddenly not because of illness. Because the day before Steven Sandheim was still celebrating Thanksgiving with friends and having dinner.
Stephen Sandheim has been in the industry for more than 60 years, winning eight Tony Awards (the composer with the most Tony Awards), and has won seven Grammy Awards, one Pulitzer Prize and one Lawrence Oliver Award.
As a result, he is known as the most respected and influential composer and songwriter in theatre of the second half of the 20th century. His representative works include "Friends", "Spring Full of Ancient City", "Barber Todd" and "Visiting the Forest".
In 1930, Stephen Sandheim was born in New York, USA, to a wealthy merchant family, engaged in the business of clothing design and production. Because the clothing merchant has a strong relationship with the New York performing arts industry, he also gained the convenience of entering and leaving the theater, so he was influenced by Broadway musicals from an early age. At the age of 35, he officially debuted as a lyricist.
His 1979 musical, Todd the Barber, tells the absurd story of a demon barber who kills a customer and hands his body over to the neighbor's proprietor's wife to sell as an adult meat pie. The musical was later adapted into a film and had a huge impact.
In the film Countdown, Broadway stars sang the song "Sunday" together, paying tribute to Steven Sandheim.
His death sparked many tributes, with musical theatre maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber writing in mourning him: "Farewell, the musical theater giants of our time, your work has inspired generations." Your contribution to the musical is unparalleled. Australian actor Hugh Jackman posted tribute to him and praised his artistic achievements: "There will always be people who fundamentally change the art form, and Stephen Sandheim is one of them." ”
A star in the history of musical theater has completed its mission in the world and returned to heaven. Stephen Sandheim has left us, but his light will always shine on future generations.