'Phantom,' 'Cabaret' Icon Harold Prince, Winner of 21 Tony Awards, Dies At 91
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Harold Prince, a Broadway director and producer who pushed the boundaries of musical theater with such groundbreaking shows as "The Phantom of the Opera," "Cabaret," "Company" and "Sweeney Todd" and won a staggering 21 Tony Awards, has died. Prince was 91.
Prince's publicist Rick Miramontez says Prince died Wednesday after a brief illness in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Broadway will honor Prince by dimming its lights Wednesday night at 7:45 p.m.
Prince was known for his fluid, cinematic director's touch and was unpredictable and uncompromising in his choice of stage material.
He often picked challenging, offbeat subjects to musicalize, such as Sweeney Todd, about a murderous, knifing-wielding barber who baked his victims in pies, or the 19th-century opening of Japan to the West.
Prince's career spans more than 50 years. In 2017 "Prince of Broadway", a musical about his own work, ran on Broadway and on opening night, he joked about working with producers.
"I've never felt more protected by producers my entire life, not since I was a producer," he said.
He was also the recipient of two special Tony Awards and a Kennedy Center Honor.
"Farewell, Hal. Not just the prince of musicals, the crowned head who directed two of the greatest productions of my career, Evita and Phantom. This wonderful man taught me so much and his mastery of musical theatre was without equal," said Andrew Lloyd Webber.
"Harold Prince Was a director and producer, and a giant on #Broadway. His loss is unfathomable," The Tony Awards tweeted. It went on to list his 21 Tony Awards.
"We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our legendary director, Hal Prince," The Phantom of the Opera tweeted.
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