Harold Prince died this morning at 91 years of age after a brief illness, in Reykjavik, Iceland. There will be no funeral, but a celebration of his life is planned. The lights of all Broadway theaters in New York will dim for one minute today at 7:45 p.m.
His memoir of his life was recently reissued and updated, Sense of Occasion, to coincide with “Prince of Broadway,” a Broadway entertainment in 2017 that served as a retrospective of the astonishing 70-year career of this inventive and influential producer and director who received the most individual Tony Awards — 21, more than twice as many as anybody else in history.
He championed adventurous fare in a field long known for escapism. His Broadway portfolio included “West Side Story,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Cabaret,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Evita” and “Phantom of the Opera,” and he was heralded as a visionary who saw theatrical potential in the most unlikely subject matter.
Broadway credits as a producer and/or director include: Prince of Broadway (2017); Lovemusik (2007); Hollywood Arms (2002); Parade (1998);Candide (1997 revival); Show Boat (1994 revival); Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993);The Phantom of the Opera (1988); Cabaret (1987 revival); Merrily We Roll Along(1981); Evita (1979); Sweeney Todd (1979); On the Twentieth Century (1978); Side by Side by Sondheim (1977); Pacific Overtures (1976); Candide (1974 revival); A Little Night Music (1973); Follies (1971); Company (1970); Zorba (1968); Cabaret(1966); It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman (1966); Flora, The Red Menace(1965); Baker Street (1965); Fiddler on the Roof (1964); She Loves Me (1963); A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962); Take Her, She’s Mine(1961); Tenderloin (1960); West Side Story (1960 revival); Fiorello! (1959); West Side Story (1957); New Girl in Town (1957); Damn Yankees (1955); and The Pajama Game (1954).
