We are deeply saddened by the news that Mr. Stephen Sondheim, legendary musical composer and lyricist passed away on the 26th of November, aged 91.

Mr. Sondheim is one of the greatest theatre composer-lyricists of our time. His works include Saturday Night, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Assassins and Road Show and he also wrote the lyrics for West Side Story, Gypsy and Do I Hear a Waltz?. His accolades include eight Tony Awards, an Academy Award, eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and Praemium Imperiale in 2000.

Three of his works have been staged at the New National Theatre, Tokyo: Pacific Overtures (Japan premiere in 2000 and 2002), Into the Woods (Japan premiere in 2004 and 2006) and Passion (Japan premiere in 2015). When the NNTT staged Pacific Overtures in 2000, Mr. Sondheim happened to be in Japan for the ceremony of Praemium Imperiale. He watched the performance in person and spoke very highly of the production. Recommended by Mr. Sondheim himself, this production of Pacific Overtures was invited to the US and was staged in New York and Washington D.C. in 2002.

We would like to express our sincere condolences to Mr. Sondheim's family for their loss - he will always be remembered most fondly at the NNTT.

Pacific Ovetures in 2000

Into the Woods in 2004

Passion in 2015