For what it's worth, I saw the original productions of both Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along in their first few weeks. (Well, Merrily's ONLY few weeks.) In both cases, contrary to what's evidently the prevailing view, I was COMPLETELY convinced by Prince's visual and scenic concepts, with the sole exception of the cheesy sweatshirts in Merrily.
In both cases I felt that Prince created a world up on that stage that supported and augmented the play and the music. The actors filled out the visuals, directed wonderfully by Mr. Prince and their own huge talents.
I've seen many revivals of Sweeney, and they all seem small (in the Nora Desmond sense). Even the movie version's visual design came across as a mere cartoon of that majestic hulking metal skeleton on the stage of the (then) Uris Theater. It was breathtaking, literally. At intermission I realized my jaw was stiff from being stuck in a dropped position.
In Merrily, it's a little bit the opposite. The obviously stagey backdrops were perfect for the youthful focus of the play, which made the entire experience heartbreaking as the evening progressed and the roles aged backwards to end with the actors playing people their own age. Subsequent revivals treat the material with more conventional realism, and it becomes more of a plain story told backwards.
And for what it's worth, I even feel differently from Sondheim. The original score was perfect as presented. Frank Rich's review was bizarrely wrongheaded.
10
"especially in its scenic design, a mirrored set by Boris Aronson that reflected the audience back on itself and implicated it in the high concept of a population allowing itself to be co-opted."
Wow. This was prescient.
9
Well, now he can kibitz with Al Hirschfeld in heaven--as Hirschfeld drew his shows--and Mr. Prince himself--more times than he even won Tony's, which is quite the feat and so he is feted.
4
"Start by admitting that cradle to tomb, isn't that long a stay. Life is a cabaret my friend, it's only a cabaret."
9
Genius! Shear Genius!
6
"Mr. Prince indulged 'in superficial seriousness,' Mr. Rich wrote."
Serially. Seriously.
1
Eddie Phillips, Carol Haney and Buzz Miller - for the Steam Heat photo credit. Sigh! NY Times - of all publications-- not looking up who the performers are in a photo. In NYC, you could probably stick your head out the window and ask someone on the street.
17
What amazing times his were.
Oh, the stories I could tell!
But I won't...
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
4
Great producer that Hal Prince was, I was very disappointed when he, in a most cowardly way, stripped the original 1927 opening line from his revival of "Showboat." You can hear it on the 1988 recording by The London Sinfonieta. That line, perhaps met with a slight, uncomfortable shrug in 1927's New York, would've landed like a thunderclap in 2003, and robbed that musical of its unique power; it became just another show striving to a happy ending.
2
I am not normally fond of euphemism, but I would like to point out that both “Merrily We Roll Along” and “It’s a Bird ... It’s a Plane ... It’s Superman” were not flops, though they were initially commercial failures. Both productions were splendid and influential (at least on me), and have been revived elsewhere with success.
11
Some names become household words. Other names become way more than that. Harold Prince is a name to join a select group that includes P.T. Barnum, Edmund Booth, Sarah Bernhardt Elenora Duse, David Belasco, Eugene O'Neill,Charle Chaplin Tennessee Williams, Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hammerstein,Walt Disney ,Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Lerner& Loewe, Stephen Sondheim, David Merrick, Kander and Ebb, among a few other rarified personages who ,with a combined genius for mixing both art and entertainment, transformed the stage, screen and music world. Mr. Prince easily steps into this stellar Hall of Fame, Every one of these people possessed a tenacity and unique genius that elevated them into the firmament of show biz legend and their ilk is unlikely ever to be matched again.
12
The passing of Mr. Prince has marked the passing of an era, the likes which we will never see again.
He was the last important man of the Broadway theater.
Prince was prodigious and amazingly talented, accomplished even in his flops, which were better vehicles than much of the top shows we see presently.
Working with the Masters of the early 20th Century, such as George Abbott and Jerome Robbins, he made the finest musicals of the latter half and through creative ingenuity and innovation, Hal ushered in a new era which was the springboard for many of the best shows of the 21st century.
Hal was the impresario who introduced a new wave of artists that changed the American Musical and audiences experience in the 21st Century.
His legacy will last as long as there is musical theater.
13
@CJ
"....he was the last important man of the Broadway theater?"
Ahem, excuse me?
What about Stephen Sondheim?
7
@Jeff
Sondheim is a great lyricist and composer who is not a Producer and Director who hires and promotes his cast members and makes great theater for the stages of Broadway and around the world. Now we have corporations and committees, no more GIANTS.
11
With apologies to Boswell's Johnson:
"He has made a chasm, which not only nothing can fill up, but which nothing has a tendency to fill up - Prince is dead - let us go to the next best: - there is nobody; no man can be said to put you in mind of Hal Prince."
17
What an incredible talent! RIP, Mr. PrInce. I adored his 1995 revival of Show Boat, among many other productions.
7
I had the great privilege of working with him. For such a talented director, he was also very down to earth, very human. Here was a man who had difficulty following a simple dance step. The same man produced and directed legendary musicals. He was superhuman. And he was a total joy to know.
25
I thought he was always known as Harold Prince! When I saw the headline as Hal, I was confused, and wondered what’s the big deal! Indeed, it’s Harold Prince! A giant of the American musical theatre! There will never be another one like him! Thanks for all the joys you brought to us! R.I.P.
11
The following words can be made from ‘Hal Prince’:
Nice Chap
Rich Chap
A Peach
I Plan
I Plane
I Plan In Plane
Help Help
In Pain
Line
Hal Can Help
Enrich Line
Hal Help
Hal Prince
Here’s the last word. A word theatergoers didn’t need to be told when attending a show Hal Prince was involved with:
Clap
15
@Very Confused
HELP and CAN HELP says a mouthful. Hal helped me in a few productions and he was a very kind and generous man indeed.
2
I thank Mr. Prince for all that he gave for so long to the theater. Between my father and me, we saw all of his productions. What a run! I remember sitting behind him during a performance of "If Love Were All". He was as intent an audience member as a director and, yes, had his glasses perched on his head as we watched Twiggy and Harry Groener deliver the mail. I overheard him say, "What a show!"
It has been a privilege to see his shows. There is no make believe involved in saying I love him and all his work. Bravo!
I hope my father gets the chance to meet him now.
24
I’m gonna tune in to Seth Rudetsky and company for comfort —RIP
6
The Master.
7
He helped shape what is, so far, the greatest era in American theater. There's nothing much more to say besides thank you.
14
The Phantom of the Opera is the cornerstone of my love for theatre. Without Hal Prince's staggering breathtaking vision for that timeless story, the majesty and mystery of the Phantom's journey never would've engulfed me at the age of 5. What a spellbinding welcome to the world of theatre.
Hal Prince set my sky high standards for what a Broadway musical should be. His mastery of scale truly encapsulates the lyric, "Let the spectacle astound you." I've revisited The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway time and time again over the past 3 decades, and every visit never fails to leave stars in my eyes like I'm seeing it for the first time.
I believe that a theatregoer's first show will go on to say a lot about their taste in theatre. I will forever be extremely grateful that a Hal Prince masterpiece was mine. It was the first Broadway musical that made my heart take wing, and I've been mesmerized ever since.
22
@Margarita Gaerlan Change the age and your first paragraph matches my experience exactly. Thank you for expressing it so eloquently.
7
@bluerose You're welcome, it’s heartwarming to know when fellow theatergoers share the same sentiments. Theatre can be life-changing, and Hal Prince’s work was thunderously so. May his legacy continue to electrify audiences of all ages.
8
What an incredible human being! Insightful, intelligent, creative and humble! His life was a gift to New York. We are all blessed to have been able to experience his magic first hand.
His plays were a victory for American theatre, thoughtful sensitive representing the greatness of our country.
19
I never met Mr. Prince, but I cried when I heard the news. His work has been a part of my life -in many ways guided my life. He is and always will be a towering figure in the theatre. I can think of other great producers, directors, and entrepreneurs, but in virtually every case what comes to mind are publicity stunts and larger-than-life figures who were, themselves, a part of the show. With Hal Prince, the show was the show. He brought vision and taste, without needing to put a "touch" or "stamp" to make the show his own. Working in service to the material, rather than to himself, he created some of the greatest theatrical art (and entertainment) of all time. There isn't one of us in working in the theatre today who doesn't owe something to Hal Prince, and the only way to repay it is to pay it forward. Tonight, instead of dimming the lights on Broadway we should turn on every light in the city -on the entire eastern seaboard! But that still wouldn't be enough...
31
My lights are on!
6
@Charles Finn
This a great and fitting tribute to such a kind and generous man. Hal Prince loved the theater in the truest sense.
5
Thank you New York Times for this short video. It was great to go over all the shows Price did on Broadway.
4
An amazing life. Thank you, Mr Prince - including for Merrily, which became a cult classic. And I think Frank Rich was wrong about Sweeney Todd. I was lucky to see the original Prince production. The hugeness of the set, the full orchestra, the overall size helped make the show a unique work of genius. I've seen several other, smaller productions, and they have a smaller impact.
18
One of the first Broadway shows I saw was Fiorello. Cut to maybe 20-30 years later (I think Ed Koch was NYC mayor) and the show Happy Days with Tom Bosley, who originated the title role, had just ended. I wrote to Mr Prince suggesting that he revive the show, that Mr Bosley would be available and New York had a colorful mayor. I got a response from a snippy assistant who wrote that “Mr Prince has no plans to revive Fiorello at this time.”
Funny thing though. One year later a production of Fiorello played Philadelphia! Was it already in the works? How long does it take to mount a revival?
Thank you Mr Prince for the countless hours of pleasure you gave throughout your career.
4
@Gabrielle Rose Fiorello! remains my sentimental favorite, and I've often thought it should be revived. Now would be a good time!
5
There's a rumor on Broadway
I'm pretty sure it's true
That Hal Prince had a sense of humor
With that in mind
I hope he won't mind the following:
Words I won't mince
Don't need me to convince
You this man was a Prince!
With other producers he stood toe-to-toe
And came out on top. He won Best in Show
He was no dog, a real pussycat, you know
At this time I wish not to be rude
But I bet Hal Prince loved Italian food
Today is Wednesday
We're not in Boston, but Wednesday
Is known as Prince Spaghetti Day
Maybe we can change it to
Hal Prince Spaghetti Day in his honor
Enjoy your spaghetti, Mr Prince. Mangia!
Tony the chef sends you his best
As a matter of fact, Tony sends you his best 21 times!
8 for directing
8 for producing the years Best Musical
2 as Best Producer of a Musical
3 special awards
Not just a Prince
The King of Broadway Producers
He certainly left his mark
He might have left fingerprints too
I say to him with the greatest respect
If anyone doesn't like you
Give them the finger, Prince!
8
"....enduring musicals in theater history...."
Not "enduring," the "greatest."
6
This story has Sondheim working with Prince on “Evita.” Nope! And ouch!
3
RIP. Thanks for all you gave.
4
“I made my mind up
back in Chelsea,
when I go I’m going like Elsie!”
14
@Vivienne
It isn't that long a stay... ;)
3
An era is over.
But, Mr. Weber, George Furth did not write FOLLIES. James Goldman was the librettist of that show. (Furth did, however, write COMPANY, in addition to MERRILY.)
7
The caption on the photograph of Prince and Sondheim is obviously wrong, as belied by the obituary itself"Merrily" was not their first collaboration by a long shot.
4
I wonder after all this prodigious achievement if it made him 'happy'.
Unique. One-of-a-kind. Genius. Brilliant. Visionary.
What a huge loss. Good night, Sweet Prince. You will be missed.
12
So much to remember Hal Prince for and be thankful.
Fade to black...
...Thunderous applause.
5
George Furth did not write "Follies". He wrote the book for "Company".
1
In Mr Prince's obituary, you called Andrew Lloyd Webber just Webber once and Lloyd Webber (correct) the second time. Also, the British "invasion" didn't start with "Phantom," it pretty much started with "Evita," by Tim Rice, not just Lloyd Webber.
3
Goodnight sweet Prince.
4
Dim the lights and praise his genius. Where do you start naming his classics? Where do you end. What a life! Thank you for it, Mr Prince.
6
Goodnight, sweet Prince.
3
Cut him out into little stars.
4
Hal Prince did for theater what Tiger Woods does for golf. he will be missed. RIP
3
Where would Broadway be without the Jews?
Not very far really.
Rest in Peace Hal Prince, George and Ira Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rogers, Lorenz Hart, Kurt Weill, Leonard Bernstei, et.al.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/nov/20/how-jewish-artists-built-broadway-musical
17
The world just got a little darker, RIP Mr. Prince! We will miss you and your beautiful work.
9
Thank you Mr Prince for the gift of theater. It lightens my life considerably.
6
Solid work by Weber on the obit, but he needs to give more credit to Orson Welles who not only played Brutus in his 1937 adaptation of "Julius Caesar," but also wrote the adaption and directed it as an allegory for Nazism. And all at the ripe old age of 22.
14
What an incredible talent and his body of work will live on for generations to see how it was done and how it should continue to be done! He has left this world with so many gifts of laughter, tears and wonderful memories. RIP Mr. Prince.
14
His legacy is incomparable. We shall not see his ilk again. A giant who leaves a void. I hope all the b way community turns out to celebrate his life and legacy.
9
Rest in Peace, sweet Prince.
Thank you for everything you did to keep the theatre for those of us that love it.
7
Mr Prince was a class act.His door was open to everyone..I'm told he kept Friday afternoons open to meet with those seeking advice or a production.I especially loved his mostly unheralded baseball musical,DIAMONDS done in the 80s at Circle In the Square..So many shows,so many great ideas...RIP Hal.
11
In my youth, Hal Prince provided many memories but the two I will cherish most were $2.00 last-row-of-the-balcony seats so I could see great Broadway musicals with paper route money, and (with Bock, Harnick and Masteroff) "She Loves Me". At the age of 10, I left the Eugene O'Neill Theater after the January 1, 1964 matinee with a song in my heart and a smile on my face, and the very thought of it still makes me hum and smile 55 years later. He brought us Ice Cream!! R.I.P., Dear Friend!
28
@JK in CT
When I was in college in the 1970s, I used to get student tickets at the TICKTS booth which allowed me to sit on bleacher seats onstage for a lot of dramatic productions, a few feet away from the actors. I went to see Richard Burton many times. A thrill.
7
To have brought so much pleasure to so many for so long- thank you is simply inadequate! But a great and enduring thank you it is, and as well an accompanying affectionate, enduring wish to you: Rest In Peace - you lived a full and meaningful life that touched so very many others.
14
He was as big as they get on Broadway. Tears now, but he left us with gifts that we can keep forever.
22
My first wife worked as a receptionist for Hal Prince and George Abbot back in the '60s. She worked there for a few years. I can still remember her coming home one day and telling me that Mr. Prince had offered the opportunity for his office staff to invest in a show called "Fiddler On The Roof." If I remember the amount a staff member could invest was a minimum of $1,000.00. I said "Fiddler On The Roof" what's that all about? We could have eked out the $1,000.00 but I felt that the show would go nowhere.
Little did I know! But we did get to see "Fiddler" opening night and we did get to go to the after-show party which I seem to remember was in the Rainbow Room. I met Hal Prince, George Abbot, Zero Mostel, and the whole crew. I often wonder about how much that $1,000.00 investment would have turned into.
RIP Mr. Prince.
38
I worked in foreign rights, and Fiddler is an enormous cash cow in Asia, especially Japan and China. The royalties never stop flowing. Prince helped bring a universal story to life.
4
I just saw it in Yiddish. I wonder how it sounds in Japanese....
2
Hal Prince!!!!
How terrifically sad every time we lose a creator such as he was in this world of increasing destruction, vice, banality, and the shallow product of so much modern day cultural mediocrity.
Mr. Prince’s legacy is immeasurable in its scope and the size of his titan talent.
I consider myself so very privileged to have born witness to his work on Broadway many times, and can only say his loss is incalculable to those of us who grew up bathed in the grandezza of his magic touch.
I am a grown man, but indeed, I will confess it here in the public arena that upon reading this news I my instant reaction was to break down in quiet sobs of sadness.
How irreplaceable a man! I can consider myself lucky indeed to belong to a generation of audience who was able to presence such theatrical majesty.
So long beloved creator. You shall never be forgotten by your now orphaned children who were inspired by you... to dream, to dance, to sing. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
20
He lives on in the memories we have of his wonderful productions. A true genius of the theatre. A real mensch! Thank you, Hal!
3
He was more than just a Prince. He was a KING in the world of theatre. RIP kind sir.
8
He educated theatre vets of so many generations - and entertained them, too. A giant.
6
Words like “legend” and “icon” are thrown around indiscriminately these days. In this case, however, both seem inadequate.
Time to reread “Sense of Occasion”.
6
Amazing body of work.
2
Very sad. A giant who towered over the theater community for decades, beloved by all.
"....I shall not see his like again." HAMLET
6
RIP to a true Broadway legend. Thankfully there are many videos and documentaries and Phantom of the Opera is still running so his legacy is well-preserved.
I think this story is pretty famous but it bears repeating: Hal Prince was tapped to direct Hello Dolly! but came to an impasse with the rest of the creatives over the title song. He just didn't see a point to it.
Years later I took my mom to see Hello Dolly! My mom only likes old fashioned musicals. After the show she said, "You know, I don't get the point of that song Hello Dolly. She's going to a restaurant. What's the big deal?"
Heh.
12
Thankful for his profound contributions to theater and to American cultural life. Fade to black.
6
Good night, Sweet Prince, and thank you.
4
What an incredible life!
4
He melded the artifice of theater with the blood and flesh of humanity and the body of work he left for us is so incomprehensibly beautiful even to this day.
4
Why was he in Iceland when he died? 91 and still exploring! What a life.
3
Dim the lights for a year; a creative giant of a man and an entire era, have passed.
14
....Good-bye my friend. He gave me my career....I worked with him as his MD for 12 years. There were great times and really hard times.....He never wavered from his commitment to his art and the American Theatre. THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE KING! OX
25
RIP Mr. Prince. You were very special.
2
Broadway is one of America's preeminent artistic mediums. Hal Prince created art that was so astounding that when we look back on his magnificent productions they seem to have always been with us as cultural touch stones. He is an icon of American excellence.
3
In the 1980's I was a part of Prince's Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Madama Butterfly. I held the honor of being onstage the entire time as Suzuki's servant (servant to the servant!). In fact, no one else could say the same. I also was a prop setter as the creaking turntable slowly turned and babysitter to Trouble, the little boy. I stayed on set in the area we called 'the kitchen'.
I had one real acting scene. One of proudest moments of my life came, when, after Mr. Prince was frustrated with the major singers' lack of acting chops and then I did my little scene, he said "Finally, an actor onstage".
One of the happiest moments of my life came one day when Stephen Sondheim - a god to me - showed up to watch rehearsal. During a break I sat a couple rows behind Prince and Sondheim and listened to them discuss the show. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
I still have the thank you note he sent me thanking me for the brownies I gave him on opening night. I'm not sure why I gave him brownies but he said he really liked them. He was accessible to all of us, from the stars to the people like me.
One day he got angry at one of us 'supers'. Later in the day, after we returned from a break, he apologized to this person in front of the whole cast. He was a prince of a director, that is for sure.
And then, when Lyric Opera revised the production three years later, I got a personal call from his office asking if I would return.
RIP, Mr. Prince.
149
@sophia In a word, "class."
9
@sophia
I think Sondheim is a god to everyone.
8
@fast/furious Overrated!
1
Fascinating in that, although Prince was the progenitor of many extraordinary shows, his presence was always...undetectable. Perhaps his was the art that concealed art. Still, I'd never think of Cabaret, say, as a Harold Prince show. Perhaps his greatest contribution was to make sure that so many Broadway glories were just that.
8
Bravo, Mr. Prince!
Your work has influenced my life from my high school and college days in theater to my current work as a psychotherapist.
I only wish I could be there tonight when Broadway and its houses go dark in your honor!
Thank you.
7
I truly hate it when one of the great humans passes to the other side, leaving us with a world less rich, less empathic, less artistic. We're living at a time when we can least afford to lose Hal Prince.
There is no one left like Hal Prince. Few have lived a life as Mr. Prince has. Few have given us so much and even fewer are capable of such contributions.
A sad day for the arts. A sad day for American culture.
23
God Bless. He spoke at my college graduation - Franklin & Marshall College - 1985. Remember him fondly.
6
Yes, quite a life. But this sentence seems odd: "The Army interrupted his early career for two years, a European hiatus that he judged afterward to have been beneficial." So, he served in the Army in Europe during a war -- and it was a hiatus? So we know he wasn't a tail gunner but what service during this war could be remembered as merely a beneficial hiatus?
2
It must have been after the war. He was too young during.
there was no war in europe in the early fifties....
How many original productions? How many touring companies? Farewell to a gentleman who brought joy to millions of people throughout the world.
9
Hal Prince was the greatest producer-director of all time. If you love musical theatre, he enriched your life as he did mine. The list of his hits and artistic triumphs is an AWE-inspiring parade of wonders that will likely never be matched. I am especially grateful for his years of fruitful collaboration with Stephen Sondheim, which gave us all my favorite Sondheim shows. The theatrical community, the dramatic arts, Broadway, and the audiences; all were fortunate to have his immense talents at their service. I count myself lucky to have lived at the right time to see so many of his shows. Thank you, Hal Prince. We won't forget you.
14
I sat next to Hal Prince and Steven Sondheim during a preview of Merrily. I was thrilled to be next to two men who had given me so much joy. I still love that score and appreciate it more and more as I get older. It’s a sad day in mudville.
33
He was a gifted director. However, I disagreed with his desire to control the direction of musicals toward "music theater," which has rarely succeeded, but has somewhat destroyed the traditional musical format. Perhaps now the ASCAP and BMI workshops might return to core values so songwriters can actually write coherent, memorable songs. Jerry Herman, Charles Strouse, these are the living masters.
1
@Grittenhouse Prince and Sondheim were/are geniuses. Advancing art. However, audiences got lazy, are lazy.
A generation weened on TV and Ronald Reagan and the accepted corporate hegemony. Today audiences long for brain dead nostalgia and easy answers. If that's what you want, you're in good Company. NYC is over run w/ these types. More every year. And another hundred people just got off of the train.
7
@Ken B: If, as you claim, "today audiences long for brain dead nostalgia and easy answers," then please explain the success of "Hamilton" to me.
Before Hal Prince, there was George Abbott - and when Mr. Abbott died, it was said there would never be another like him. But Abbott had mentored Mr. Prince, and now we are saying that there will never be another like Mr. Prince. Both statements are true!
Yet there's another generation of "geniuses" coming up in the theater world. Stephen Sondheim has given Lin-Manuel Miranda advice and encouragement, so I'd say the baton is being passed to new creators, as it always is. And that takes NOTHING at all away from the genius & the achievements of Mr. Prince and of his collaborators in the theater world!
18
@Ken B "And you kids get off my lawn!"
2
The two most amazing, unforgettable shows I've seen in my life were directed by him: the original Follies and Evita. RIP, Mr. Prince. Thanks for many, many happy hours of theater-going.
It beggars belief that a theater hasn't been named for him.
9
@Amy K
True that - how about the Majestic, home of the Phantom?
1
It started out like a song.
We started quiet and slow,
With no surprise.
And then one morning I woke
To realize
We had a good thing going.
It's not that nothing went wrong:
Some angry moments, of course,
But just a few,
And only moments, no more,
Because we knew
We had this good thing going.
And if I wanted too much,
Was that such
A mistake
At the time?
You never wanted enough —
All right, tough,
I don't make
That a crime.
And while it's going along,
You take for granted some love
Will wear away.
We took for granted a lot,
But still I say:
It could have kept on growing,
Instead of just kept on.
We had a good thing going,
Going, gone.
33
Something is stirring,
Shifting ground?
It's just begun.
Edges are blurring
All around,
And yesterday is done.
Feel the flow,
Hear what's happening:
We're what's happening.
Don't you know?
We're the movers and we're the shapers.
We're the names in tomorrow's papers.
Up to us now to show 'em?
It's our time, breathe it in:
Worlds to change and worlds to win.
Our turn coming through,
Me and you, pal,
Me and you!
Years from now,
We'll remember and we'll come back,
Buy the rooftop and hang a plaque:
This is where we began,
Being what we can.
It's our heads on the block,
Give us room and start the clock.
Our dreams coming true,
Me and you, pal,
Me and you!
Me and you!
Me and you!
Me and you!
2
I was privileged to work with Hal on a number of shows, from one of his biggest hits (EVITA) to a show he loved but which sank like a stone (ROZA). Both shows were amazing adventures -- life changing for me --and both of which Hal shaped and honed with rigor, delight and lavish love. As a member of the legion of actors who owe their careers to his genius and generosity, I bid him a sad and loving farewell. RIP, "Pal".
84
@Bob Gunton
It may have sunk like a stone for some but for myself and my sister it was the staging and dynamite under the characters performed by Patti LaPone and Mandy Patankin so ably and others which made this show a stunning theatrical event. Mr Prince began the show with a large screen movie of the actual Eva Peron acting in a 40's Argentinian Western. Che Guevera, the objective narrator, played and sung by Mandy was riveting. I look to the director who didn't botch it, directed his actors so ably and made the most of the superb Andrew Lloyd/Tim Rice material. Thank you for your comment about working with this great man.
9
@Bob Gunton I don't know if Hal directed the revival of Sweeney Todd that you starred in, but just an aside, you were amazing as Todd! Thanks for the loving tribute to such a great man.
19
@Toby Crackit
I believe Mr. Gunton was criticizing Roza, not Evita.
12
I saw many of his shows, both hits and flops back in the 50's and 60's. I enjoyed all of them. When Forum was in previews a theatre owner gave me 8 tickets to a matinee and we took all the kids in the family to see it. The boys really liked it . I didn't know him but will miss his contribution to the theatre.
6
The list of Hal Prince's accomplishments is astonishing. But perhaps more so, in this land of inflated egos, are the loving and respectful comments about the man's humanity.
A genius, yes. A visionary, undoubtedly. But above all, a mensch.
Thanks for the memories.
44
RIP Mr. Prince. Thank you for all your myriad influential contributions to our artform, and for all your financial contributions to the art as well, particularly in Philadelphia. One of my proudest achievements is having been chairman of the same college theare club as Mr. Prince, and I spent a significant amount of time in college and in my 20s working in theaters named for him.
10
Before starting to read the article on Hal Prince's death, I put in my CD (Yes, CD) of his 1995 production of "Showboat" which I saw in Toronto.
I grew up in the golden age of musicals, Hollywood and Broadway, and know the lyrics of many of them. This production, though, simply excelled in presenting the reality of the time period. It was a powerful theater experience which I can relive to this day.
Thank you, Hal Prince.
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I was a summer U.S. Customs Inspector at Kennedy Airport during the 1970s. I saw Mr. Prince returning from Spain, went up to him, and thanked him for all of the pleasure his musicals had brought me. He was genuinely surprised that a Customs Inspector loved musical theater. When I told him that I was a teacher and that I developed programs to take NYC students to the theater, he was really thrilled and spent about ten minutes talking about his collaboration with Sondheim and about a new show they were considering about a barber who had been wronged and who was taking out his vengeance on the world. I WAS NOT IMPRESSED. After expediting his
passage through Customs he thanked me profusely and asked me to contact his office. I subsequently did and two tickets were provided for "Mahogany" at the Met, I think, which he directed. Joel Grey starred.
By the way, I did asked him if he had anything to declare and he said "tscoshkes. (Sp).
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@Robert D. DIAMANTrRaise?
The opera was Silbersee that Prince directed and Grey starred in.
RIP Mr. Prince.
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@Robert D. DIAMANTrRaise? There's no definitive transliteration, but I would suggest “tchotchkes.”
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I was in Paris. Someone recommended me for Mrs Lovett in the first performance of Sweeney in an opera house (HGO). I learned 2 songs, flew to London and sang for Hal. He had never seen me.
He hired me on the spot. My God..what a journey he took me on. All the Sweeneys and Candides and..... How any "unknowns" did he open doors for? Countless. Bless your beautiful spirit Hal.
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What an elegant tribute to this icon of American theater. Well done Mr. Weber.
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It was a privilege to have worked with him (on Cabaret 1987), but it was more of a privilege to have known him and spent a bit of time with him.
Always warm and encouraging.
Always welcoming.
We mourn the loss of a creative giant of course.
For me, however, in these times of ill-manner and lack of civility, I mourn the loss of a gentleman.
Memory: When I tried to be an actor and auditioned for him for Candide, his words, "You know, you are very good!" softened the blows of rejection. They will stay with me always.
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In addition to all the amazing Broadway productions he produced and directed that are mentioned in his obituary and in the embedded film, there is “Something for Everyone,” a wonderful film Mr. Prince directed starring Angela Lansbury and Michael York. Hal Prince clearly gives new meaning to the term “Renaissance Man.”
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He also directed the film, “A Little Night Music,” with Elizabeth Taylor.
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You could write a history of musical theater. Or you could write a biography of Hal Prince. The only thing that you MIGHT have to change would be the cover.
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Dimming the lights on Broadway for an hour would not adequately honor this titan of modern American theater.
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When I was 12, my mom took me to see Follies at the Schubert here in LA. It was the original Broadway cast,set and costumes! Alas, I was too young to really understand Follies! lol
It's amazing how if you look at his career that even if you didn't see one of his original productions, most of us have seen some version of many of the shows that he created.
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He gave so many of us our first taste of being on Broadway.
He set the standard for excellence that is unmatched.
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I was a directionless 16 year old in love with the theater when another theater obsessed friend told me about the fact that Hal Prince was always willing to welcome someone like me into his office for a chat. Sure enough, after writing him what most likely I'd find today to be an embarrassing note, vetted of course by his assistant Annette Meyers (thank you Annette), Hal did. It was a chat that changed the direction of my entire life. I ended up working for Hal during my last two years of college. And the lessons he taught me during that time have have buoyed me throughout a career that has taken me from the theater to television to teaching at a major university. As has been said many times he was a great showman. But his other great passion was for teaching those of us who were lucky enough to enter his orbit. Thank you, Hal, for inspiring me and giving me the courage to pursue this creative life.
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He was as great a mentor and teacher as he was a director. There are thousands of us whose lives he has changed irrevocably. I am who I am today because of his belief in me.
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@Harold Apter
Harold, how wonderful that Hal Prince could mentor and inspire you.
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his last comment in the video, that noone will have the life he's had, is sad but true. Look at the current roster of musicals, and see that hardly any are original. All remakes. Creativity like his will indeed never be seen again. He will be sorely missed.
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Hal Prince was Broadway.
How lucky are we to have lived during his lifetime in the theater?
His name will forever be a blessing to Broadway, musical theater, and to all who enjoy it.
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Thanks for all of the wonderful entertainment and memories!
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At some point in the far future, people will look at the works of Stephen Sondheim and wonder about the genius who created them. Perhaps in the same way we look at Bach and wonder how someone made art so perfect it endures through time. The people who made things happen -- the impresario, the producer, what have you -- gets lost in the telling. Hal Prince was the man who made so much of our culture possible. I've seen and heard his name associated with every important piece of theater throughout my life, so I learned his name meant greatness. What a loss for us in this world; but his legacy deserves its place in history, and I hope he is remembered as the person who made so much of what we are possible. A deep, appreciative bow to you, sir.
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He truly was "The Prince of Broadway". So many of the best musicals of the past 60 years have his name on them. I'm glad I was able to see many of them. Thank you Mr. Prince for so many enduring memories.
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My daughter and I were singing selections from Cabaret just last night. The legacy lives on.
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I had the distinct honor of working with him on “Merrily We Roll Along.” He was a gentleman and genius of the highest order. And a loving father figure to us all. The business has lost one of its greats. But, more to the point, so has humanity.
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Dreamt of working for him since I was 12. Got the job 8 months out of college thanks to a glowing rec from John Kander. Spent six years under his wing. Always thought he'd follow Mr. Abbott's footsteps and make it past 100. But, alas no. :-(
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A hero to so many of us. Grateful for the worlds he created and the possibilities he showed us. God bless you, Hal.
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I was lucky enough to work with Hal in "On the Twentieth Century" and then my daughter later worked with him in "Hollywood Arms". Hal Prince was a genius, an innovator and a truly good man. His contribution to the American theatre will never be matched.
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A true luminary of the theater. Works always exemplary. Stars eclipsed and made brighter by your talents. RIP Mr. Prince.
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A very sad day for American musical theater.
Thank you for your talent and your many gifts to our culture, sir.
You will be deeply missed.
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Dim the lights of Broadway for a week at least
He saved it, and the likes of him shall never pass this way again.
We all weep.
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As a young woman working in Manhattan, my friends and I enjoyed going to the theatre as often as possible. We didn't miss much and the price of a ticket didn't break the bank.
The night I saw Evita I was blown away. That production with Patti LuPone will live in my memory forever. Mr. Prince was a true genius and those of us lucky enough to see his work are truly fortunate. R.I.P.
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@Rosalie Rinaldi - as the concertmaster of the Evita orchestra, I remember working with both Hal and Andrew. The Tonys we won and the parties thrown by them and Patti still linger in mind. RIP, Hal!
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Thanks for your quick and evocative review of a golden era. I never lived in NYC, but Broadway musicals filled my home with joy and great music. And whenever we could afford to go to a show on Broadway or off, what a good time my husband and I had. Goodbye to a real prince.
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His resume is literally a history of musical theater. We will not see his kind again.
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A giant, a legend, an icon, a genius. Broadway and Hal Prince are one in the same. The great Broadway musicals would not have have happened without Hal Prince. We will never see another one like him.
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After Stephen Sondheim, Mr. Prince was my theatre idol. Where would Musical theatre in America be without Mr. Prince? So much talent in one man. Thoughts for his family and his many collaborators.
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Beyond genius. So enjoyed at a time when I could afford them.
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There are no more true Broadway giants left. The last one has gone. May he rest in peace.
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@Donniebrook Mr. Sondheim is, alas, still with us!
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@Donniebrook Are Stephen Sondheim and John Kander chopped liver???
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@Donniebrook I consider Sondheim a living Broadway giant.
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The day musical comedy died.
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great loss of a great artist !
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