TDF Stages

He won more Tony Awards than any individual, 21 in total, and was a great friend to TDF

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Broadway icon Harold "Hal" Prince, also known as the Prince of Broadway, died this morning at age 91 after a brief illness. During his almost 70-year career in theatre, he helped create some of the most successful shows of all time, both artistically and commercially. He frequently collaborated with composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, directing the original productions of Company, Follies, A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd. Prince also helmed the original productions of Evita and The Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Prince was also a prolific producer. In a three-year period in the 1950s he mounted the original productions of The Pajama Game, West Side Story and Damn Yankees. In 2017, the revue Prince of Broadway celebrated his illustrious legacy. It proved to be his last Broadway show.

In addition to his contributions as an artist, he was a champion of theatre and a great friend to TDF. He served as a mentor for TDF's educational program the Wendy Wasserstein Project (then known as Open Doors), and we were proud to honor him at our 25th anniversary gala, which included a show in the Broadhurst Theatre featuring Carol Burnett, Elaine Stritch and Barbara Cook.

You can read more Prince and his life in this wonderful New York Times obit. He may be gone, but his influence on Broadway will continue to be felt for generations.

We hope you'll share your memories of seeing the shows he worked on in the comments.