Both McDonald and Baranski were among the many Broadway legends to honor Sondheim following his death. “Even though he was 91 we are blindsided by the loss. We all feel like orphans,” Baranski said to Variety.
McDonald simply tweeted, “Thank you Steve. Thank you.”
Throughout his life and the work he produced, Sondheim was an icon to his fellow LGBTQ+ artists. A slew of queer Broadway stars shared eulogies and memories on social media where a theme emerged of appreciation for his indelible contribution to culture and support for his younger artists.
“I had never been more terrified to sing a song. It also happens to be my favorite Sondheim song. Honored I got the opportunity to sing it at the Hollywood Bowl! Zero pressure. RIP #StephenSondheim,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson tweeted.
Ariana DeBose, who plays Antia in the upcoming film adaption of West Side Story, tweeted, “I am at a loss. Feels like the end of an era. He did indeed set the standard for the American musical. Rest well, sir. #StephenSondheim”
Broadway playwright Jeremy O. Harris noted Sondheim’s affinity for attending new artists’ shows. “The eulogies written won’t cover a quarter of the impact you had on every theatre artist working today,” Harris tweeted. “Your corporeal absence will be felt at the openings of new artists you often attended (including mine—thank you) but you will continue living in so many works. RIP Sondheim.”
Anthony Rapp also praised the impact he had on fostering the careers of many Broadway stars. “An extraordinary artist is gone. He gifted the world with so many incredible songs, & many performers’ careers were catapulted by the signature, iconic material he wrote for them. May he Rest In Peace. #Sondheim,” Rapp tweeted.
Fellow Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein also eulogized Sondheim, saying “There will [be] tributes [to] Sondheim. The great will bow. Fans will bury the streets in flowers. Airwaves will fill [with] his music. Poets will intone his lyrics. Friends will weep uncomfortably in their own mortality. Oh, that Sondheim. We’ll never hear the end of him! (I hope).”
Fierstein followed up this tweet with another simply saying, “#Sondheim – Even the inevitable can be unexpected.”
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