Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Lin-Manuel Miranda is paying tribute to his fellow Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist and songwriter Stephen Sondheim, who died Friday at the age of 91.
"Future historians: Stephen Sondheim was real. Yes, he wrote Tony & Maria AND Sweeney Todd AND Bobby AND George & Dot AND Fosca AND countless more," Hamilton creator Miranda said in a Facebook post.
"Some may theorize Shakespeare's works were by committee but Steve was real & he was here & he laughed SO loud at shows & we loved him. Last week, when I wrote him to say his ears must be burning from the countless Sondheim kindnesses being shared from the generations of writers he mentored, he wrote this in reply. Steve: you repaid your debt to Oscar [Hammerstein II] 1000 times over. We love you. I love you. THANK YOU."
The West Wing alum Bradley Whitford plays Sondheim in Miranda's fact-based movie musical, Tick Tick Boom. In it, Sondheim is seen supporting aspiring lyricist/composer Jonathon Larsen (played by Andrew Garfield) shortly before he created the iconic rock opera, Rent.
Miranda shared online the email Sondheim sent him about the project.
"Thanks for the nice boost to my spirits, Lin," Sondheim wrote. "It's an aspect of my life I'm proud of. I feel as if I've repaid (partially, at least) what I owe Oscar."