Broadway lights will dim tonight for Martin Richards. Richards, a film and stage producer, passed away this week at his New York City home after a battle with cancer. He was 80-years-old.
Richards, known as Marty by his co-workers, had a very successful Broadway producing career, guiding the original productions of Chicago, Sweeny Todd, La Cage aux Folles and Crimes of the Heart. His other original producing credits include the musicals Grand Hotel, The Will Rogers Follies, On the Twentieth Century and The Life. Richard won Tony Awards for the 1983 original production and 2005 revival of La Cage aux Folles, 1991’s The Will Rogers Follies, 1979’s Sweeney Todd and 1997’s The Life.
As a Hollywood film producer Richards’ work includes Some of My Best Friends Are, The Boys From Brazil, The Shining and Fort Apache, the Bronx. His 2002 film version of Chicago starring Catherine Zeta Jones, Richard Gere and Renee Zellweger won 6 Oscars, including Best Picture.
Richards wed Johnson and Johnson heiress Mary Lea Johnson in 1978. Together they produced Broadway shows and started charitable foundations like Meals on Wheels and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights. After Johnson died of liver cancer in 1990, Richards established the liver and kidney transplant unit at New York University Langone Medical Center. He also established the New York Center for Children.
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