Overview
- Duncan Sheik died Thursday night in a Manhattan hospital, his family said, and his mother told The New York Times that organ failure was the cause.
- The family had posted to Sheik’s official Instagram on Sept. 16 that he was “receiving medical care” and remained “critical but stable” while asking for privacy and withholding further medical details.
- Sheik’s own social posts and reporting show he had multiple hospital stays over the summer and early September, with images and captions indicating repeated admissions.
- Two New York stage projects that Sheik scored are affected: Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen was due to begin previews Sept. 25 and an Off-Broadway revival of Spring Awakening is scheduled to start previews in November, and producers are now assessing next steps.
- Sheik built a dual legacy as the 1996 hitmaker behind “Barely Breathing” and as the Tony- and Grammy-winning composer of Spring Awakening, and colleagues, fans, and the theater community have sent tributes while his family grieves privately.