Marty Richards, a much loved stage and film producer, has died aged 80. Richards won an Oscar for bringing Chicago to the big screen, and also steered gay-themed French film hit La Cag Aux Folles to the stage as a Broadway musical. His other credits include Sweeney Todd and Crimes of the Heart.
Richards started out as a child actor, but found parts increasingly difficult to get as he grew older. He eventually turned to producing, raising the money for an Off-Broadway show called Dylan in 1972. Since then he’s won Tonys for La Cage, Sweeney Todd and The Will Rogers Follies. While he had fewer screen credits, along with Chicago he also worked on The Shining and The Boys From Brazil.
The Bronx-born producer was also a noted philanthropist, creating the charity known as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, as well as working with Meals on Wheels. He also (along with his late wife) established the liver and kidney transplant unit at the NYU Medical Center and created the New York Center for Children to care for abused children and their families.
You can read more about him here.
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