Lea Michele Remembers Duncan Sheik: Death Of ‘Spring Awakening’ Composer “Does Not Seem Real”

Duncan Sheik, the composer of the musical "Spring Awakening," has died at the age of 56. According to his mother, Suzanne Sheik, he died of organ failure on Thursday night, as reported by The New York Times, as cited by Gulf News. A post on his Instagram page remembered him as a "singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater," whose "musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come."

Sheik was known for his pop hit "Barely Breathing," which spent 55 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 16, as reported by Gulf News and CityNews. He transitioned to Broadway with "Spring Awakening," which ran for over 860 performances starting in 2006 and earned him two Tony Awards, as reported by TheWrap and CityNews. The musical, adapted from a 19th-century play by Frank Wedekind, was a critical and commercial success, and launched the careers of stars like Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, and John Gallagher Jr.

Lea Michele, who starred in the original cast of "Spring Awakening," paid tribute to Sheik on Instagram, remembering their first meeting when she was 14 years old, as reported by Deadline. An Off-Broadway revival of "Spring Awakening" is set to open in November, and Sheik's new musical, "Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen," was slated to begin its Off-Broadway run later this month, according to TheWrap.

Brief written by urgent.news from Deadline, Gulf News, CityNews, TheWrap, Variety — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.