MTI is saddened to hear of the passing of Martin Charnin, beloved lyricist and director of countless shows. A Tony Award winner for the classic Annie, Charnin was also a cherished friend of MTI.

Charnin's Broadway journey began with the original production of West Side Story, in which he played the role of Big Deal. As a lyricist and director of both revues and full-length shows, Charnin's collaborators included Peter Allen, Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Keith Levenson, Michael Danziker, Peter Sipos, Mary Rodgers, Marvin Hamlisch, Richard Rodgers, and Charles Strouse.

He wrote for and directed among others, Fred Astaire, Jack Lemmon, Anne Bancroft, Lena Horne, Danny Kaye, Angela Lansbury, Johnny Mathis, Bill Murray, Jon Stewart, Bebe Neuwirth, Bernadette Peters, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gilda Radner, Molly Ringwald, Chita Rivera, Lou Reed, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Joan Rivers, Chuck D., Phoebe Snow, Shirley MacLaine, Marlo Thomas, Julianne Moore, Martha Plimpton, and Barbra Streisand.

In an interview with Playbill, Charnin said: “The incredible sound of the audience's response to Andrea McArdle singing ‘Tomorrow’ still resonates today and gets me through any and all of my darkest moments, onstage and off.”

We know that Charnin's lyrics will lift and resonate with audiences for generations to come.