George Furth,
Sondheim Collaborator, Dies at 75

George Furth, an actor and playwright who wrote the book for the innovative Stephen Sondheim musical Company, has died. He was 75.

Furth died Monday at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., said Dennis Aspland, his agent, who didn't know the cause of death.

Furth's collaboration with Sondheim started with 1970's Company, an unconventional, revue-like musical that followed the tribulations of a 30-something New York bachelor and his inability to commit to a relationship. Furth won a Tony for his book for the show, which was directed by Harold Prince and featured the choreography of Michael Bennett.

Merrily We Roll Along, based on a play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, was the duo's second musical collaboration. They also collaborated on Getting Away With Murder, a comedy thriller that had a short Broadway run in 1996.

Furth began his career as an actor, appearing on Broadway in such short-lived productions as 1961's A Cook for Mr. General and the Judy Holliday musical Hot Spot in 1963.

As a playwright, Furth had several solo Broadway productions, most notably Twigs (1971), a comedy that won its star, Sada Thompson, a Best Actress Tony. Furth also acted in movies, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Myra Breckenridge, Airport '77, and Shampoo, as well as countless TV comedies. (AP)