Duncan Sheik Died Days Before 'Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen' Opened

New reporting details Duncan Sheik's final days: his death came just before his manga-based musical 'Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen' was to open Off-Broadway.

Reuters, in reporting carried by 104.1 WIKY, adds details that were not in the earliest obituaries: Sheik died Thursday in New York, and his passing came just days before the Off-Broadway opening of his newest musical, "Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen," adapted from a bestselling manga series. Reuters also reports that an Instagram post on his account Friday confirmed the death, hours after a Wednesday post had said the songwriter was critically ill. The Associated Press, meanwhile, reports his mother, Suzanne Sheik, told The New York Times he died of organ failure.

The pack's outlets give two different accounts of how Sheik died, and neither can be stated as settled fact. Reuters reports, citing his mother Suzanne Sheik's account to The New York Times, that Sheik died in New York of cardiac arrest; Reuters adds that his team did not immediately respond to its request for comment. The Associated Press reports that his mother told The New York Times he died of organ failure. Both outlets agree on the verifiable substrate: Sheik died Thursday at age 56.

According to Reuters, Sheik died only days before "Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen" — his adaptation of a bestselling manga series — was due to open Off-Broadway, and shortly after news broke of a new Off-Broadway revival of "Spring Awakening." For a composer who spent two decades trying to bring outside sounds into the theatre, dying on the eve of a premiere is the kind of coincidence theatergoers will find hard to accept. The Times of India notes an Off-Broadway version of "Spring Awakening" is slated to open this fall.

Reuters quotes the statement posted to Sheik's Instagram: "It is with profound sadness that we confirm the passing of Duncan Sheik... The world has lost a singular talent and a deeply influential voice in music and theater." The post described him as a father, husband, son, brother and friend who would be remembered for his wit and depth of spirit, and concluded that "his musical legacy will continue to inspire generations to come." The Associated Press carried the same sentiment in its own coverage.

The stakes for his catalogue are considerable. Per the Associated Press and Times of India, "Spring Awakening" ran more than 860 performances on Broadway, won eight Tonys including best musical, and took the Grammy for best musical show album, launching Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele and John Gallagher Jr. Reuters notes Sheik personally won Tonys for best original score and best orchestrations. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports he is survived by his parents, his wife Nora Ariffin and a daughter, Ines.

Attention now turns to the two productions Sheik left in motion. Reuters reports "Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen" was set to open Off-Broadway within days of his death, and the Times of India reports an Off-Broadway "Spring Awakening" is slated for this fall, following the acclaimed 2015 Deaf West Theatre revival. Both shows now open as unofficial memorials, and how his collaborators — including longtime lyricist Steven Sater — stage them in his absence will be the story theater watchers follow.