Mart Crowley, Author Who Wrote Landmark Play 'Boys in the Band,' Dies at 84

Mart Crowley, who gained his fame as a playwright, has died at the age of 84.

It was a sad day when the news of Mart Crowley became public on March 9. The New York Times reported that his friend, Natasha Gregson Wagner, revealed that Mart died due to difficulties of heart surgery.

Paul Rudnick was one of the stars who took to Twitter to write that Mart had "dissected and celebrated gay lives, and as a person, he was funny, generous and brave."

It would be recalled that Mart came into limelight after he wrote the 1968 play about a group of openly gay and bisexual friends in New York City, "The Boys in the Band."

The play had highlighted the lives of nine men who started an in-depth conversation about themselves while they were at a birthday party.

Even though a network executive Mart met at a bar told the playwright that his play would never sell, it quickly became a sensation amongst people.

Not only did the play get premiered off-Broadway in April 1968, but it was also made into a movie.

Later in 2002, the movie got a sequel, "The Men from the Boys," which caught up with the lives of the nine characters thirty-five years after the events of the original.

Variety added that for its 50th-anniversary celebration in 2018, "The Boys in the Band" got revived on Broadway with acts like Jim Parsons, Andrew Rannells, Matt Bomer, and Zachary Quinto, playing some roles.

The film also clinched the Tony Award for best revival of a play in 2019.

Soon after his death, Rolling Stone revealed that celebrities had shared their heartfelt tributes to the late playwright through social media.

Paul Rudnick was one of the stars who took to Twitter to write that Mart had "dissected and celebrated gay lives, and as a person, he was funny, generous and brave."

Andrew Rannells also stated that the "Remote Asylum" writer, who was kind, generous and funny, would be missed.