Hugh Wheeler Dies; Wrote Books, Musicals

Hugh Wheeler, who won Tony awards for writing books for the musicals “Sweeney Todd” and “A Little Night Music,” has died after a long illness. He was 75.

Wheeler died Sunday at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. A native of London, he came to the United States at 19 to collaborate with mystery writer Richard Webb.

Wheeler wrote 32 novels, 15 novellas and 80 short stories under such pseudonyms as Patrick Quentin and Jonathan Stagge. Several of his novels were made into films, including “The Man in the Net,” starring Alan Ladd, in 1958.

He wrote the book for Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” in 1973 and “Sweeney Todd” in 1978 and revised the book for the 1974 production of Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide,” for which he also won a Tony.

He also wrote plays, “Big Fish, Little Fish” and “Look, We’ve Come Through,” and screenplays, “Travels With My Aunt,” “Cabaret,” “A Little Night Music” and “Nijinski.” He collaborated on the revised book for “Irene,” which was revived on Broadway in 1973.