Tom Jones (writer) Cause of Death

Tom Jones, an American lyricist known  for “The Fantasticks,” the longest-running musical in history, died of cancer on August 11, 2023, at the age of 95

He died Friday at his home in Sharon, Connecticut, according to Dan Shaheen, a co-producer of “The Fantasticks,” who worked with Jones since the 1980s.

Tom Jones, who collaborated with composer Harvey Schmidt on “The Fantasticks” as well as the Broadway plays “110 in the Shade” and “I Do! I Do!,” was elected into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1998.

The Fantasticks, a parody of “Romeo and Juliet,” revolves around a young girl and boy who are surreptitiously brought together by their fathers, as well as a cast of eccentric characters.

Jones also appeared in and directed a revival of The Fantasticks in New York City. He performed the Old Actor in the show from its inception in 1960 to its closing on June 6, 2010. In the show, he was credited as Thomas Bruce.

Jones is survived by two sons, Michael and Sam. “Such a good guy. I truly adored him,” wrote Broadway veteran Danny Burstein on Facebook.