Steven Spielberg Honors Stephen Sondheim at 'West Side Story' Premiere

Steven Spielberg honoured the late lyricist Stephen Sondheim for his "immortal" work as the director attended the premiere of his West Side Story remake on Monday night.

Sondheim, who wrote the iconic lyrics to accompany Leonard Bernstein's music for the original Broadway production and its 1961 film adaptation, died on Friday at the age of 91—two weeks before the new movie's December 10 release.

And Spielberg, who served as director on the remake, paid tribute to the legendary Sondheim as he took to the stage at New York City's Rose Theater, at Jazz at Lincoln Center, ahead of the musical being screened.

The filmmaker said of Sondheim: "His amazing works on West Side Story first put him on the map and launched a career that would completely redraw that map, reinvent the musical and theater and create a body of work that beyond any doubt is as immortal as anything made by a mortal can be."

In a video from the premiere that was posted on Twitter by Mike Ryan, Uproxx's senior entertainment writer, Spielberg continued: "To borrow what Ben Johnson wrote about Shakespeare, Stephen Sondheim was not of an age, but for all time."

Recounting how he came to lean on the composer and lyricist's feedback throughout the making of the new movie, Spielberg said: "Stephen was a big part of the making of our film, West Side Story, from the earliest screenplay drafts to every recording session, which Stephen attended without fail.

"Listening with his eyes closed, he'd sway, he'd swoon, or he'd grimace and flinch. So I caught myself watching Steve's expression, sometimes more than the actors, because they perfectly reflected what everyone was doing."

Also in attendance at the star-studded screening on Monday was Rita Moreno, who earned an Academy Award for her lauded efforts in the original screen adaptation and appears in the remake.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight at the event, she said of Sondheim: "I feel privileged to have been in the same generation as he."

"To be there, to hear them in person, as they were written. That is a huge privilege," she added. "I'm so glad he was able to attend our recording sessions when we were doing the movie."

Ansel Elgort, who portrays Tony in the new movie, told the outlet that he is "so glad that we are celebrating him, and he should be at the tip of all our tongues."

The actor also recalled asking Sondheim about his approach to writing lyrics and crafting his songs when he spoke with the musical theater impresario during production.

"He said, 'I always want to make the most simple lyric that gets the message across,'" Elgort said of their conversation, as he credited Spielberg with dispensing similar advice with regards to performing. "Sometimes, its just about keeping it really simple to tell a story. You don't have to do too much."

Rachel Zegler, who portrays lead character María in the new West Side Story, paid tribute to Sondheim during a Q&A at an advanced screening of the anticipated film.

"How do you put into words that loss of someone who gave us the words his whole life?" Zegler said. "Especially when it comes to this musical—[West Side Story] was one of his first professional gigs."

"We were so lucky to have him in the room," she added of meeting Sondheim. "That wasn't lost on any of us when we were sitting there listening to him speak."

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles were among those who gathered in New York City's Times Square to pay tribute to Sondheim on Sunday, singing "Sunday" from the musical Sunday in the Park with George.