Tony-winning producer Adam Epstein dies at 49; brother says he lived fully

Adam Epstein, a Tony Award-winning producer who played a key role in bringing “Hairspray” to Broadway, has passed away.

Epstein died Tuesday morning at Adventist Health hospital in Glendale after a prolonged struggle with a brain tumor, his younger brother Brett Epstein confirmed. He was 49 years old.

“He’s somebody who came through this world and lived within 49 years what somebody may have lived in 100,” Brett Epstein said in a phone call. “He just had that spirit of being here before and knowing a lot and an incontestable, delusional positivity about everything. I just think that was his gift.”

Brett Epstein expressed his sorrow on Facebook, stating, “I cannot imagine a world where I am living in it without him.”

A native of Miami and an alumnus of New York University and Brown University, Adam Epstein began his Broadway career in the late ’90s. He produced several shows throughout his career but gained the most fame for his work on the Tony-winning adaptation of John Waters’ 1988 film, “Hairspray.” This musical opened in Seattle in 2002 and hit Broadway later that year. “Hairspray” received 13 nominations for the 2003 Tony Awards and won eight, including the coveted Best Musical award.

“Hairspray” enjoyed a successful run with more than 2,600 performances through 2009 and also inspired a 2007 film adaptation.

Epstein’s Broadway portfolio included other musical adaptations of films, such as “Cry-Baby” (based on Waters’ 1990 title) and “The Wedding Singer” (based on the Adam Sandler comedy). He also produced “The Life,” “A View From the Bridge,” and “Amadeus.” In total, his productions earned 12 Tony Awards and 46 nominations.

After his time on Broadway, Epstein transitioned to political commentary. In July 2020, he launched a YouTube channel called “The Dispatch With Adam Epstein.” In the following year, he started his “Dirty Moderate” podcast, which aimed to foster “rigorous analysis and lively debate with individuals on both sides of the aisle and beyond.”

The latest episode of “Dirty Moderate” went live on August 8 and featured former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander. In May, Epstein made an appearance on the podcast of Michael Steele, former Republican National Committee chairman and MSNBC political analyst.

Brett Epstein remarked that his brother “was just about to break through in a whole new career.”

Adam Keith Epstein was born on September 7, 1974. He leaves behind his parents, a brother, a sister, a sister-in-law, three nieces, and a nephew. A funeral service is planned for later this week in his native Florida.

The family has requested that donations be made to the UCLA Brain Cancer Research Center.

Source: Los Angeles Times