When I first met Richard, I was convinced he and I would be at odds for the entire tour we were starting work on in spring 2017. Over the course of the next 18 months, I was happy to see my skepticism transformed into a true appreciation for Richard’s amazing strength, wisdom and steadfastness. I would come to understand that what I mistook for stubbornness was actually a reflection of his incredible understanding of the business of putting on a show at any and all levels. I can only aspire to be as knowledgable about any one thing as Richard. His knowledge, his experience, his principles all helped form the bedrock of the production and he used it to convey such a sense of confidence and security to anyone working with him. I marveled at the way he conducted his meetings, the way he was able to marshal the best out of every department, and at his seemingly limitless curiosity, his dissatisfaction with doing the same old thing. It was such a lesson for me to see someone as accomplished as he already was still trying to push boundaries and use new technologies and methods to lift the show experience. I felt lucky to get to know him better off the clock as well, lucky to have beers at the Cat & Fiddle and discover that this no-nonsense, ballbuster of a leader I knew on stage was equal parts warm and funny off stage, a man who loved his family, and had myriad other interests and pursuits that he was no doubt also comprehensively knowledgable about. I remember shaking his hand, finally, at the end of the tour when we did our last show together. I felt then, as I do now, proud of the work we had done, fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from him and to look up to him, which I will continue to do. I was telling a colleague not an hour before I heard the news just how much I was looking forward to seeing him again. My sincere condolences to his family. He will be missed very much.