Composers didn't come much more decorated than Marvin Hamlisch, one of only two artists ever to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony and Pulitzer. Hamlisch, who took home those latter two honors in 1975 for the hit musical <em>A Chorus Line</em> and who also composed more than 40 film scores, including "Ordinary People" and "Sophie's Choice," in addition to scoring the Barbra Streisand hit “The Way We Were,” died yesterday at age 68, his family spokesman announced. No cause of death has been given. <br /><br /> Hamlisch had special ties to Milwaukee. For years he has been the principal pops conductor for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, a position he also shares with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and Pops, San Diego Symphony and Seattle Symphony. <br /><br />“It is with great sadness that we share the news of our MSO family member Marvin Hamlisch's passing,” MSO president Maryellen H. Gleason wrote in a statement. “He provided our audiences with outstanding pops programs that they surely will remember for years to come.” <br /><br />MSO will dedicate the opening weekend of its upcoming pops season on Oct. 12-14 to Hamlisch. He had been scheduled to conduct several of the season's programs. <br /><br />The Associated Press reports that at the time of his death, Hamlisch had been working on a new musical, <em>Gotta Dance</em>, and had been selected to score a film about Liberace, <em>Behind the Candelabra</em>.
