(Photo: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

Terrence McNally, the award-winning playwright and librettist, passed away on Tuesday from complications due to coronavirus.

The four-time Tony winner was born in St. Petersburg, Florida and moved to New York City in 1956 to attend Columbia University.

In 1963. he made his Broadway debut with an adaptation of "The Lady of the Camellias," followed by "And Things That Go Bump in the Night."

His farce "The Ritz," which was set in a gay bathhouse, opened in 1975 and featured Rita Moreno. 

He made his musical debut on Broadway in 1984, when he wrote the book for John Kander and Fred Ebb’s “The Rink”. The tuner starred Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli as mother and daughter.

He later penned librettos for Kander and Ebb's "Kiss of The Spider Woman" and "The Visit." Both shows also featured Rivera in the starring role.

He hit a winning streak in the '90s. McNally earned his first Tony for his book for "Spider-Woman." It was followed by two statues for Best Play for "Love! Valour! Compassion!" and "Master Class."  

Later that decade, he teamed up with Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty to pen the book for “Ragtime," for which he won his fourth Tony.

Terrence reunited with Ahrens and Flahrety to create the Broadway shows "Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life" and the screen to stage adaptation of "Anastasia."

His final Broadway credit was a revival of "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune," starring Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon.

In 2019 Terrence was honored with a Special Tony Award For Lifetime Achievement.

The writer is survived by his husband, theater producer and activist Tom Kirdahy. The two renewed their marriage vows on the steps of City Hall in 2015 in a ceremony officiated by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who roomed with Kirdahy at NYU. 

Terrence McNally was 81 years old.