LAZARUS Director Shares: 'Bowie Was Still Writing on His Deathbed'

As the world mourns the passing of legendary singer, songwriter and actor David Bowie, Belgian theatre director Ivo van Hove, who worked with the artist on the new off-Broadway musical LAZARUS, shared that he was one of the few people who knew that Bowie was suffering from liver cancer after the singer explained to him the reason he would not be able to attend every rehearsal for the show.

The director tells Dutch news website, nos.nl, "He told me more than one year and three months ago that he had liver cancer, just after he had been told this himself. He said that because he knew that he may not always be able to be around."

He also shared with Dutch website dutchnews.nl, "Bowie was still writing on his deathbed, you could say. I saw a man fighting. He fought like a lion and kept working like a lion through it all. I had incredible respect for that."

Bowie was last photographed in public at the world premiere of LAZARUS on December 12th, outside of New York's Theatre Workshop, at which he happily greeted fans and signed autographs.

About LAZARUS: Inspired by the novel THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH by Walter Tevis and directed by Ivo van Hove, LAZARUS began previews on November 18 and officially opened December 7, 2015 at New York Theatre Workshop (79 E. 4th Street New York, NY 10003) for a limited run now through Wednesday, January 20, 2016.

The cast of Lazarus includes Golden Globe winner and six-time Emmy nominee Michael C. Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, "Dexter") as Thomas Newton, Tony Award nominee Cristin Milioti (Once) as Elly, and Michael Esper (The Last Ship) as Valentine, as well as Krystina Alabado (American Idiot), Sophia Anne Caruso (The Nether), Nicholas Christopher (Whorl Inside A Loop), Lynn Craig (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Bobby Moreno (Year of the Rooster), Krista Pioppi (Spring Awakening Nat'l Tour), Charlie Pollock (The Wild Party), and Brynn Williams (Bye Bye Birdie).

The production features scenic and lighting design by Jan Versweyveld; costume design by An D'Huys; video design by Tal Yarden; sound design by Brian Ronan; choreography by Annie-B Parson; music direction by Henry Hey; dramaturgy by Jan Peter Gerrits; stage management by James Latus; and casting by Telsey + Company/Bernard Kelsey, CSA & Andrew Femenella, CSA.

Photo Credit: Jan Versweyveld