"I am thrilled to receive the Sondheim Award from the wonderful Signature Theatre," Lapine said in a statement. "I have already received the invaluable gift of over twenty-five years of collaboration and friendship with Steve. Now I get to have his award, too! I am most grateful."

The theatre, located in Arlington, VA, will present the award at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy March 30, 2015.

"With the opening of Sunday in the Park with George in our 25th Anniversary season and the upcoming film of Into the Woods, it is more than fitting that we honor James Lapine with this year's Stephen Sondheim Award," artistic director Eric Schaeffer said in a statement. "Their collaborations have brought us legendary shows and it will be a thrill to toast James in March at the Embassy of Italy."

"James has been my good friend and collaborator over the course of thirty-two years, and it’s about time I thanked him ostentatiously," Stephen Sondheim added. "Signature Theatre has given me the opportunity, and I’m grabbing it."

James Lapine’s collaboration with Stephen Sondheim began in 1984 with the Pulitzer Prize winning musical Sunday in the Park with George and continued with Into the Woods in 1987 and Passion in 1994. Lapine directed all three productions and created the musical revue Sondheim on Sondheim, which premiered on Broadway in 2010. He co-produced and directed the HBO documentary "Six By Sondheim," for which he received an Emmy nomination and wrote the screenplay for the upcoming film version of Into the Woods, which will be released Christmas 2014. His directing credits also include Act One, Annie, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Diary of Anne Frank, among others.

The Stephen Sondheim Award was established in 2009 in honor of the award-winning theatre writer and composer. Previous recipients include Jonathan Tunick, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone and Hal Prince.

For more information visit signature-theatre.org.