Richard Simmons’ Vision for Musical About His Life Was 'Clear,' Says Composer Patrick Leonard: 'Very Personal' (Exclusive)

Leonard hopes the Broadway show will still go on after the fitness guru's death and that "it remains true to him," he tells PEOPLE

Just months before the late fitness guru’s death, Richard Simmons began working on a Broadway musical about his life with renowned composer and songwriter Patrick Leonard.

Leonard opened up to PEOPLE about teaming up with Simmons and their unique workflow.

“We hit it off like a house on fire,” the 68-year-old tells PEOPLE. “The workflow was very simple because Richard would just send me a lyric idea and I would write to it and send it back to him. We didn't even really have to discuss it much, just jumped right into it.”

“We know the storyline and the intention of it, and we know the man,” adds Leonard, who has worked as a producer or songwriter with Madonna, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Leonard Cohen and more. “So I think I found it rich territory, honestly.”

Leonard admits that it was easy to work with Simmons because his life was already like a musical. “There's all sides of everything you need,” he explains. “You have all of the joy and there's all of the pain, and then there's the arc of his personal story as a vehicle. You don't have to manufacture anything, just be true to it.”

Related: Richard Simmons Said 'I Know People Miss Me' in Emotional Final Interview 2 Days Before His Death (Exclusive)

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Simmons previously shared his excitement for the Broadway show, explaining that it will be an interactive experience where audience members can work out to some of the musical numbers in the production.

“I think that the vision was in Richard's head,” says Leonard. “And in mine, it was just trying to find the sound of this vision based on what he gave me to work with.”

“We hadn't discussed it specifically, but it would've been probably early on in the show. What he was doing was playing music and having people exercise to it. And it was really that fundamental and that simple,” he shared. “So you have very little on the page, but you still have those big dramatic points that you're going to use music to tell those tiers of it.”

Related: Richard Simmons’ Brother Says He Was Planning a Comeback to Help 'New Generation' Struggling with Their Weight (Exclusive)

However, one day after celebrating his 76th birthday, Simmons died on July 13 at his Los Angeles home, his longtime publicist Tom Estey told PEOPLE. Leonard admits that with this tragic loss, it’s “hard to say” what the status of their musical is — but he’s hopeful in carrying out late fitness icon’s vision.

“I think there's a plan to proceed, and that's about all I know right now. I think there's a lot of moving pieces as a result of this tragic occurrence,” he says, noting how difficult it will be to have to continue without Simmons.

“We got to know each other quickly and we had a good time when we talked about this stuff. That was the energy. For lack of a better analogy, we were the band. And now I don't get to have that energy and that feedback. So it's a very different scenario,” he explains. “So now if we're going to proceed with this, I have to find other ways to get all that introspective internal information.”

Related: Richard Simmons' Staff Share Final Post and Last Photo He Prepared Before His Death: 'We Thought You'd Want to See'

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

If creation of the Broadway show continues, Leonard says he fully understands the vision that both he and Simmons agreed on. “He was clear about it,” he stresses. “It was really about understanding the person, the very personal nature of it.”

“What's important is that it remains true to him,” Leonard adds.

In the meantime, the composer and producer released his first solo album in more than two decades, It All Comes Down To Mood, on Friday, July 26.

“It's 16 songs, all played by live musicians. The only technology involved is essentially a tape recorder,” he tells PEOPLE, noting that the project embodies his current self after years of working with legends. “It was a long process to make something that I felt was representative of where I'm at now.”

“It's just what I felt like doing and I'm really grateful I got to do it,” Leonard adds. “I think there's all sides of my weird neurotic musicality in there.”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.