Lights dimmed on Broadway

[Playbilly]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 8:21pm

The discussion about Jack Klugman in the other thread made me think Does anyone know who decides to dim the lights on Broadway when a person dies? One person? A committee? Is it a judgment call, or is there some sort of criteria. Natasha Richardson warranted one, no doubt to the untimeliness of her passing.

[aaronb]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 8:44pm

This doesn't answer your question--but I think they should dim the lights earlier, like 7:30, so people going to shows that night can actually be outside to see it.

[latitudex1]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 8:50pm

I believe Playbill covered it in 2010. The Broadway League, Broadway's trade organization, decides when the lights are dimmed. How they select people and the rest of the process is classified.

[loliveve]

Posted: 8/26/12 at 8:57pm

I thought the article was very interesting. Names are submitted for consideration by a Broadway League committee designated to make the decisions, which then notifies the major organizations, which then notify the houses ... kind of a trickle-down effect of notification.
Playbill article

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 1:47am

Apropos of aaronb's comment, I'd like to know if they do anything inside the theaters at the moment the lights are dimmed, for the audiences who are already seated and unable to witness the tribute going on outside. Do they acknowledge it in some way? Like, asking the audience for a moment of silence in memory of whoever is being remembered, or some such thing?

[winston89]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 2:14am

^^^^

Nope, they don't. I have been to the theatre at times when the marquee is being dimmed. And, they don't say or do anything inside. Outside they dim the lights inside it's business as usual.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 7:41am

I think they should dim the lights on stage for every Broadway show when someone dies.

This would guarantee that someone else will die.

Or maybe they could have a moment of silence during a musical number.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 10:11am

Thanks for the artclie and comments. Appreciated.

[dreaming]

Posted: 8/27/12 at 10:35am

I do think they should have a moment of silence inside the theater so that the people attending the show are able to participate. (I've been in attendance at a show when the lights were being dimmed and felt like they should show respect inside the theater as well as out.)