Send Charlotte St. Martin A Message: Dim All The Lights For Marin Mazzie — Page 3

Well good on all you that let them know you were unhappy. Nice to know change can still happen!

The sad postscript to this (other than the trenchant point made earlier that this has had the effect of overshadowing the expressions of sadness that we ought to be articulating in this space) is that it will lead ultimately to the elimination of the gesture altogether. When you hijack someone's gesture, they find another way of doing what they want to do.) But this is the world we live in, where everyone thinks they are entitled to have a say in every private gesture.)

This dimming of Broadway lights is a deserved honor for a very much deserved lady. Protest does get results, from time to time. This reversal is so right!

adamgreer said: "I recall just as much outcry when it was announced that not every theater would dim their lights for Jan Maxwell (whose career exceeded that of Miss Mazzie’s), yet there was no reversal.

What changed this go round? What makes Marin Mazzie any more deserving of this honor than Jan Maxwell?"

No one is saying that Marin Mazzie is more deserving than Jan Maxwell. Back then, the Broadway League Committee ignored the many voices in favor of the wonderful Jan Maxwell. This time, they listened to protesting voices seeking to honor Marin Mazzie.

Well done, Broadway! Here's hoping we NEVER have to have this debate again!

I'm afraid dimming the lights of central Manhattan's most prominent entertainment venues cannot be considered a "private" tribute.

The dimming of the lights has always signified respect from the theatre community. Just because a small group got to judge who deserved the tribute, does not make it "private".

Turning the dimming "into a competition" is precisely what happened as soon as unity was broken. By quantifying the relative importance of people by deciding not to dim all the lights immediately opened a Pandora's box in terms of who would decide how many theatres a person had "earned".

The League, whether consciously or not, does act as a voice for the community- there is nothing wrong with that- but it ought to recognize that fact and accept the feelings of the community or defer to another organization that can bring fellowship to the arts community of Broadway.

gleek4114 said: "Just thought I'd share this post from Alice Ripley's Facebook page on the matter, which I very much agree with:

"#broadwayleague #dimforMarin

From my friend Ronni Krasnow:

1) The dimming of lights happens at ALL Broadway houses or none at all.

2) The deceased individual MUST have at least FIVE Broadway credits.

3) If the deceased is a member of the Theater Hall of Fame, the honor is AUTOMATIC.

4) The deceased has a proven track record of contributions to the Broadway community— charitable events, education, etc.

Look how easy that is. Stop this NONSENSE!""

I like it, however, something is to be said about "MUST have 5 Broadway credits". If, God forbid, something happen to Idina Menzel tomorrow, she wouldn't really fit the criteria. She has only 4 Broadway credits. Also, Heather Headley has 3 creditis (*technically 4 if you count being a special guest artist with Il Divo during their concerts at the Marquis). Both woman have won Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical. Would that not count for something?

Also, tell me that, again God forbid, something happens to Barbra Streisand, she has only 2 credits, and hasn't really come back to Broadway. Would we say no to one of the great performers of the 20th century?

I do like the list, gleek4114. I think it is a great jumping off point that the Broadway League could adopt. Then it would be standard, and people would have less of a reason to complain.

HogansHero said: "re private: of course it is private, notwithstanding the desire of some to grab someone else's prerogative. Do you also think that the public has a say in the colors on the Empire State Building?

re the formula for making dimming "easy": when you make things automatic, you render the gesture meaningless.

re: "The dimming of the lights has always signified respect from the theatre community." No, actually not. That's nonsense.

re competition and unity. again, nonsense. Up until recently it was all or nothing and we constantly had people kvetching about dimming vs not dimming. As I have said before in this thread, the end result of this nonsense is that there will be no dimming and another gesture will be found by the owners or the league.

But yes we seem quite good at cheapening every expression and making the remembrance of, in this case, the great Marin Mazzie, into a travesty."

Glad to know that when people voice their displeasure for something that possibly, in their minds, is something that shows "signified respect from the theatre community", that it makes a travesty.

EDIT: Here is a linking talking about the the first few times

http://time.com/2927832/the-night-the-lights-went-out-on-broadway-eli-wallach-and-a-short-history-of-the-ultimate-actors-honor/

Here is a link to an article from "Ask Playbill", where it is said that there is "committee within the Broadway League" that decides who gets the honour, and then it is passed along to the theatre owners.

http://www.playbill.com/article/ask-playbillcom-the-dimming-of-broadways-lights-com-171662

Updated On: 9/18/18 at 10:56 AM

@fashionguru_23 ... and both of those articles confirm that it was a private gesture, not some sick plebiscite.

why do people in this thread find it necessary to invoke more serious concerns in the discussion? You can think whatever you want (sickness is in the eye of the beholder I guess) but I think this hideous "campaign" has obscured from the contemplative remembrance and respect Marin Mazzie is due. you are free to see it differently.