So...is Broadway not dimming its lights for Jan Maxwell? — Page 5

By kowtowing to Hollywood (Rivers, Reynolds, Fisher, Williams) and giving the short shrift to real, honest-to-goodness bright, blazing, passionate BROADWAY talent (beautiful Jan Maxwell), they've rendered future dimmings meaningless in my eyes. It has no meaning. 3 theaters isn't a tribute, it's an insult. Let goddamned Hollywood dim the lights of Grauman's Chinese when they lose a movie star, why in God's name do it for those people on Broadway?

The theater owners behind this decision are small, petty, and beneath contempt. Absolutely disgusting. I'd like to tell them to their faces.

qolbinau said: "JSquared2 said: "qolbinau said: "Apparently unless the publicity of 'dimming the lights' doesn't result in more ticket sales, no one can be bothered.

That’s kind of an idiotic statement Dead people don’t tend to sell a lot of tickets!"

I mean, I was joking. But the ‘hint of truth’ is that dimming the lights is more than just an exercise of respect - it is a PR campaign accompanied by press releases about the event that can circulate into the general media. Is it a conicidence that celebrities that have almost nothing to do with Broadway get recognised? I can’t help but wonder whether this PR is intentional to get ‘Broadway’ in front of a potential market. I know this sounds conspiracy-like."

I completely agree with you. Dimming = news story on TV, and thus free advertising for Broadway in general. You're right. Greedy producers rarely do anything without some promise of returns. I am not holding my breath for a tribute this time around. Sad, but true.

There's a petition going around to dim for Jan:

https://www.change.org/p/cstmartin-broadway-org-dim-for-jan

Tonight, three Broadway theaters will dim their lights to honor Jan Maxwell. The relevance of this act should not be slighted as "not enough", or go unacknowledged.

The Marquis was the first theater to make the choice to dim its lights. The Marquis is the theater where Ms. Maxwell gave her final Broadway performance as Phyllis in Follies. The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and The Music Box quickly followed suit in announcing they would also dim their lights. The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre holds significance in that it's the theater where Ms. Maxwell performed her Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance in The Royal Family. The Music Box is where Ms. Maxwell gave her Tony nominated performance in Lend Me a Tenor.

I wish that The Lyric Theater (the theater where Ms. Maxwell gave her Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance in Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang) and The Imperial (where Ms. Maxwell gave her Tony nominated performance in Coram Boy) theaters had also made the choice to dim. They would have completed a relevant list of theaters in regards to the Broadway theaters that 'spotlighted' Ms. Maxwell's most recognized Broadway performances.

If there is a way to somehow let go of the anger and acknowledge what WILL be happening tonight, I hope that people will recognize that there is a benefit to having fewer theaters dim their lights. The relevance of the theaters that will dim help to throw a spotlight on the Broadway highlights of the brilliant career, of an equally brilliant and (most obviously) well-respected and well-loved actress.

It is disheartening that all the theaters aren't dimming their lights.

What time will they be doing this?

I want to stand in front of the Marquis when it happens.

It is where I saw Jan Maxwell as "Phyllis Rogers Stone" in Follies.

ghostlight2 said: ""The League has the power to command all theaters to dim their lights. For reasons passing understanding, they only chose one (the Marquis did not make the choice, the League did), even though it doesn't cost them anything."

I agree, and you're right that I didn't completely understand that one aspect of the situation, but it seems clear that at the time of this writing, the change that should happen will not.

My feeling is that (at least for today - the torch can always be picked up again, tomorrow) I might better show respect for Ms. Maxwell by pointing up and recognizing the elements that will do her honor.

I'm just furious about this decision. And outraged.

Debbie Reynolds, as much as I love her, spent about 1 of her 87 years in New York doing a show. She was a creation of Hollywood, and it was in front of a camera that she thrived.

Jan Maxwell WORKED at her craft, and she loved being in the service OF A STORY. Every single goddamned night in a given run she strove to get it a little more right. She became part of the DNA of the New York theater community. To dim one theater for her is a slap in the face to Jan, and her work.

Is there any chance this has to do with some lingering resentment on someone's part for her leaving Mr. Sloane early? I really hope not.

These beyond wealthy theatre owners are beneath contempt. I will NOT forget this needless, petty slight.

lovebwy said: "

Is there any chance this has to do with some lingering resentment on someone's part for her leaving Mr. Sloane early? I really hope not.

"

Hopefully not, but you just know that when Baldwin eventually dies that the lights will be dimmed for him.

Anybody go to the Marquis or the Friedman tonight? I was hoping to pass by the former, but my schedule prevented me.

Updated On: 2/21/18 at 08:31 PM

I went to the Marquis. They did not dim any lights. They had Jan's picture up on the Marquis LCD screen with "In loving memory of Jan Maxwell 1956-2018" from 8-8:01. There were about 60 people there, some who seemed very close to Jan and were very emotional. If you search her name as a hashtag on instagram, you can see it.

In case you missed it:



https://www.broadway.com/buzz/192296/memorial-service-for-broadways-jan-maxwell-to-be-held-at-samuel-j-friedman-theatre/