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The days of begging and pleading the powers that be to dim Broadway marquees for the recently deceased are over, thanks to the Broadway in Memoriam initiative, which just announced the honorees of its upcoming dimming ceremony.
All 41 Broadway theater marquees will dim simultaneously at 6:45pm on Tuesday, September 8, for one minute. Among those being honored are Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, Josh Grisetti, Anna Louizos and Harold Wheeler, along with a dozen other artists and industry professionals whose work left its mark on Broadway.
The list of honorees also includes music executive Clive Davis, actor Gina Ferrall, producer Jeff Hamlin, singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, actor Louise Lasser, Seth Marquette, Anne Russell and James Walsh.
Parton, who died recently at age 80, is perhaps the most instantly recognizable name on this year's list. The country music icon also had a major Broadway connection through her music for the musical 9 to 5, based on her hit film and featuring her score and songs. Her upcoming bio-musical is still scheduled to open on Broadway later this season.
Curry, meanwhile, was a Broadway favorite, earning three Tony nominations for his performances in Amadeus, My Favorite Year and Spamalot. Louizos was a celebrated scenic designer whose Broadway credits included In the Heights, Avenue Q and Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Wheeler, the prolific music director, orchestrator and arranger, worked on dozens of Broadway productions and was a key musical force behind shows including Dreamgirls, Hairspray and The Full Monty.
The September 8 event is part of a new quarterly Broadway in Memoriam tradition. The Broadway in Memoriam Committee established the initiative last year, with marquee dimmings planned four times a year on the second Tuesday of September, December, March and June.
The dimming tradition dates back to 1952, when The King and I star Gertrude Lawrence died. One of Broadway's most beloved traditions, it became increasingly controversial as some Broadway pros received either no recognition or dimmed marquees from only a handful of theaters. The initiative is meant to curtail that issue, as well as offer a wider swath of Broadway alums a chance to be honored.
So if you're in Times Square next Tuesday evening, look up. For one minute, Broadway's biggest lights will go dark to honor the people who made them shine.