What should the criteria be for Broadway dimming their lights?

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

The decision making behind whether or not to dim the marquee lights on to honor those who made significant contributions to theatre district should not be terrible complex or inconsistent.

Yet, it recent years it’s become an issue. Whether it was the fact that only one theatre dimmed their lights for theatre great, Jan Maxwell, or only six for another theatre legend, Marin Mazzie, it’s become an ongoing issue of what exactly is the criteria for someone to receive the honor from all 41 theatres.

The latest issue came when the great Hinton Battle had passed away suddenly at the age of 67. Despite him winning three Tony Awards, it took almost a month for the Broadway League and theatre owners to announce when they would dim their lights. When they did finally announce it, they initially stated they would only dim the lights on nine theatres.

Rightfully so, the community was not satisfied with that. Not for someone who won more Tony Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical than any other human being. After swift and loud backlash, the Broadway League and owners reversed their decision and all 41 theatres will dim their lights on March 12th.

It should not have taken backlash to get to this point. It should not have taken a moment in a committee to debate something like this. It should have been automatic.

And that’s what I want to get to. What exactly should be the criteria for all 41 theatres to dim their lights?

To start, obviously the lights cannot be dimmed for every single person who has ever worked on a Broadway show. And there are also some criteria that is objective and others that are more subjective. But here are what I feel are the obvious ones.

Tony winners & nominees

There is no bigger award or more significant achievement in the Broadway industry that the Tony Award. Presented by both The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, it is the highest honor those organizations bestow. So with that in mind, for Tony winners and nominees who have sadly passed away, all 41 theatres should dim their lights.

Career Span

Not everyone will win or be nominated for a Tony Award. In fact, there are plenty of folks who work in Broadway theatres in roles that will never be recognized with such an honor. But their career success, longevity should be honored. Whether it’s years of service working in a Broadway house or appearing in multiple shows over a the course of decades, that should be honored.

Jan Maxwell appeared in thirteen productions over a 20-year period(and a four-time tony nominee), there shouldn’t even had been a debate whether she deserved the honor.

Donation or philanthropy

Much like the Hollywood Walk of Stars, I think if an organization, group, trust, etc. makes a considerable donation on behalf of the person who died to The Broadway League’s philanthropic arm, Broadway League Foundation Inc, they should dim the lights. Donations like these could go toward the Jimmy Awards, Broadway Bridges or even the Broadway Speakers Bureau. But this way, perhaps a longtime theatre educator could receive such an honor by that school or university making a significant donation. It would honor that individual along with raising money that would go toward worthy causes.

By considering these objective criteria, The Broadway League can consistently ensure that the tradition of dimming lights is reserved for individuals who have made significant and widely recognized contributions to the vibrant and storied world of Broadway theatre.