The Broadway in Memoriam Committee, composed of theater owners in consultation with industry service organizations, has determined that Broadway’s marquee lights will dim in honor of the late Tony Award-winning playwright Tom Stoppard, on Dec. 2 at 6:45 p.m. The solo dimming honoring Stoppard’s legacy will align with London’s West End theaters’ memorial on the same night.
It was announced on Nov. 29 that Stoppard had passed away at age 88. Over the course of his career, he won seven Tony Awards for his vast body of playwriting, including, most recently, 2023’s “Leopoldstadt.” Among Stoppard’s other plays are “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” “Travesties,” “The Real Thing,” “Arcadia,” “The Invention of Love” “The Coast of Utopia” and “Rock and Roll.”
The Broadway in Memoriam Committee has also confirmed a Dec. 9 marquee dimming to honor other artists and industry members, including Matthew Silver, Jerry Adler, Polly Holliday, Lauren B. Stevens, Robert Redford, John Christopher Jones, Patricia Routledge, Ted Hartley, Diane Keaton, June Lockhart, Diane Ladd, Elizabeth Franz, Pauline Collins and Harriet Slaughter as well as Stoppard. All theater marquees will dim simultaneously that night at 6:45 p.m. in their honor.
Earlier this year, the Broadway in Memoriam Committee announced the establishment of “Broadway in Memoriam,” a quarterly recognition of individuals who have passed and left a meaningful mark on Broadway. Taking place four times a year on the second Tuesday in September, December, March and June, this event recognizes multiple honorees, ensuring that the contributions of Broadway’s most influential artists, creators and industry professionals are remembered and revered.
The marquees of all 41 Broadway theaters will be dimmed together, offering a moment of reflection and gratitude for the legacies of those who have shaped the theatrical world.
Creative professionals who have worked on Broadway and career professionals dedicated to the Broadway industry may be submitted for consideration by completing the online form at BroadwayInMemoriam.org. The submission form requires the following information: name of the individual to be honored, year of birth and year of passing, a description of their work on Broadway and a digital photo. The next application deadline is Feb. 10, 2026, for the March 10 dimming.
Exceptions may arise when the committee chooses to honor a single individual who has made a profoundly significant and lasting impact on Broadway, as is the case with the solo dimming for Stoppard.
