In recognition of the passing of several beloved Broadway community members in recent weeks, and in honor of their significant impact on that community, the Committee of Theatre Owners has announced that they will dim the lights of all Broadway theatres in New York in honor of Adrian Bailey, Gavin Creel, and Maggie Smith. In addition, the Committee is reviewing their current dimming policy and procedures.
This past week, the theatre community rallied behind a petition to dim all of the lights of Broadway in memory of Gavin Creel, after the initial announcement from the Committee of Theatre Owners stated that the lights of one theater from every Theater Owner on Broadway would be dimmed.
BroadwayWorld previously reported on the protocols of dimming theatre marquees, sharing that The Broadway League said a committee within the organization decides who to dim for.
The dimming of the lights of Broadway theatres in honor of Adrian Bailey will take place on Thursday, October 17, 2024. The dimming of the lights for Gavin Creel will take place on a date and time to be determined with his family.
The Broadway community will also honor the memory of stage and screen legend Dame Maggie Smith. The three-time nominated and one-time Tony Award-winning actress passed away on September 27, 2024, at the age of 89. The lights of Broadway theatres will be dimmed on a date to be determined in coordination with her family.
MAGGIE SMITH
“Maggie Smith’s performances were many and varied and always memorable,” said Jason Laks, Interim President of The Broadway League. “We were lucky enough to have had her grace our stages in Tony-winning and Tony-nominated performances in which her artistry, style, and quick wit shined. Hers was a rare talent that delighted generations of theatregoers, and will not soon be forgotten.”
Smith’s Broadway debut took place in the revue New Faces of 1956 of that same year. She would return to Broadway in 1975 as Amanda Prynne in a revival of Noel Coward’s Private Lives, for which she would receive her first Tony nomination. Smith would be nominated once more for her performance as Ruth Carson in Tom Stoppard’s Night and Day in 1979 – but it would be her turn as Lettice Douffet in Peter Shaffer’s Lettice and Lovage in 1990 that would earn her a Tony Award for Best Actress In A Play.
This Tony Award would join a long list of accolades and awards received over the course of a staggeringly successful career on both stage and screen. Smith boasted two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, five BAFTAs, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and six Evening Standard Theatre Awards, among many others. In addition to these awards, Smith was also made a Commander of the British Empire in 1969, a Dame in 1990, and granted the Order of The Companions of Honor in 2014. She additionally held four honorary degrees from preeminent British universities.
On Broadway Smith’s credits included: New Faces of 1956 (1956); Private Lives (1975 Revival); Night and Day (1979); and Lettice and Lovage (1990).
ADRIAN BAILEY
“Over the years, Mr. Bailey has served as an inspiration not only due to his talented performances on Broadway and Touring Broadway stages, but also through his perseverance, positive attitude, and indomitable spirit,” said Jason Laks, Interim President of The Broadway League. “The outpouring of love from our community is a testament to that spirit. In losing Adrian Bailey, we have truly lost a bright light both on and off Broadway, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, former colleagues, and all who loved him best.”
A Detroit native, Mr. Bailey moved to New York and made his Broadway debut in the 1976 production of Your Arms Too Short to Box With God. During a career that spanned three decades, Mr. Bailey would perform in 15 Broadway productions and 2 Touring Broadway productions, including Jelly’s Last Jam, The Who’s Tommy, Smokey Joe’s Café, and La Cage aux Folles, among other titles. Mr. Bailey’s performing career ended after a serious onstage accident in 2008; in the intervening years, he continued to inspire friends and colleagues in the Broadway community and beyond, using social media to share his remarkable spirit through updates, insights, and songs with his peers.
On Broadway Mr. Bailey’s credits included: Your Arms Too Short to Box With God (1976 & 1980 Return Engagement); Sophisticated Ladies (1981); My One And Only (1983); Legs Diamond (1988); Black and Blue (1989); Prince of Central Park (1989); Jelly’s Last Jam (1992); The Who’s Tommy (1993); Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993); Smokey Joe’s Cafe (1995); The Wild Party (2000); La Cage aux Folles (2004); Hot Feet (2006); and The Little Mermaid (2008).
On Tour Mr. Bailey’s credits included: Your Arms Too Short to Box With God (1979); and My One And Only (1985).
GAVIN CREEL
“It is hard to fathom the loss of Gavin Creel,” said Jason Laks, Interim President of The Broadway League. “Not only was he an actor of the highest caliber, but he was also a committed activist and champion for so many causes both within and outside of our industry. Gavin gave of his whole self to our community, both in his performances and his charitable work. The Broadway community is lucky to have known him both as an actor and an individual, and to have benefited from the joy that he brought into so many people’s lives.”
An Ohio native and graduate of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Mr. Creel’s Broadway career began on the Road in 1998, when he performed in the national tour of Fame. In 2002 he made his debut on a Broadway stage at the Marquis Theatre, when he originated the role of Jimmy Smith in Thoroughly Modern Millie – for which he would receive his first Tony Award nomination.
While developing a body of work that included 11 Broadway and Touring Broadway productions, Mr. Creel would go on to star in several revivals of beloved musicals, from his Tony-nominated portrayal of Claude in Hair to his memorable turn as Steven Kodaly in She Loves Me to his Tony Award-winning performance as Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly! As recently as 2022, he delighted audiences with his dual performances as both the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince in the revival of Into the Woods.
In addition to these accolades and professional accomplishments, Mr. Creel also made significant contributions to the Broadway community through his charitable work and efforts as an activist. He co-founded the grassroots organization Broadway Impact, which focuses on amplifying support of marriage equality. In addition to his work with Broadway Impact, Mr. Creel was heavily involved with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a charitable organization that unites theatre artists and audiences across the country to provide meals, medication, health care, and hope.
On Broadway Mr. Creel’s credits included: Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002 Nominee Best Actor In A Musical); La Cage aux Folles (2004 Revival); Hair (2009 Revival, Nominee Best Actor In A Musical); The Book of Mormon (2011, joined cast in 2015); She Loves Me (2016 Revival); Waitress (2016, joined cast in 2019); Hello, Dolly! (2017 Revival, Winner Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Musical); and Into the Woods (2022 Revival).
On Tour Mr. Creel’s credits included: Fame (1998); The Book of Mormon (Latter Day, 2012); and Into the Woods (2023 Revival).
