Broadway to Honor Late Icon with Marquee Tribute – A Timeless Talent Remembered

Broadway to Dim Marquee Lights in Honor of Dame Maggie Smith

Broadway will honor the late Dame Maggie Smith by dimming its theater marquee lights at 6:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 7, as announced today by theater owners.

“Maggie Smith was an extraordinary talent whose performances brought profound wit and depth to both stage and screen,” said Robert E. Wankel, Chairman & CEO of the Shubert Organization. “Her legacy as an inspiring, gifted actor is enduring. Broadway joins her global admirers in mourning her loss while celebrating her contributions. We extend our condolences to her family, friends, and all who were touched by her work.”

Today’s announcement from the Broadway Theatre Owners Committee follows a recent revision in Broadway’s light-dimming policies, after an outcry arose over initially planned selective dimmings for the late actors Adrian Bailey and Gavin Creel. Responding to the backlash, the Committee recently announced that all theaters would dim lights for the three artists and would review dimming policies for the future.

Bailey’s tribute took place on October 17, while Creel’s dimming is awaiting coordination with his family. Smith’s dimming date was chosen similarly.

Dame Maggie Smith’s illustrious stage career included celebrated London roles in *Private Lives*, *Hedda Gabler*, *Three Sisters*, and *The Lady in the Van*, among others. Her Broadway credits include *New Faces of 1956*, *Private Lives*, *Night and Day*, and *Lettice and Lovage*, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in 1990.

Smith was also known for her award-winning film career, winning Oscars for *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie* (1969) and *California Suite* (1978). She captured new generations as Professor McGonagall in the *Harry Potter* series and as the Dowager Countess in *Downton Abbey*, for which she won three Emmy Awards.