Broadway dims lights to honor Joan Rivers after all

The Broadway League blew it badly by deciding not to honor Joan Rivers by dimming the marquee lights of Broadway theaters.

Following protests from some of major Broadway stars including Audra MacDonald and Harvey Fierstein and an online petition, the league announced today that it had changed its mind.

Broadway League Executive Director Charlotte St. Martin said in a statement ‘Joan Rivers loved Broadway and we loved her. Due to the outpouring of love and respect for Joan Rivers from our community and from her friends and fans worldwide, the marquees of Broadway theaters in New York will be dimmed in her memory tonight, at exactly 6:45pm for one minute.’

Off Broadway producer Tom D’Angoraha had launched an online petition that received nearly 5,000 signatures in just 24 hours.

The petition had stated: ‘Although she hadn’t appeared on Broadway in recent years, she was a great champion to our community. Her contributions were so huge and so well known there is barely a need to state them.

‘Not dimming the lights will be a blemish on the entire Broadway community that will never go away. We implore Broadway to reverse its decision and show our beloved legend the respect she deserves!’

Rivers, who died last week at the age of 81, made her Broadway debut in 1972 in the play Fun City which she also co-wrote.

She returned in the late 1980s to replace Linda Lavin in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound.

Her most recent Broadway run came in the mid-1990s in Sally Marr…and her escorts, a play that Rivers wrote. Her performance earned her a Tony Award nomination for best actress in a play.