Broadway To Dim Lights For James Earl Jones

Broadway will dim its lights for the late James Earl Jones this Thursday, September 26, at at 6:45 pm/ET , the Broadway League announced today.

The traditional honor, in which the marquee lights of Broadway venues go dark for one minute, will pay tribute to the two-time Tony-winning actor who died September 9 at the age of 93. Jones was the recipient of the 2017 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

“James Earl Jones was a true pillar of the Broadway industry,” said Jason Laks, Interim President of The Broadway League, “providing unforgettable experiences to multiple generations of theatregoers – all while accumulating many well-deserved honors, awards, and achievements for his iconic performances in other entertainment fields. While we acknowledge and celebrate Mr. Jones’ significant legacy across multiple mediums, we are particularly proud of his legacy on Broadway, and are grateful for the many memorable performances with which he graced our stages.”

Jones’ Broadway career began in 1957 as an understudy in The Egghead. He received his first Tony Award a decade late for The Great White Hope, a role he reprised for the 1970 film adaptation. Jones would also star in such stage productions as Fences, The Iceman Cometh, Of Mice and Men, Othello, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Driving Miss Daisy, among others. His final Broadway credit came in 2015 with his performance in The Gin Game opposite Cicely Tyson.

His two Tony Award wins came with The Great White Hope (1969 Best Actor in a Play) and Fences (1987 Best Actor in a Play).

Jones was honored by the Broadway community on September 12, 2022, when the Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre.