Petition Launched to Dim the Lights of All Broadway Theatres to Honor Gavin Creel
The petition states, 'We understand that full dimming is meant to be a rare thing. But special circumstances should also be taken into account.'
BroadwayWorld previously reported that the lights of one theater from every Theater Owner on Broadway would be dimmed to honor the memory of Gavin Creel, who passed away on September 30, 2024 after a brief battle with cancer. Following the announcement, there was an outcry on social media, calling for the lights of every Broadway theatre to be dimmed in memory of Creel, rather a few.
A petition has since been launched calling for Broadway to dim the lights of every Broadway theatre in honor of Creel. The petition states:
Dear Committee of Theatre Owners,
The Broadway community and theater fans around the world were deeply saddened this week by the death of Gavin Creel.
We are glad that Broadway's lights will be dimmed in honor of Gavin, as the Broadway League announced today. We are disappointed, however, that only some of those lights are currently be dimmed, instead of all of them.
Gavin starred in eight Broadway musicals, as well as four in the West End; he earned a Tony and an Olivier for his performances. For younger fans in particular, he has been a key figure in the renaissance of musical theater in this century. His death at the age of 48 is a terrible loss.
We understand that full dimming is meant to be a rare thing. But special circumstances should also be taken into account. The community’s sustained and profound outpouring of grief at his death—a testament not just to his youth but also to his character, his talent and his centrality in the Broadway world for the past 20 years—puts him in a different category.
In 2018, theater owners made the same mistake after the death of Marin Mazzie. They recognized their error then, and corrected it; she was honored with a full dimming. We hope that it will do the same now to recognize the loss of one of Broadway's brightest lights.
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. Read more HERE.
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