Broadway’s about to get a little dimmer—but don’t worry, it’s for a good reason! The Great White Way will turn down the twinkle in honor of the legendary Dame Maggie Smith, who, in life, lit up stages and screens with enough flair to make a chandelier blush.
“Dame Maggie Smith was a one-of-a-kind genius whose acting chops could make even the toughest critics weep into their overpriced playbills,” declared Robert E. Wankel, the big kahuna of the Shubert Organization (aka Chairman & CEO, but you already knew that), speaking on behalf of his fellow theater bigwigs via Deadline (because where else do you get your spicy stage news?).
Wankel continued, “Her career was like a master class in sass, subtlety, and spine-tingling performances. We’ll all miss her greatly but celebrate her legacy that’s more indelible than a permanent marker on a white couch. Thoughts and warm fuzzies go out to her family, friends, and everyone who ever marveled at her ability to steal a scene with just a raised eyebrow.”
In true Broadway style, the big farewell won’t just be your typical “clap and cry” affair. Oh no. This Thursday, November 7 at 6:45 p.m. ET, the marquee lights will dim across the Theater District—like the world’s fanciest mood lighting. The tradition, which has been around longer than the debates about which Phantom of the Opera was best, involves cutting the lights for one minute right before the curtain rises for the night’s performances.
So, if you happen to be strolling down 42nd Street and suddenly feel like the universe just flipped a dimmer switch, don’t panic—it’s not the ghost of intermission snacks past. It’s Broadway tipping its hat, or perhaps its feathered boa, to Dame Maggie Smith, the queen of drama (the good kind) and a legend for the ages.
