Broadway will dim lights for Hinton Battle

[quizking101]

Posted: 2/22/24 at 5:49pm

Announced this afternoon after a social media campaign led by Kimberly Marable and others went viral.

Date TBD

Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3qmFLAOhb_/?igsh=MXFyNGxhbnZndHh5bw==

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/22/24 at 5:52pm

This should have happened without a social media campaign. SMDH. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 2/22/24 at 6:11pm

Just because he won three Tony Awards?  So many people have done that.  NOT.

I agree...this should have been a no-brainer.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/22/24 at 6:17pm

Jarethan said: "Just because he won three Tony Awards? So many people have done that. NOT.

I agree...this should have been a no-brainer."

 

And here we go (again)...

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/22/24 at 8:10pm

JSquared2 said: "And here we go (again)..."

 

Are you ok? And here we go again with what? What is it that you are alluding to? 

[jagman106]

Posted: 2/22/24 at 10:20pm

It's about time this announcement was made. I realize that Chita's death was a blow to the theater community and casts a long shadow, but to disregard Battle's contributions and achievements until now is inexcusable. 

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 2/23/24 at 4:55am

That's nice, but let's not turn this into another vindictive blame session.  There have been many recent Broadway-related deaths recently that did seem to merit a dimming or a social media campaign.  

[CJRochester]

Posted: 3/1/24 at 4:30pm

Date has been set. 

The marquees of nine Broadway theaters will dim on March 12 at 6:4pm in memory of three-time Tony winner Hinton Battle, who died on January 30 at the age of 67.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/nine-broadway-theaters-will-dim-marquee-lights-for-hinton-battle_1731798/

 

[Kad]

Posted: 3/1/24 at 4:49pm

Partial dimmings seem remarkably silly to me.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/1/24 at 5:25pm

Kad said: "Partial dimmings seem remarkably silly to me."

If they must do partial dimmings, just do all the houses on 44th (St. J, Hayes, Majestic, Broadhurst, Shubert) or 45th (Booth, Schoenfeld, Golden, Jacobs, Imperial, Music Box), without regard for who owns what house. That's where everyone shows up anyway. (The current "partial dimming" system is one house per owner, which I guess minimizes some of the effort.) Seeing the Winter Garden or Broadway or Beaumont dim is kind of anticlimactic because there are no other theaters in the area.

Michael Riedel and others made some noise in 2013 when the process had gotten a little too loosy goosey and I believe the "partial dimming" tradition began after that.

The other problem is that even for extremely prominent people the dimmings usually aren't that well attended. So I hope every single person who yelled about this on social media has cleared their schedules to attend, as a way of showing the League that this should continue and that thousands of people care.

Updated On: 3/1/24 at 05:25 PM

[Dom P]

Posted: 3/1/24 at 6:10pm

Kad said: "Partial dimmings seem remarkably silly to me."

Agreed.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 3/1/24 at 11:25pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "The other problem is thateven for extremely prominent people the dimmings usually aren't thatwell attended."

It’s not a tickets event. There’s no headcount being made. There’s no “extra support staff” that needs to be called in. You turn out lights for a minute and flip ‘em back on.
 

Well attended or not, it doesn’t matter, it’s the principal…something the League lost sight of years ago. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 3/2/24 at 12:12am

quizking101 said: "Announced this afternoon after a social media campaign led by Kimberly Marable and others went viral.

Date TBD

Link:https://www.instagram.com/p/C3qmFLAOhb_/?igsh=MXFyNGxhbnZndHh5bw=="

So glad to read this!

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/2/24 at 3:56pm

Just read that now ALL lights will be dimmed on the 12th of March.

Updated On: 3/2/24 at 03:56 PM

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 3/2/24 at 4:09pm

Indeed.

Update: All Broadway Lights to Be Dimmed for Hinton Battle

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/2/24 at 4:55pm

Since now there are 2 thread about this I'll repost my idea:

 

Think we are long overdue for a review of the criteria and a publishing of that criteria so there's never a question of when a full dimming vs partial dimming vs no dimming will occur. Whether that's based on number of years employed on Broadway or Tony noms/wins or above-the-title credits or something else, so it's not an arbitrary decision every time.

Because when the League says "yes" to dimming for Hinton Battle (3 Tonys, 7 shows over 25 years) –– which is, to be clear, deserved –– but "no" to someone like Michael McGrath (1 Tony, 15 shows over 30 years) –– which would also be deserved –– it's clear that there are no rules governing this practice.

Need input from all the unions that have contracts with the League, too –– because as of now the majority of dimmings only occur for members of AEA, DG, and SDC (aka the most notable people).

But perhaps there are other ways to honor people too. Maybe there's an annual In Memoriam celebration in a Broadway theatre for those in the community that have died within the past year, with a tribute to each from a former colleague + some performances, followed by a few minutes of light-dimming. There are stagehands and GMs and press agents and musicians and service providers ensemble folks and producers who spend their entire lives on Broadway but don't currently get dimmings or individualized Broadway Memorial celebrations because they aren't as "notable." That would be a great thing for Broadway Cares or the Entertainment Community Fund to spearhead, and I'm sure the landlords would kick in some money to underwrite it. Do it on a Monday evening in February, honoring the previous calendar year's deaths, when things are quieter and "Gala season" hasn't begun yet, and let it go long. That, to me, seems more meaningful and community-focused than a mere dimming of lights.