The National Health Photos - Broadway

Broadway fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate this year, with dozens of shows having opened since January, hundreds of actors having made their debuts, and many more having returned to the stage for critically acclaimed performances. Not all news was good though, as we also suffered a loss of an incredible amount of talent. Below, BroadwayWorld sends a fond farewell to those who passed away in 2014.

'Who would have thought that a young boy from Weymouth would become part of such a large family of vagabonds,' remarked Hal Holbrook about the actors and industry professionals that gathered to honor him at the 15th annual TONY Award party in Los Angeles. 'Not all of us have been lucky enough to make a steady income from this profession we love so much. It's nice to know an organization such as the Actors Fund exists to watch our backs, while we concentrate on using our craft to make the world a richer place to live,' added Holbrook just after friend and colleague, Sean Penn, presented the accomplished thespian with the Julie Harris Award. Penn, who directed Holbrook in 'Into The Wild,' said 'Hal always got it in the first take, but you wanted him to do it again, just so you could watch him work.'