Broadway Theatres to dim lights in memory of James Earl Jones

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New York, N.Y.–The Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of Broadway theatres Thursday in honor of the late two-time Tony award-winning James Earl Jones, whose career spanned seven decades on Broadway.

Jones, who passed away on September 9 at 93, is famous for his roles in films and voicing Darth Vader in Star Wars for nearly 50 years. Yet, his most decorated contributions spanned an even longer period in the world of theatre.

“James Earl Jones was a true pillar of the Broadway industry, 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,” Jason Laks, Interim President of The Broadway League, said in a statement.

The Broadway community already honored him in his retirement when they renamed the Cort Theatre the James Earl Jones Theatre in 2022.

Broadway honors James Earl Jones’ long career

Beginning with Egghead in 1957 on Broadway, Jones received his first Tony Award just a decade later with The Great White Hope, winning Best Actor in a Play.

August Wilson’s Fences, The Iceman Cometh, Of Mice and Men, Othello, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Driving Miss Daisy, not to mention his films, are among some of his notable works across his long career.

Ultimately, he’s been nominated for four Tony Awards and won two. As recently as 2016 he James Earl Jones performed with Cicely Tyson in The Gin Game on Broadway.

“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,” Laks said.

Cementing his legacy as one of the best entertainers to ever do it, he’s among a small list of performers who’ve received EGOT status for winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

“You weren’t going to the theatre to change the world,” Jones once said. “But you had a chance to affect the world, the thinking and the feelings of the world.