The Broadway League has announced that the committee of theater owners will dim the lights of Broadway marquees to honor the legacy of James Earl Jones, who passed away on Sept. 9 at the age of 93. The lights of Broadway’s 41 theaters will darken for exactly one minute on Sept. 26 at 6:45 p.m.
Jones’ acting career spanned six decades across the mediums of theater, film and television.
Following his graduation from the University of Michigan and service in the United States Army, Jones enrolled in theater training at the American Theatre Wing. His first Broadway credit was as understudy to Lloyd Richards in the short-lived 1957 play “The Egghead”; Richards would later direct Jones in 1978’s “Paul Robeson” and 1987’s “Fences,” a production which earned Jones his second Tony Award.
Soon after, Jones appeared in the 1958 Best Play Tony Award winner “Sunrise at Campobello,” as well as in the long-running Off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s “The Blacks: A Clown Show.”
He won his first Tony Award for his leading turn in 1968’s “The Great White Hope,” a fictionalized telling of Jack Johnson, the first Black world heavyweight boxing champion. His additional Broadway credits include revivals of “The Iceman Cometh,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Othello,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “You Can’t Take It With You,” “The Gin Game,” “On Golden Pond” and “The Best Man,” the latter two of which earned the actor additional Tony nods. He even performed opposite his father, Robert Earl Jones, in 1962’s “Infidel Caesar,” a Cuba-set adaptation of “Julius Caesar.”
In 2022, Broadway’s Cort Theatre was renamed in his honor. He had performed at the 112-year old venue in the aforementioned “Sunrise at Campobello” and “On Golden Pond.”
Additional accolades include the National Medal of the Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and a Grammy Award in 1977, as well a lifetime achievement Tony in 2017 and Oscar in 2011.
Jones’ three Tony Award acceptance speeches maintained a theme of community, noting the importance of a theatrical “brotherhood” in both his 1987 speech for “Fences” and 2017 speech for lifetime achievement.
“James Earl Jones was a true pillar of the Broadway industry, providing unforgettable experiences to multiple generations of theatergoers — all while accumulating many well-deserved honors, awards and achievements for his iconic performances in other entertainment fields,” said Jason Laks, interim president of the Broadway League, in a statement. “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.”
