The Broadway League has announced the committee of theater owners will honor the legacy of the late Adrian Bailey by dimming the marquee lights at one venue from each of the Main Stem’s theater owners. The lights of the August Wilson, Circle in the Square, Helen Hayes, Lunt-Fontanne, New Amsterdam, Samuel J. Friedman, Shubert, Todd Haimes and Vivian Beaumont theaters will go dark for exactly one minute at 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 17. Bailey passed away on Sept. 22 at the age of 67.
Bailey made his Broadway debut in the 1976 musical “Your Arms Too Short to Box with God,” the first of 15 Main Stem credits amassed over three decades. His additional credits include “Sophisticated Ladies,” “My One and Only,” “Black and Blue,” “Jelly’s Last Jam,” “The Who’s Tommy,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” “The Wild Party” and “The Little Mermaid.” On the road, Bailey performed in companies of the aforementioned “Your Arms” and “My One and Only.”
“Over the years, Mr. Bailey has served as an inspiration not only due to his talented performances on Broadway and touring Broadway stages, but also through his perseverance, positive attitude, and indomitable spirit,” said Jason Laks, interim president of the Broadway League, in a statement. “The outpouring of love from our community is a testament to that spirit. In losing Adrian Bailey, we have truly lost a bright light both on and off Broadway, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, former colleagues, and all who loved him best.”
