Broadway to Dim Lights in Honor of Late Composer Marvin Hamlisch

Broadway theaters will dim their lights on August 8 at 8 PM in honor of the passing of Tony-winning A Chorus Line composer Marvin Hamlisch. He passed away on August 6 at the age of 68.

Hamlisch was one of the most honored contemporary composers in film and theater, amassing the coveted “EGOT” (four Emmys, four Grammys, three Oscars and a Tony, plus a Pulitzer Prize for A Chorus Line, which reigned for years as Broadway’s longest running musical). His other Broadway musicals included the 1979 hit They’re Playing Our Song (based on his real-life relationship with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager), Smile (1986), The Goodbye Girl (1993) and Sweet Smell of Success (2002; Tony nominee for Best Score). He was credited as a music supervisor and arranger in the many Broadway appearances of Liza Minnelli. He also left a huge mark on film, composing scores for more than 40 movies, including Sophie’s Choice, Three Men and a Baby, Ordinary People and The Spy Who Loved Me. 

"Marvin Hamlisch's accomplishments in the theater and film worlds are legendary," Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the Broadway League, said in a statement. "He left an everlasting mark with the groundbreaking A Chorus Line, one of my personal favorites. His legacy leaves us with a treasury of songs and stories that will always be familiar to theatergoers as they stir up meaningful and heartfelt emotions. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and fans everywhere."