Broadway Will Dim Lights for Tony-Winning Director, Costume Designer & Celebrated Choreographer Geoffrey Holder

Broadway theaters will pay tribute to the late Geoffrey Holder as they dim their lights on October 10. Marquees will go dark for one minute at 7:45 PM. The Tony-winning director and costume designer died on October 5 at the age of 84.

"No one who saw The Wiz will ever forget the memorable experience, in large part thanks to the direction and design brought to the Broadway stage by Geoffrey Holder,” Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League, said in a statement. “An incredibly talented artist seen in many mediums, his visual creativity and influence was unforgettable.”

Holder made his Great White Way debut in House of Flowers, for which he also choreographed a dance piece. He would go on to reprise the role of Baron Samedi, a Haitian Voodoo spirit whom he portrayed in the show, in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die. In 1975, following various stage and screen appearances, he made his directorial debut with The Wiz, taking home Tonys for his direction and for his costume design. He also directed, choreographed and costume designed 1978’s Timbuktu!.