Jujamcyn President Jordan Roth to Dim Lights at Five Broadway Theaters in Honor of Joan Rivers

Angry fans took to Twitter and Facebook on September 8 when the Broadway League announced that Main Stem theaters would not dim their marquee lights for the late Joan Rivers—a comedy icon, Tony nominee and longtime Broadway cheerleader. Jujamcyn Theaters president Jordan Roth took matters in his own hands, tweeting: “In memory of the legendary Joan Rivers, we will dim the lights of our Jujamcyn Theaters marquees, Tuesday [September 9] at 6:45 PM.”

Jujamcyn Theaters houses five Broadway musicals: The Book of Mormon at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, Kinky Boots at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, Jersey Boys at the August Wilson Theatre, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at the Walter Kerr Theatre and the soon to open Side Show at the St. James Theatre.

“Under our criteria,” Broadway League executive director Charlotte St. Martin previously told The New York Times, “People need to have been very active recently in the theater, or else be synonymous with Broadway.” She added, “We love Joan…but she hasn’t acted on Broadway in 20 years. When you say Joan Rivers, you don’t think comedy, television and Broadway. You think comedy and television.” The statement fueled an outpouring of fan support, including an online petition and the Twitter hashtag #dim4joan.