Broadway to Dim Marquee Lights in Memory of Tony-Winning Star Diahann Carroll

The Broadway League has announced the dimming of many main-stem marquee lights in memory of Tony-winning actress Diahann Carroll, who died on October 4. To commemorate her life and work, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of the American Airlines, Broadhurst, Helen Hayes, Hudson, Marquis, New Amsterdam, Vivian Beaumont, Samuel J. Friedman and St. James Theatres for one minute on October 16 at exactly 7:45pm.

"Much has been made of Ms. Carroll's groundbreaking role shattering racial barriers in film and on Broadway," said Thomas Schumacher, chairman of The Broadway League. "That she was a pioneer is undeniable. But she was first and foremost a gifted, Tony-winning actress of enormous warmth and charm. She made just three visits to Broadway—in two musicals and a turbulent drama—but the breadth of those roles is a measure of her range and craft."

Carroll made Broadway history with her Tony-winning turn as Barbara Woodruff in No Strings (1962), which marked a milestone moment as she became the first black actress to win a Tony in the Best Leading Actress in a Musical category. Carroll broke similar ground on-screen when she was cast in the title role of the series Julia (1968) and became the first black woman to play a nonstereotypical role on television.

Years later, Carroll became the first black actress to play Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, taking on the iconic role in the musical's first Canadian staging (1995).