Broadway Theaters Will Dim Lights in Honor of Three-Time Tony Winner Hinton Battle

Select Broadway theaters will dim their lights to honor three-time Tony Award-winning actor, dancer and choreographer Hinton Battle. The lights of the Shubert, Marquis, St. James, New Amsterdam, Samuel J. Friedman, Circle in the Square, Hayes, Vivian Beaumont, and Todd Haimes Theatres will be dimmed for one minute at exactly 6:45pm on March 12. Battle passed away on January 30, at the age of 67.

“The passing of Hinton Battle has had a profound impact within the Broadway community as we mourn the loss of a true theatrical legend,” said Jason Laks, Interim President of The Broadway League, in a statement. “Hinton Battle will be remembered for his incredible array of roles on Broadway. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans.”

A trained ballet dancer who studied at the renowned Jones-Haywood School of Ballet in Washington, D.C. and School of American Ballet in New York City, Battle’s Broadway career began at the age of 18 starring as the original Scarecrow in the 1975 musical The Wiz. He would go on to perform some of Broadway’s most memorable roles for the next two decades. He won three Tony Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, setting a record in the category, for his performances in Miss Saigon (1991), The Tap Dance Kid (1984) and Sophisticated Ladies (1981). Further Broadway credits include Chicago, Dreamgirls and Dancin’. Read the full Broadway.com obituary.

The Broadway League decides who receives the light-dimming honor, continuing a tradition that began in the 1950s. Most recently, Broadway theater lights were dimmed in honor of Chita Rivera.