Terrence McNally: Celebration of Life to Be Held on Broadway in November

Broadway will honor the late playwright Terrence McNally next month. Terrence McNally: Celebration of Life will take place on November 1 at 4PM ET at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

McNally's husband, producer Tom Kirdahy, posted the information on Facebook saying "Over the past year and a half I've learned a lot about family and friendship and community. I've learned a lot about the importance of rituals and the necessity of gathering with loved ones in the face of loss. And I've learned a lot about Terrence from people all over the world who have shared stories with me about the way he impacted their lives, personally and professionally. I am astonished by the reach of his work and the profound kindness extended to me by people from across the globe—be they intimate friends or perfect strangers. The outpouring of love has sustained me—but the pain of not being able to gather in person has not lessened."

The event will feature readings, performances and tributes from some of McNally's closest friends and collaborators.

In addition, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of Broadway theaters for one minute at exactly 6:30PM ET on November 3 to honor McNally. That date would have marked his 83rd birthday. 

McNally was the recipient of five Tony Awards. He won for his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class as well as for writing the book to the musicals Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime. He also received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2019. He is also known for his plays Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, The Ritz, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, Corpus Christie, Mothers and Sons and many more. His musicals include The Rink, The Full Monty, The Visit, Catch Me If You Can, Anastasia and more. McNally died of complications from COVID-19 in March 2020.

Below, see an illustrated tribute to McNally Broadway.com contributor Tug Rice.