The Broadway community will dim marquee lights in honor of the late Dame Maggie Smith, a British actress with a prolific repertoire, including Travels with My Aunt (1972), Death on the Nile (1978), A Room with a View (1986), and Richard III (1995), to name a select few (though she will forever remain in millennials’ hearts as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter series).
Regardless of the role, the actor’s beloved personality is what truly sticks out to fans and the theater community.
“Maggie Smith was a singular talent, whose artistry graced stages and screens alike with unmatched depth and wit,” Shubert Organization Chairman and CEO Robert E. Wankel
said in a statement. “Her legacy as a remarkable actor and an inspiration to countless performers is indelible.”
Likewise, Jason Laks, interim president of The Broadway League, said, “We were lucky enough to have had her grace our stages in Tony-winning and Tony-nominated performances in which her artistry, style, and quick wit shined. Hers was a rare talent that delighted generations of theater-goers and will not soon be forgotten.”
The Broadway community is constantly evolving and adding exciting new projects to its list — including Elf this holiday season and Stranger Things in 2025 — and even gravitating to a younger audience with new plays such as & Juliet starring Charli D’Amelio and Romeo + Juliet reimagined for Gen Z with with Netflix star Kit Connor and Golden Globe Award winner Rachel Zegler.
However, no matter what changes happen in the future of the theater world, a talent like Dame Maggie Smith will always have an impact on the Great White Way.
Broadway theaters will dim their lights on Thursday, November 7th at 6:45pm.