Broadway To Dim Lights For Hoffman

All of Broadway's theaters will dim their marquee lights at curtain time tonight in tribute to late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Hoffman appeared on Broadway three times, each performance earning the actor both Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations. 2000 marked his first appearance, opposite John C. Reilly in True West (the duo alternated their roles during the run, each earning a Tony nod for Best Actor in a Play). In 2003, he starred in the revival of Long Day’s Journey Into Night alongside Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Dennehy, and Robert Sean Leonard. Most recently, Hoffman took the stage as Willy Loman in director Mike Nichols’ Tony-winning 2012 revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, opposite Andrew Garfield and Linda Emond.

The decision to dim the lights is made by the Broadway League, who keeps its deliberations "private and confidential" in order to prevent lobbying by publicists. The marquees are typically turned off at 8PM, without fanfare, and remain dark for a full minute.