Broadway to dim its lights tonight in tribute to Newman

Published Friday 3 October 2008 at 12:35 by Judd Hollander

Broadway will dim its lights today (Friday) for Paul Newman, who died aged 83 on September 26 after a long battle with cancer.

At 8pm local time, all Broadway theatre marquees will be dimmed for one minute in honour of the actor, who made his first appearance on Broadway in 1953 in the original New York production of William Inge’s Picnic, winning a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut.

It was also there that he met his future wife, actress Joanne Woodward, who auditioned for an understudy role in the play. Newman’s other work on Broadway included the melodrama The Desperate Hours by Joseph Hayes (1955), Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams (1959) and the James Costigan comedy Baby Want a Kiss (1964).

In December 2002, after an absence of nearly four decades, Newman returned to Broadway as the Stage Manager in a revival of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. The production had started at the Westport Country Playhouse, a long-time summer theatre, which, Newman, Woodward and the Westport community restored and reopened.

On screen, Newman starred in more than 50 films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Hustler and The Sting. Nominated ten times for an Oscar, he finally won for The Color of Money in 1987. He also received an Honorary Oscar in 1985.

Charlotte St Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, said, “For over half a century Paul Newman has graced our stages and inspired our souls with his brilliant talent. He received a Tony nomination for his inventive role as the Stage Manager in Our Town. After beginning his illustrious career on stage, his love for theatre continued throughout his life as demonstrated by the Newman family’s support of the renowned Westport Country Playhouse. Off-stage, his tireless devotion to philanthropic work has enhanced many lives and worthwhile causes. His presence everywhere will be missed.”