Some Joan Rivers fans may be wondering just when Broadway is planning on making their announcement to dim the lights in honor of the fallen legend.
After all, the Great White Way was a huge part of Joan's career for three decades. She starred in Fun City in the 70's and Broadway Bound in the 80's.
And in 1994, she wrote and starred in Sally Marr… and Her Escorts (see the pics ABOVE), for which she was nominated for a Tony AND a Drama Desk Award.
But the Broadway League has decided NOT to bestow the honor of the dimmed lights on Joan. How is this possible?? Executive director Charlotte St. Martin explains:
"Under our criteria people need to have been very active recently in the theater, or else be synonymous with Broadway – people who made their careers here, or kept it up.
We love Joan – she was very supportive of Broadway and came to a lot of show openings – but she hasn't acted on Broadway in 20 years. When you say Joan Rivers, you don't think comedy, television and Broadway. You think comedy and television. It's certainly nothing against her."
But not everyone on Broadway agrees with the decision. Jujamcyn's Jordan Roth, for one, is going rogue; he wrote on Facebook:
"In memory of the legendary Joan Rivers, we will dim the lights of our Jujamcyn Theaters marquees, Tuesday at 6:45pm."
Well, we're glad someone is recognizing Joan's accomplishments.
Dimming the lights is a huge honor, but as gestures go, it's not so difficult to pull off that only SOME legends can get it.
Joan wasn't just a world-famous stage performer; she was also an acclaimed writer. And while Broadway may not have been her home, we think she was revered enough there to deserve it.
[Image via WENN.]