Theatres across London’s West End will be dimming their lights at 7pm tonight (31 July) in memory of American theatre director and producer Hal Prince, who died today aged 91.
Before this evening’s performances begin, lights will be dimmed for two minutes as a tribute by the theatre industry and audience members to the legendary theatre-maker, who won 21 Tony Awards during the course of a prolific career that included directing The Phantom Of The Opera, Evita and Sweeney Todd.
Cameron Mackintosh said, “Hal Prince was not only a legendary director of musicals but also a brilliant producer As the curtain finally falls on his phenomenal career it is fitting that his greatest success as a director, The Phantom of The Opera, is still both the longest-running musical on Broadway and continues playing to packed houses at its original London theatre, Her Majesty’s, where he also enjoyed two of his most enduring hits as the original producer of Fiddler on the Roof and West Side Story. The Gods of the theatre salute you Hal”.
The tradition of dimming theatre lights has long been performed in the West End to pay respects to theatre’s most renowned contributors.