On Wednesday evening August 13th, at exactly 7:45 pm, every theatre on Broadway dimmed the lights for one minute to honor the late Robin Williams. Many theatres used their LED signs to display a photo of the beloved star. Hundreds of theatergoers observed the ritual and took pictures.
Dimming the lights to honor the passing of a theatrical luminary has been a tradition for decades. The origin of this time-honored tradition remains unknown, but one of the first instances was in 1950 when the lights were dimmed for Al Jolson.