Broadway remembers Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher

Bright lights dim for fallen stars.

by Anne-Katrin Titze

Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher remembered on Broadway
Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher remembered on Broadway Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Last night, Broadway theatre lights were darkened for one minute at 7:45pm in remembrance of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. At Simon McBurney's Complicite production of The Encounter, the house manager of the Golden Theatre told me that Simon left New York due to the death of a dear friend who turned out to be John Berger (January 2, 2017).

Simon McBurney's Complicite production of The Encounter at the Golden Theatre
Simon McBurney's Complicite production of The Encounter at the Golden Theatre Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Fisher Stevens and Alexis Bloom's documentary Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher And Debbie Reynolds was screened at the 54th New York Film Festival and Carrie Fisher attended without her mother.

Debbie Reynolds died on December 28, 2016, one day after the death of her daughter. They were first on Broadway together in the 1973 revival production of Irene, initially directed by John Gielgud, who was replaced by Gower Champion before the play opened in New York. In 1983, Debbie Reynolds replaced Raquel Welch who took over for Tony winner Lauren Bacall during the Broadway run of Woman of the Year, the musical directed by Roger Moore at the Palace Theatre. The musical is based on the Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin screenplay for the 1942 film Woman Of The Year, directed by George Stevens, which first teamed up Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

Lights go out on Broadway in honor of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher on January 6, 2017
Lights go out on Broadway in honor of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher on January 6, 2017 Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Carrie Fisher starred as Sister Agnes, following Amanda Plummer and Mia Dillon in the 1982 production of John Pielmeier's Agnes Of God, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg at the Music Box Theatre. Plummer won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

Debbie Reynolds' 1976 Broadway revue, Debbie, played at the Minskoff Theatre. Carrie Fisher's one-woman play Wishful Drinking based on her book (Simon & Schuster 2008) opened on Broadway at Studio 54 in 2009.

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher And Debbie Reynolds premieres tonight on HBO.

The Seasons In Quincy: Four Portraits Of John Berger, produced by The Derek Jarman Lab as a quartet of individual film essays, directed by Tilda Swinton, Christopher Roth, Bartek Dziadosz and Colin MacCabe will be screened at the Glasgow Film Festival on February 24.

Share this with others on...
News

Truth and lies Sean Hogan on true crime documentaries, unknowable characters and The Dark Gets In

A walking contradiction Sinéad O'Shea on James 'Fergie' Chambers Jr and All About The Money

Unconventional families Milcho Manchevski on being blacklisted and making Sister Brother Manhole Cover

Expecting the unexpected Jordan Mark Windsor and Sean Wallace on Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant

Celluloid vampire Arthur Harari on Léa Seydoux, the mystery of ideas, and The Unknown

Patrick Stewart dies X-men and Star Trek actor was 86

Awards season kicks off with the Gothams Full set of nominations announced

More news and features

We're bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the Belfast Film Festival, Halloween Frightfest, the Cheltenham International Film Festival and the Leeds International Film Festival.



We're looking forward to the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the French Film Festival and DOC NYC.



We've recently brought you coverage of the Scottish Queer International Film Festival, Newfest, the London Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, Grimmfest and Beyond Fest.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon, Instagram and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


Sundance Announces Legacy line-up of archive films


Frightfest Newcastle event announced for May 2027


French Film Festival UK Programme announced


Tallinn Black Nights Documentary line-up and Special Screenings announced


London Winners announced