Patricia Neal: Broadway lights dimmed

The Broadway community mourns the loss of Tony Award-winning actress Patricia Neal, who died on 8 Aug 2010 at the age of 84. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in her memory on 7 Aug 2010, at exactly 8:00pm for one minute.

Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League, commented, "Patricia Neal's natural talent provided immense joy to audiences over the span of many years, in many mediums. As the last surviving winner from the first Tony Awards ceremony, her presence at subsequent Tony telecasts represented Broadway's singular history. Our thoughts go out to her friends and family." Ms. Neal made her Broadway debut as Regina Hubbard in Lillian Hellman's 'Another Part of the Forest,' for which she received the 1947 Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play, and a 1947 Theatre World Award. After numerous appearances on screen she returned to Broadway and the work of Hellman, starring in a revival of 'The Children's Hour' in 1952. In 1955 she starred on Broadway in 'A Roomful of Roses' and played 'Kate Keller' in 'The Miracle Worker' in 1959.

She was also known for her movie roles in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951), "A Face in the Crowd" (1957), "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961), and "Hud" (1963), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Ms. Neal was married to children's author Roald Dahl for 30 years. She is survived by her children Tessa, Ophelia, Theo and Lucy; a brother, Pete Neal; a sister, Margaret Ann VandenNoord; 10 grandchildren and step grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

--The statement was released by The Broadway League--