Broadway Honors Memory of Roger Rees

The beloved actor most recently appeared on Broadway this spring in ”The Visit”.

Bethany Rickwald
Roger Rees takes his bow on the opening night of Broadway's The Visit, April 23, 2015.
Roger Rees takes his bow on the opening night of Broadway's The Visit, April 23, 2015.
(© David Gordon)

The Broadway community will honor the memory of Tony Award-winning actor and Tony Award-nominated director Roger Rees by dimming the marquees of Broadway theaters on July 15 at exactly 7:45pm for one minute. Rees passed away on Friday at the age of 71.

"We are so fortunate that Roger Rees has graced our stages through the years and inspired us with his brilliant talent," said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, in a statment. "In addition to his acting and directing accomplishments, his generous heart and warm, giving spirit will be greatly missed by his family, friends and fans."

Rees, who began his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, is remembered for creating the title role in the original production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, David Edgar’s stage adaptation of the Dickens novel, winning both an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1982. He also starred in the original production of The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard in London in 1984, and in 1995 he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in Indiscretions. Rees also achieved acclaim as a stage director for works including Peter and the Starcatcher, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Director. His final Broadway appearance was in the role of Anton Schell in The Visit, which opened April 23 and also starred Chita Rivera.

Rees is survived by his husband, playwright Rick Elice.