Broadway Community to Honor Jan Maxwell

The Broadway community will mourn the loss of five-time Tony-nominated performer Jan Maxwell with the dimming of the lights at the Marquis Theatre, where she made her final Broadway appearance. The lights will dim in her memory on February 21 at exactly 7:45pm for one minute. Maxwell passed away on February 11 at age 61.

Maxwell received Tony Award nominations for her performances in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2005), Coram Boy (2007), Lend Me a Tenor (2010), The Royal Family (2010), and Follies (2012). During her career she was nominated in all of the Tony Award female acting categories and was one of only four women to be nominated in two categories in the same season. She made her Broadway debut in the musical comedy City of Angels (1990) and also appeared in Dancing at Lughnasa (1992), A Doll's House (1997), The Sound of Music (1998), The Dinner Party (2000), Sixteen Wounded (2004), and To Be or Not to Be (2008).

Beyond Broadway, Maxwell frequently appeared in off-Broadway and regional productions. She also had numerous television credits including Madam Secretary, Gotham, The Good Wife, Gossip Girl, One Life to Live, All My Children, and Law & Order.

"Jan Maxwell’s enormous talent won over audiences, and critics regularly wrote love letters about her performances," said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. "Whether it was in musicals, comedies or dramas, she lit up the stage with her versatility and range. She built an impeccable reputation in the theater and was beloved by the public and respected by her peers. She left us too soon and will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues."

She is survived by her husband, Robert Emmet Lunney, and son, Will Maxwell-Lunney; three sisters, Susan Fitzgerald, Nancy Maxwell, and Peggy Maxwell; and two brothers, Bill Maxwell and Richard Maxwell.