When famous people that have had an impact on the biz pass on, I usually blog about it.  See this for example.  Or this.

This past weekend, the biz lost someone who has also helped keep shows going for a long time.

But Broadway won’t dim the marquees for him.  And I can’t imagine he’ll get an above the fold obit on the New York Times, or even on Broadway.com.

And that’s exactly why I am writing this post.  Because too often, we (and there’s a big ol’ “I” in that “we”), focus only on the 1% of Broadway doers . . . when it’s the 99% that are sloggin’ away, every day, eight shows a week, literally pulling the curtains on The Great White Way . . . making shows happen, and making audiences happy.   And they deserve to be noticed.

Christopher “Shadow” Edwards was a Local 1 Carpenter (and Prop Guy and Electrician and whatever else was needed) over at the Off-Broadway production Avenue Q, which my office General Manages.

And Christopher “Shadow” Edwards passed away last week.  And he had only recently celebrated his 40th birthday.

Shadow was an accomplished technician (and quite an accomplished Wii tennis player, as he proved to me whenever I visited Q).  But was most impressive about him was whenever I asked him how things were going . . . and I asked him that question during some tough times . . . he always said, “Can’t complain.  I love the theater.  And I get to work in theater.  How bad can it be?”

We’re going to miss him at Q.  And I’m going to miss him coming to my office to collect his paycheck, rubbing in how much better of a Wii tennis player he was.  And how he always used to hit me up to give him a lighting designer gig, because that’s where he wanted to take his career next.

I’m sure he’s lighting up the sky now.

We’ll miss you, my friend.  If I owned all the marquees in the city, I’d blacken ’em out just for you.

 

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