Natasha Richardson Remembered With Dimmed Broadway Lights

On Thursday evening, the Broadway community paid tribute to Natasha Richardson by dimming the lights in honor of the Tony Award-winning actress, who died Wednesday following a skiing accident.

In addition to friends like Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, the actress' widower, Liam Neeson, and mother, Vanessa Redgrave, also attended the tribute, The Associated Press reports. The lights were dimmed for one minute at around 8 p.m. to honor the star, who performed in several Broadway shows, including "Cabaret" for which she won a Tony Award in 1998.

According to the AP, the family has asked that donations be made to amfAR, a foundation for AIDS research, in lieu of flowers. Richardson's father, director Tony Richardson, died of complications from the disease in 1991. Natasha Richardson was a longtime supporter of the charity and served on its board of trustees since 2006.

Earlier on Thursday, the Richardson's friends and colleagues released statements remembering the 45-year-old actress. "She was one of a kind, a magnificent actress. She was also an amazing mother, a loyal friend and the greatest and most generous host you could ever hope to meet," said Sam Mendes, who directed her in "Cabaret." "It defies belief that this gifted, brave, tenacious, wonderful woman is gone."

Lindsay Lohan, who worked with Richardson in "The Parent Trap," said, "She was a wonderful woman and actress and treated me like I was her own. I didn't see much of her over the years, but I will miss her. My heart goes out to her family. This is a tragic loss."

Richardson's last film, "Wild Child," has been released internationally but has yet to receive a U.S. release date.

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(AP)
Natasha Richardson Dies After Skiing Accident