Broadway's lights to be dimmed for Silver

NEW YORK, March 18 (UPI) -- The lights in New York's Broadway theater district are to be dimmed Wednesday night to mark the death of actor Ron Silver, Playbill.com said.

Silver lost his battle with esophageal cancer and died Sunday. Th 62-year-old actor was perhaps best-known for his roles on TV's "Rhoda" and "The West Wing." He won a Tony Award for his performance in the original Broadway production of David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow."

"The intelligence and intensity of Ron Silver's presence on stage was a gift to live theater. I've enjoyed watching his performances in every medium but I'm grateful that his extraordinary talent contributed to Broadway's history of great actors," Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, said in a statement.

Playbill.com said the lights on Broadway's marquees will be dimmed at 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday for 1 minute in Silver's honor.