Broadway Stage Manager Thomas J. Gates Dies After Tragic Train Accident: Updates and Tributes from Broadway Community

Thomas J. Gates, a former Broadway stage manager, has tragically died at the age of 51 after being hit by a train in New Jersey, which made him turn off the music Illinois, currently in theaters.

Morris & Essex line train NJ Transit fatally collided with Gates near the South Orange Station at approximately 9:12 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8, reportedly NJ.com. After hearing the news, That night’s show on Broadway was canceled due to mourning.

The train left Summit at 8:56 am and It was supposed to arrive at Manhattan Penn Station at 9:42 am. it was 60 people on board, including passengers and crew, an NJ Transit spokeswoman said. No further casualties were reported and there were 30-minute service delays in each direction.

There has been no further information about how the accident happened and The investigation into the accident remains open, stood out Patch.com. Gates’ death was confirmed in the Instagram official account Illinois, show that features four nominations for the 2024 Tony Awards, including best musical.

Gates worked as a production manager on that show and her husband and colleague Rick Steiger He is also a Broadway veteran, currently a member of the basketball team “Back to the Future” music who compete for two Tony Awards at the upcoming gala on June 16 at Lincoln Center.

“It is with great sadness that we mourn the death of our stage production manager, Thomas J. Gates. Thomas was instrumental in Illinois on Broadway, dear friend and colleague. We are devastated for her husband Rick, another member of the community Illinois. These two amazing people led our company on our journey from the beginning. We dedicate the role of Illinois to Thom and his loving memory,” the statement said.

Sara Bareilles, Tony and Grammy winning actress who was a star in music server, another show that Gates worked on, mourned his death there via video on Instagram. “He spoke softly. reliable Generous Beautiful. compassionate Tired and overworked, but I never heard him complain. He was the first to enter and the last to leave…. Today is difficult for many reasons; I can’t even put it into words. We will miss and love Thom Gates. “I hope he knew.”