Joan Rivers will be honored in New York City tonight. The shining bright lights of Broadway will be dimmed in her honor.

This memorial event will take place in spite of an earlier to decision to forgo the tribute.

After the Broadway League, which represents theatre owners and producers, initially came to the decision that the late Joan Rivers did not meet the criteria for the famous show business honor, public backlash has caused the group to change its mind.

Executive director of the League, Charlotte St. Martin, released the following statement regarding Rivers:

"Joan Rivers loved Broadway and we loved her. Due to the outpouring of love and respect for Joan Rivers from our community and from her friends and fans worldwide, the marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in her memory tonight, at exactly 6:45pm for one minute."

The Broadway League came under fire after it originally concluded that Tony nominee Rivers had not earned the accolade. According to the New York Times, St. Martin stated, "Under our criteria people need to have been very active recently in the theater, or else be synonymous with Broadway - people who made their careers here, or kept it up.

"We love Joan - she was very supportive of Broadway and came to a lot of show openings - but she hasn't acted on Broadway in 20 years," added St. Martin. "When you say Joan Rivers, you don't think comedy, television and Broadway. You think comedy and television. It's certainly nothing against her."

However, fans and theatre community members soon took to social media to share their support for Rivers and rally for the honor.

We ain't never had a friend like Joan! @DisneyOnStage is proud to dim the New Am marquee tonight in honor of the late, great Joan Rivers.

— Aladdin (@aladdin) September 9, 2014

In memory of the legendary Joan Rivers, we will dim the lights of our Jujamcyn Theaters marquees, Tuesday at 6:45pm. pic.twitter.com/j07m1L5gaS — Jordan Roth (@Jordan_Roth) September 9, 2014

Hey Broadway! Time to dim the lights for Joan Rivers queen of comedy. She loved Broadway and we loved her #joanrivers

— Harvey Fierstein (@HarveyFierstein) September 8, 2014