Harvey Evans, actor in Broadway's golden years, dies at 80

NEW YORK – Harvey Evans, an actor, vocalist and dancer who had a knack for landing roles successful the archetypal Broadway productions of specified classics arsenic “West Side Story,” “Follies” “Hello, Dolly!” and “Gypsy,” has died. He was 80.

Evans died Christmas Eve astatine the Actors Fund Home successful Englewood, New Jersey, said Lawrence Leritz, a person and Broadway actor, dancer, singer, shaper and director. “He was dearly loved by the Broadway community. Very kind, embracing, comic and ever had a grin connected his face. I tin ne'er retrieve not being hugged by this loving man,” Leritz said.

Evans was seldom formed successful starring Broadway roles but recovered a spot successful timeless shows. He starred other Angela Lansbury successful “Anyone Can Whistle” and played Barnaby successful “Hello, Dolly!” other Carol Channing, past Betty Grable and past Eve Arden.

“When I look back,” Evans told Playbill successful 2007, “I deliberation I’ve had immoderate benignant of angel connected my shoulder, starring maine toward the champion shows of Broadway’s aureate years. I didn’t prime and take them — they conscionable came astir that way.”

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Evans, who was calved Harvey Hohnecker, grew up successful Cincinnati and fell successful emotion with philharmonic theatre aft seeing a touring accumulation of “Song of Norway." “My full puerility was spent waiting to postgraduate from precocious schoolhouse truthful I could spell to New York and beryllium successful a Broadway show,” helium told Playbill.

Evans made it to New York successful 1955 and would go affable with choreographers Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins. Evans’ archetypal philharmonic arsenic a dancer connected Broadway was “New Girl successful Town,” which starred Gwen Verdon and was choreographed by Fosse.

He changed his sanction portion filming a tiny relation successful 1962’s “Experiment successful Terror” directed by Blake Edwards and starring Glenn Ford and Lee Remick. He and chap histrion Taffy Paul decided to remake themselves — helium became Evans and she became Stefanie Powers.

Evans besides was formed by Fosse for “Redhead,” with Verdon, and the movie of “The Pajama Game.” Other highlights were starring connected Broadway with Henry Fonda and Margaret Hamilton successful a revival of “Our Town” successful 1969 and being a standby for Jim Dale successful “Barnum” successful the aboriginal 1980s. He was a chimney expanse erstwhile Julie Andrews immortalized “Mary Poppins” connected movie successful 1964.

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“I’ve had my sanction supra the rubric and I’ve had it mode down low,” helium told Playbill. “It doesn’t substance to me. It’s conscionable fantastic to beryllium portion of this community.”

His aboriginal Broadway credits see the mid-1990s revival of “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and arsenic an understudy successful “Oklahoma!” successful 2002. He besides snagged a cameo successful the movie “Enchanted” with Amy Adams successful 2007. He was connected Broadway successful the archetypal “West Side Story” and aboriginal successful the 1961 movie version.

“Really hard to enactment into words what Harvey Evans meant to me,” said Tony Yazbeck connected Twitter. “He was kindness personified. So comic and supportive. He came to each amusement I ever did and inspired maine to support going! A existent triple menace who’s bosom was arsenic large arsenic his unthinkable career."

Bebe Neuwirth added: “One of the kindest, astir delightful, loveliest gentlemen I’ve ever had the blessing to know.” Betty Buckley besides sent her regards: “With truthful overmuch love.”

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Mark Kennedy is astatine http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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