Richard Skipper Presents A Tribute to Harvey Evans, January 7
Featuring special guests Lawrence Leritz, Diane Findlay, Lee Roy Reams, Sandy Duncan, Patti Mariano, Ronald B. Young, Loni Ackerman, and Pam Myers.
By: A.A. Cristi Jan. 05, 2022
Richard Skipper will celebrate the beloved Broadway great Harvey Evans with guests Lawrence Leritz, Diane Findlay, Lee Roy Reams, Sandy Duncan, Patti Mariano, Ronald B. Young, Loni Ackerman, Pamela Myers on Friday, Jan 7th at 7PM EST/ 4PM PST.
Harvey Evans was an actor, singer, dancer who had a knack for landing roles in the original Broadway productions of such classics as West Side Story, Follies, Hello, Dolly! and Gypsy. Evans died Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey, said Lawrence Leritz, a friend and Broadway actor, dancer, singer, producer and director who will be joining this tribute.
"He was dearly loved by the Broadway community. Very kind, embracing, funny and always had a smile on his face," Leritz said.
Evans was rarely cast in leading Broadway roles but found a place in timeless shows. He starred opposite Angela Lansbury in Anyone Can Whistle and played Barnaby in Hello, Dolly! opposite Carol Channing, then Betty Grable and then Eve Arden.
Evans made it to New York in 1955 and became friendly with choreographers Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins. Evans' first musical as a dancer on Broadway was New Girl in Town, which starred Gwen Verdon and was choreographed by Fosse.
He changed his name while filming a small role in 1962's Experiment in Terror directed by Blake Edwards and starring Glenn Ford and Lee Remick. He and fellow actress Taffy Paul decided to remake themselves - he became Evans and she became Stefanie Powers.
Evans also was cast by Fosse for Redhead, with Verdon, and the movie The Pajama Game. Other highlights were starring on Broadway with Henry Fonda and Margaret Hamilton in a revival of Our Town in 1969 and being a standby for Jim Dale in Barnum in the early 1980s. He was a chimney sweep when Julie Andrews immortalized Mary Poppins on film in 1964.
His later Broadway credits include the mid-1990s revival of Sunset Boulevard, The Scarlet Pimpernel and as an understudy in Oklahoma! in 2002. He also snagged a cameo in the film Enchanted with Amy Adams in 2007. He was on Broadway in the original West Side Story and later in the 1961 and 2021 film versions.
"Really hard to put into words what Harvey Evans meant to me," said Tony Yazbeck on Twitter. "He was kindness personified. So funny and supportive. He came to every show I ever did and inspired me to keep going! A true triple threat who's heart was as big as his incredible career."
Bebe Neuwirth added: "One of the kindest, most delightful, loveliest gentlemen I've ever had the blessing to know." Betty Buckley also sent her regards: "With so much love." A man definitely worth celebrating!
Video: Richard Skipper Presents A Tribute to Harvey Evans, January 7 Featuring special guests Sandy Duncan, Lawrence Leritz, Diane Findlay, Lee Roy Reams, Loni Ackerman, Patti Mariano and Pam Myers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQGSOCUHGQ0
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