Harvey Evans, Broadway Actor and Disney Dancer Passes Away
Harvey Evans, a Broadway actor, and dancer has unfortunately passed away at the age of 80 at the Actors Fund Home located in Englewood, New Jersey.
Image Credit: Walter McBride/Getty Images
Evans moved to New York City from Cinncinatti, Ohio in 1955 in hopes of his big Broadway break after patiently waiting throughout high school for the move to the big city.
It was here that he became friends with renowned choreographer Bob Fosse whom he would frequently work alongside, as well as Fosse’s wife Gwen Verdon.
Although Evans rarely was the leading role in productions he was involved with, he relished in his involvement within the musical theatre community, telling Playbill:
“I’ve had my name above the title and I’ve had it way down low, … It doesn’t matter to me. It’s just wonderful to be part of this community.”
Evans first worked with The Walt Disney Company in 1964, dancing alongside Dick Van Dyke as an uncredited chimney sweep dancer in the smash hit Mary Poppins.
Image Credit: Disney
This would be his last uncredited work on film, after only being credited for one role up until that point under his birth name Harvey Hohnecker in 1961’s West Side Story as Mouthpiece.
Evans also appeared in the most recent retelling of West Side Story as Gimbel’s security guard, which is now, sadly, his final appearance on film.
Image Credit: Disney
Evans’ final work with The Walt Disney Company came in 2007 with the release of Enchanted starring Amy Adams. The film has many nods to previous Disney films, such as cameos from Jodi Benson, Paige O’Hara, and Judy Kuhn.
In a beautiful appreciation and commemoration of the chimney sweep dancers in Mary Poppins, Enchanted reunited them all to dance together again during Adam’s song That’s How You Know.
Image Credit: Disney
Harvey Evans will always be remembered for his love for musical theatre and his craft, and our hearts go out to the Evans family at this time.
