Miscellaneous
DANCERS OVER 40 PRESENTS
A TOAST TO ONE OF THE BEST
DO40 SALUTES HARVEY EVANS
AT THE TRIAD THEATER, NYC
Curtain Call with DO40 president John Sefakis, Penny Worth, Jim Brochu, Marianne Tatu, Kurt Peterson, host Lee Roy Reams, Tony Yazbeck, Anita Gillette and director Lawrence Leritz
It was a sold-out lovefest at the Triad Theater Wednesday night, honoring long time member Harvey Evans. Harvey’s family flew in from Cincinnati, best friends and peers were there, DO40 members and lots of people who have never come to a DO40 event before. And this one was like no other – not a panel or “performance,” just remembrances and songs dedicated to Harvey, and a toast to him at the end of the evening. THESE ARE JUST AMATEUR PHOTOS taken that evening. Our photographer and DO40 member Cynthia Elane will send professional pics soon!
But as always, we must be attentive to the COVID situation, and musical director Fred Barton tested positive after the performance, so we are notifying as many people as we can who came in contact with him.
In attendance, DO40 president John Sefakis and Board of Director members Lawrence Leritz, Sasha Spielvogel, Sharon Wendrow, Patrick McCarthy and Bobby Hedglin-Taylor and Advisory Board member Lori Tan Chinn. DO40 members were everywhere, including Virginia Seidel, James Dybas, John Bate, Francis J. Roach, Kevin Winkler, Ginger Tidwell, Diane Nicole, the flying Mariano sisters, Patti and JoAnn (!!!) Bert and Pat Michaels, Roger and Yvonne Puckett, Stephen Reed, Joe Ahumada, Ken Bloom, Joy Dunbar, Josh Ellis, Barbara Wasson, Leni Anders as well as performers Lee Roy Reams Penny Worth and Anita Gillette. Also on hand to sing and reminisce, “newbie” Tony Yazbeck, Marianne Tatum, Jim Brochu and Kurt Peterson. Producer Ed Gaynes and wife Pamela stepped out, as well as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS top honcho Tom Viola, Ed Kressley, Sam Viverito, David Bean, Michael Portantiere, Joshua Wellman, Harry Haun and many, many more (over 130 attendees!).
Host Lee Roy Reams with Anita Gillette – DO40 members both!
Anita Gillette and host Lee Roy Reams sang a hysterical duet together, Marianne Tatum sang from Barnum, Tony Yazbeck from Oklahoma (which he did with Harvey in 2002), Jim Brochu made the audience laugh and cry with his reminiscences, Penny Worth sang from Irene, whose star, Debbie Reynolds, was very close with Harvey (as was Penny and Carrie Fisher). Old friend Kurt Peterson sang from Merrily We Roll Along, and Lee Roy Reams closed out the show with a song from La Cage Aux Folles, in which both he and Harvey performed as Za-Za. Lee Roy and Kurt Peterson read regrets from those unable to attend, Donna McKechnie, Joel Grey and Mary Jane Houdina.
We are proud to continue our mission, to promote the History, Legacy and Lives of the mature dance community and pay it forward to the next generation - who never got to know the kindness and talent that was Harvey Evans. We have a vibrant website, www.dancersover40.org, where members can watch Harvey in all our performances, a youtube channel www.youtube.com/dancersover40 with video from the aughts of Harvey moderating panels on Fosse, Gwen Verdon and Ron Field, and we are very proud to donate all our performance and panel videos to the Jerome Robbins Dance Collection at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, so that ALL generations can get to know the talent and charm of Harvey Evans.
Old friend Kurt Peterson, singing from Merrily We Roll Along
One of Harvey’s last Broadway shows, a revival of Oklahoma in 2002 was one of Tony Yazbeck’s first!
The lovely Penny Worth paying homage to Harvey, Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, all old friends…
The funny and wickedly adoroable Jim Brochu, reminiscing, bringing the house to tears and laughter.
Marianne Tatum singing from Barnum! where she performed with Harvey