Hinton Battle obit

Hinton Battle Dies: Broadway’s Original ‘The Wiz’ Scarecrow Was 67

 

He was not on the list.

Hinton Battle, a three-time Tony Award winning actor who originated the role of Scarecrow in Broadway’s The Wiz, died yesterday. He was 67.

His death was confirmed by his friend, the actor and choreographer Debbie Allen. A cause was not disclosed.

“Today I honor Hinton Battle, my dear friend who left us to dance and sing in God’s Ensemble last night,” Allen wrote on Instagram today. “He fought this battle to live and be creative impacting audiences and young people across the globe. Let us always hold him high in our hearts and in our mind’s eye and forever speak his name.”

Launching his Broadway career in The Wiz (1975), Battle would go on to appear in such celebrated musicals as Dancin’, Sophisticated Ladies, Dreamgirls, The Tap Dance Kid, Miss Saigon and the longrunning revival of Chicago. He won Tony Awards for Best Featured Actor/Musical for Sophisticated Ladies (1981), The Tap Dance Kid (1983) and Miss Saigon (1991).

Born November 29, 1956, in Germany, Battle studied at the Jones Haywood School of Ballet in Washington, D.C. and the School of American Ballet in New York City. In addition to Broadway, he made numerous TV appearances, including roles in Quantum Leap, Touched By An Angel, Early Edition and Smash.

In perhaps his most memorable TV role, he played the demon Sweet in a 2001 musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer titled “Once More, With Feeling.” Battle also choreographed the episode; other choreography credits include the 65th and 66th Annual Academy Awards (with Debbie Allen), The Trouble With Normal and Sister Sister.

Survivor information was not immediately available.

Actor

Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Christian Borle, Leslie Odom Jr., Jennifer Hudson, Katharine McPhee, Megan Hilty, Jeremy Jordan, Krysta Rodriguez, and Andy Mientus in Smash (2012)

Smash

7.7

TV Series

Pastor

2012

1 episode

 

Beyoncé, Anika Noni Rose, and Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls (2006)

Dreamgirls

6.6

Wayne

2006

 

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

8.3

TV Series

Sweet

2001

1 episode

 

Roma Downey, John Dye, and Della Reese in Touched by an Angel (1994)

Touched by an Angel

6.0

TV Series

Candy 'the Clown' McCloud

2001

1 episode

 

The Wonderful World of Disney (1997)

The Wonderful World of Disney

7.4

TV Series

Bill Bojangles Robinson

2001

1 episode

 

Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins, and Debbie Reynolds in These Old Broads (2001)

These Old Broads

5.8

TV Movie

Pete

2001

 

The Trouble with Normal (2000)

The Trouble with Normal

6.1

TV Series

Instructor

2000

1 episode

 

Kyle Chandler and Shanesia Davis in Early Edition (1996)

Early Edition

7.6

TV Series

Rev. O.C. Nicks

1999

1 episode

 

David Keith, Matt Craven, Blair Underwood, Lisa Vidal, Matt Beck, Wendy Davis, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Lindsay Frost, Cole Hauser, and Louis Mustillo in High Incident (1996)

High Incident

7.7

TV Series

1996

1 episode

 

Sweet Justice (1994)

Sweet Justice

6.9

TV Series

Brother Will

1995

1 episode

 

Robin Givens and Marco Hofschneider in Foreign Student (1994)

Foreign Student

5.9

Sonny Boy Williamson

1994

 

Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell in Quantum Leap (1989)

Quantum Leap

8.2

TV Series

Thames

1993

1 episode

 

Beverly D'Angelo, Craig T. Nelson, and Gary Cole in The Switch (1993)

The Switch

6.5

TV Movie

Hildred Shumake

1993

 

Chris Eigeman and Craig Bierko in Red Dwarf (1992)

Red Dwarf

3.9

TV Movie

The Cat

1992

 

The Boys

7.8

TV Movie

Odie

1992

 

Wedding Band (1989)

Wedding Band

3.1

Hawk

1989

 

Daddy's Boys (1988)

Daddy's Boys

4.3

Piano Player

1988

 

Tracey Ullman in The Tracey Ullman Show (1987)

The Tracey Ullman Show

7.1

TV Series

Jerry

1987

1 episode

 

The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987)

The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory

6.1

TV Movie

Joe - Travis' Servant

1987

 

The Wiz

7.0

Video

Scarecrow

1983

 

A Night on the Town

6.1

TV Movie

1983

 

Sophisticated Ladies (1982)

Sophisticated Ladies

9.0

TV Movie

Performer

1982

 

Additional Crew

Bolden (2019)

Bolden

5.6

orderly

2019

 

Sistas: The Musical (2013)

Sistas: The Musical

9.4

TV Movie

production consultant

2013

 

Louis (2010)

Louis

7.3

choreographer

2010

 

Terrence Howard and Paula Patton in Idlewild (2006)

Idlewild

6.2

choreographer

2006

 

The Wonderful World of Disney (1997)

The Wonderful World of Disney

7.4

TV Series

choreographer

2001

1 episode

 

Sharon Lawrence, Jonathan Banks, Mark Feuerstein, and Leah Remini in Fired Up (1997)

Fired Up

6.5

TV Series

choreographer

1997

1 episode

 

Robin Givens and Marco Hofschneider in Foreign Student (1994)

Foreign Student

5.9

choreographer: Jook Joint

1994

 

The Boys

7.8

TV Movie

associate choreographer

1992

 

Editorial Department

The Boys

7.8

TV Movie

editor: musical numbers

1992