Hinton Battle, a three-time Tony Award winner, has died at the age of 67, his friend Debbie Allen confirmed on social media on Tuesday.
“Today I pay tribute to Hinton Battle, my dear friend who left us last night to dance and sing in God’s Ensemble,” Allen wrote on Instagram. “He fought this battle to live and be creative influencing audiences and young people around the world.”
“Always keep him high in our hearts and minds and forever chant his name,” Glory star added.
BroadwayWorld was the first to announce the news of his death.
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Battle of Hinton 2006
Brad Barket/Getty
Battle fell in love performing in an elementary school production Nutcracker before going on a scholarship to the Jones-Haywood Ballet School in Washington, he revealed in a 2023 interview.
A few years later, he made his Broadway debut at the age of 15 as the Scarecrow in Wizardaccording to his MSA Talent Agency biography.
After his engagement in Wizardthe German-born actress continued to act dance, Sophisticated ladies, Dream girls, Step Dance Kid, Miss Saigon and Chicagoper Playroom.
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Hinton Battle as the Scarecrow in ‘The Wiz’ circa 1975.
Hulton Archive/Getty
Battle won three Tony Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for Sophisticated ladies in 1981, Step Dance Kid in 1984 and Miss Saigon in 1991.
He was also honored twice at the Drama Desk Awards, where he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for Wizard in 1975 and Step Dance Kid in 1984.
Later in his career, Battle swapped the stage for the screen, starring in several television shows including A quantum leap, Sweet justice, High incident and Touched by an angel.
Memorably, he also played the singing villain Sweet Buffy the Vampire Slayermusical episode, “Once More, with Feeling” in 2001 and portrayed Wayne in the 2006 film adaptation. Dream girls.
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Battle of Hinton 2014
Monica Schipper/FilmMagic
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Battle also worked behind the scenes of several productions as a director and choreographer.
His choreographic credits include the 65th and 66th Academy Awards, Dancing with the starsOutkast movie-musical Idlewild and Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story.
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Source: HIS Education