On Tuesday, January 30, actor Hinton Battle—three-time Tony Award winner for marvelous productions including “Sophisticated Ladies,” “The Tap Dance Kid,” and “Miss Saigon”—joined the ancestors after a long illness. He was 67 years old.
Battle was a singer, dancer, choreographer, producer and director. Most people will recall him starring as the Scarecrow in the original 1975 production of “The Wiz” on Broadway. Battle also had the beloved Broadway productions of “Dreamgirls” to his credit. He delighted audiences with his performances in “Fosse’s Dancin’” ; “Chicago” as Billy Flynn; and “Ragtime.” A gifted dancer, Battle, who studied at the Jones-Haywood School and enjoyed a scholarship to the School of American Ballet studying under the direction of choreographer George Balanchine, went on the distinguish himself as a choreographer, creating ballets for Baltimore School of the Arts, Washington Reflections Dance Company, Jones-Haywood Dance School, and Philadanco.
An enormous talent, Battle choreographed the 65th and 66th Academy Awards, OutKast musical film “Idlewild,” “Bolden,” and “Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story.” He directed and choreographed off-Broadway productions of “Respect,” “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” “Evil Dead the Musical” and “Sistas: The Musical.” He co-founded the Hinton Battle Dance Academy with Yoshimoto Kogyo in 2017. Returning to a familiar story, he starred in the 2006 film “Dreamgirls,” and was also seen on popular television series as a guest in “Touched By An Angel,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and “Smash.”
Battle was born on November 29, 1956 in Neubrucke, West Germany, the son of an army officer and homemaker. He was raised in Washington, D.C. and New York City and adored movie musicals. This love led to playing the role of Scarecrow at the tender age of 15 and succeeding in shining a light on his talent and potential.
George Faison, dancer, choreographer and founder of the Faison Firehouse Theater in Harlem, fondly recalled meeting Hinton and his sister on the streets of Manhattan. “I gave him that first job in ‘The Wiz’ when he was 15. He was here on a scholarship to the School of American Ballet. I saw him on West 86th Street and he was just so striking. I had an apartment on 85th Street. It was a Black Broadway community. I stopped him and started talking with him and his sister Lettie. I found out they were dancers from Washington D.C. and they had gone to the Haywood School, as I had. At that time, I was just forming my dance company, the George Faison Universal Dance Experience. It was 1972. He was exquisite. You could tell he had the markings of a real thoroughbred. He danced with me and then I got ‘The Wiz’ in 1974, [so] I cast him in that show. He didn’t really belong in the chorus, Stu Gilliam, who was cast as the Scarecrow, took off a performance. 20th Century Fox producing the show came and saw Hinton in the role. They fell in love with him and they offered him the job permanently. He was the Scarecrow we were all looking for. Hinton became a star when he opened on Broadway in ‘The Wiz.’ Then he went on to win three Tonys. ‘The Wiz’ went on to win seven Tony Awards…he was a brilliant Broadway star, who went from The Wiz success to win three Tonys for three different shows.”
Considering what Battle embodied, Faison shared, “When you think about the rigor that it takes to become a performing artist and when you think of the level of excellence that it takes to be a Broadway performer, and when you look at the achievements that a little boy from Washington, D.C. comes and achieves, that’s when you see how God has blessed him with this incredible talent to be an example for the ages, and he attained the highest mark in musical theater!”
Dancer/singer/actor Adrian Bailey added, “I knew of him because of ‘The Wiz,’ then I worked with him in a workshop for ‘On Toby Time’ and he was just an amazing dancer. In 1980, we did ‘Sophisticated Ladies.’ To watch him jump, he had everything: turnout, flexibility, nice feet, he could kick up to his face and it looked effortless, and he was breathtaking. Considering his legacy, he’s done everything, directed, acted, danced, but being a dancer I have to say his legacy is his dancing. He was like a magician on stage. It was magic how he jumped, kicked and turned. To see this Black man with this ability. He had a featured role, I was in the ensemble. Sometimes dancers are looked on as extras, when you’re with other dancers you talk, live, and breathe dance. Hinton demonstrated that he was much more than just a dancer. Anybody who saw him on stage was impressed. Everything he did, his energy, when he sang, everything was big and he was so comfortable on stage. It gave me confidence, it was effortless and it was cool, But it was just what he did.”
Ken Hanson, stage manager for “Sophisticated Ladies” on Broadway, recalled, “I knew Hinton for years, I met him when he was Scarecrow in ‘The Wiz.’ When we started ‘Sophisticated Ladies’ I had already seen him in Bob Fosse’s ‘Dancin’ on Broadway the year before. He was a fun person. His legacy, he was so powerful on stage, he was really a triple threat. His dancing was his strongest asset, but he could also sing and act. He had a big thick body, he was dark skinned and chocolate and all those had meaning. When I watched him perform, I felt very proud. His dance technique was superior. Bob Fosse wouldn’t have cast him as a lead dancer if he wasn’t that good. He had a solo called procession which was powerful and electric.”
Jackie Jeffries, president of AUDELCO, a long-time fan, shared, “I just loved him! I thought he was one of the most magnificent dancers I had ever seen. He had that laughter, that smile, when he was dancing. Whatever he was doing I was there. He was just so brilliant. He had such a beautiful spirit. My favorite thing was seeing him in different places. I was enamored with him.” Considering his legacy she said, “it was to bring healing and laughter—he was a phenomenal expression of love through dance. When you saw him on the stage your heart would leap. He had an electrifying spirit! Wherever he was on the stage that’s where your eyes went because he was just spectacular. He always had some kind of magnificent solo. I would deem him as one of my favorite dancers! He will truly be missed! He had that IT factor!”
On a personal note, I had the pleasure of interviewing Battle in his brownstone many years ago and he was charming and gracious and so humble about his accomplishments. He had such a welcoming demeanor and I sat in awe of his talent and humility. That is an interview I will now cherish.