Broadway Star Hinton Battle Dead at 67

Hinton Battle—who originated the role of the Scarecrow in Broadway’s The Wiz—died at the age of 67 on Jan. 29. Read Debbie Allen’s tribute.In Memoriam: Fallen Stars of 2023

The Broadway community has lost a star.

Hinton Battle—who originated the role of the Scarecrow in The Wiz—died on Jan. 29 at the age of 67, his longtime friend Debbie Allen confirmed. A cause of death was not revealed.

“Today I honor Hinton Battle, my dear friend who left us to dance and sing in God’s Ensemble last night,” the actress wrote on Instagram Jan. 30. “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.” 

Battle took on the role of the Scarecrow after graduating from the Jones Haywood School of Ballet in Washington D.C. and the School of American Ballet in New York, according to his bio from his talent agency MSA.

He went on to win three Tony Awards for his roles in Sophisticated Ladies, The Tap Dance Kid and Miss Saigon and also appeared in the musicals Chicago, Dreamgirls and Dancin’.

In addition to acting on stage, Battle worked in film and television. He played Wayne in the 2006 film Dreamgirls and appeared in the movies Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story and Foreign Student. His TV credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smash and Touched by an Angel.  

Noam Galai/Getty Images

Along with being an actor, Battle was a choreographer. According to his bio, he choreographed for the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, the OutKast musical Idlewild, Dancing With the Stars and more. He also launched Hinton Battle Dance Academy.

And while Battle is gone, his life and career will not be forgotten.

“His unparalleled talent and infectious energy will be deeply missed,” the Tony Awards wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “but his legacy lives on in the hearts of all who were touched by his brilliance.”

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