Harvey Evans Love Thread

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:21am

This picture makes me happy. Harvey Evans makes me happy. Post here if Harvey Evans makes you happy too.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:26am

Harvey Evans in West Side Story

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:27am

Harvey Evans in Follies

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:27am

Harvey Evans in New Girl in Town

[newintown]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:29am

Harvey on the cover of After Dark, a seminal moment...

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:35am

Harvey Evans in Dames at Sea

I was saving the After Dark pic for later, to be discreet.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:40am

Harvey Evans in Applause with Lauren Bacall

http://youtu.be/xRikWbT6WG0

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:41am

Gwen Verdon and Harvey Evans perform "Who's Got the Pain When They Do the Mambo?" on the Ed Sullivan show:

http://youtu.be/BqK05A1SqIo

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:58am

Harvey and Kurt Peterson and Virginia Sandifur and Marti Rolph perform "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow"/"Love Will See Us Through" on the David Frost tribute to the original production of Follies

http://youtu.be/UbLo8ALc1WA

[newintown]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 11:59am

Ooops, sorry, Joey. I just couldn't resist.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 12:08pm

Faced with such Loreleis, what man can moralize?

[mamaleh]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 2:51pm

Been a big Harvey fan since my school days when I saw the original cast of FOLLIES. His Young Buddy was more interesting to me than Young Ben.

Updated On: 11/20/13 at 02:51 PM

[jv92]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 7:06pm

Even Steve loves Harvey Evans!

I have never met Harvey, but I'm an admirer of his talent and the stories he's told during those Dancers Over 40 tributes to Michael Bennett, Gwen Verdon, and the lot.

Is he retired from performing eight shows a week? I remember that he was in the 2002 revival of OKLAHOMA!, but has he done any B'way or Off B'way stuff since aside from benefits and solo acts?

[bk]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 7:15pm

He's a doll. We had a bunch of conversations when I remixed and reissued Follies - he did an interview on the Kritzerland site. Such a wonderful, warm person.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 8:29pm

I worked with Harvey years ago and he was an absolute doll!

(He also very nearly stole our production of SHOW BOAT in the relatively thankless role of Frank.)

One of the most talented and charismatic performers I've ever known.

Thanks to Pal Joey for the photos!



Updated On: 11/20/13 at 08:29 PM

[sabrelady]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 8:30pm

He was probably my fav speaker/performer at the old Seth's Chatterbox. He showed a part of his reel w him in a movie (?) scene was at a swimming poo,l him in bathing suit and he was seriously cute! Talked about working for Disney as a Jew and Disney's antisemitism. He was where I 1st heard about the difficulty in doing revival's of Follies and yes he specifically mentioned the widder woman as the problem.
Man has seen it all & done more and very well! so yes I do <3 Harvey!

[jv92]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 8:55pm

I FORGOT about his role as a sweep in MARY POPPINS.

I think Walt Disney may have been more anti-semetic in the 40s and 50s at the height of the so-called "red scare." The Sherman Brothers were Jewish, too, and had a long and happy professional and personal relationship with him. I'm not denying Uncle Walt's bigotry, just saying it may have cooled over time.

[justoldbill]

Posted: 11/20/13 at 10:08pm

I first met Harvey when he was doing APPLAUSE with Eleanor Parker in stock in the 70s. I asked him to sign my WEST SIDE STORY film program and he was dumb-founded. We got to know each other better when we both volunteered for the late, lamented NYPL Performing Arts bazaars, and continue to keep in contact to this day. Stephen Sondheim is said to have named him the nicest man in theatre and I wouldn't argue the point. I believe his most recent legit gig was the West Coast production of LEAP OF FAITH. If you want to see (as far as I know) his first legit gig, watch him in the film of THE PAJAMA GAME. Adorable.

Updated On: 11/20/13 at 10:08 PM

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 11/21/13 at 6:52pm

Here's a picture of Van Johnson (Bigley) and Harvey Evans (Finch) in a 1977 summer stock production of HOW TO SUCCEED... at Milwaukee's Melody Top Theatre. Enjoy!

[beaemma]

Posted: 11/22/13 at 9:03pm

I saw that Melody Top production. Harvey was great, and he and Van worked together so well.

[Sutherland]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 10:06pm

Love Harvey Evans! I first saw him when I was in High School, as George in the famous production of "Our Town" starring Henry Fonda (and just about everyone else). He was devastatingly moving and sweet in it. And then Follies, and Dames at Sea, etc. and finally I got to meet him at a brunch one time. One of the nicest, funniest, most delightful people working in theatre. I am happy to have spoken with him on several other occasions as well. I celebrate anything Harvey Evans does!

[Nydiva2]

Posted: 11/25/13 at 11:41pm

A few years back at the Broadway Flea Market I came across a poster which I KNEW an out-of-town friend would love. However, it was VERY pricey, so I had to call her to make sure she wanted me to advance the $$$.

Long story short, Harvey Evans was at that particular table, was in the cast of said poster's show, and overheard me calling my friend. He told me to mention that he would sign it personally to her. So I raced off to the credit card table and once I got back (still on the phone), Harvey TOOK my phone and had a lovely chat with her while I completed the transaction. CLASS ACT indeed!

[Replacement Cast]

Posted: 11/26/13 at 3:59pm

Love Harvey Evans! Would love to cross paths again -- it's been 30 years since he starred in the "Barnum" tour.

[Fred Casely]

Posted: 11/27/13 at 11:34pm

Not just the nicest person in theater but anywhere, really.

I can vouch for that story of the pricey poster; I was right there when it all happened.

[TimesSquared]

Posted: 11/29/13 at 2:34am

I toured in La Cage with Harvey back in '87. I was as green as could be, my first big tour. He was so kind and encouraging and down to earth. I've never worked with someone so accomplished with so little ego on display. I learned so much from him, most of all to remember, in spite of all the pressure to be good and get it all right, to have fun being on stage, which he clearly did every night. I never once saw him phone-in a performance.

I was scared out of my wits in rehearsal. He knew it, and he told me that he was too. I was like "Really? Mr. million Broadway shows/Sondheim writes songs specifically for your voice (Follies)/major movie musicals/danced with Gwen Verdon on Broadway and TV?" He told me to work hard and learn my show, but also to embrace that fear and to find the guts to bring my real, vulnerable self on stage. Watching him in rehearsal and in performance, I then saw that was indeed what he did. It's what made him such an engaging, warm and authentically human presence on stage, on top of all that triple-threat talent.

He was unfailingly generous to everyone with whom he shared that stage, old pro or neophyte, glittery opening night in Boston, or Wednesday matinee in Bloomington, Indiana.

I will always adore Harvey. He is, as they say, the real deal.