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.
As everyone here has said, he's a great guy. But also: he's a great dancer, having worked with Fosse, Robbins, and so on. I saw him on a showcase of Going Hollywood, based on the Kaufman and Hart comedy Once in a Lifetime, and he was really charming. It's too bad the piece didn't go on to Broadway.
For those of us who don't live in New York and will never have the chance to brunch with him, I wish that he would write a book. I would devour that thing.
"A coherent existance after so many years of muddle" - Desiree' Armfelt, A Little Night Music
"Life keeps happening everyday, Say Yes" - 70, Girls, 70
"Life is what you do while you're waiting to die" - Zorba
And just to be clear: He danced in the original productions of West Side Story, Gypsy, Follies and Hello Dolly. He danced on Judy Garland's television show and in the Mary Poppins movie. He was in the TV movies of Dames at Sea and Applause.
He was in the original Anyone Can Whistle.
He danced for Jerry Robbins, Gower Champion, Bob Fosse and Michael Bennett.
Traveled to Ann Arbor when Harvey and his three former colleagues (Kurt Peterson, Virginia Sandifur, Marti Rolph) did a concert version of FOLLIES in 2003, playing the older counterparts of the younger roles they had played (along with Donna McKechnie, a knockout as Carlotta). Sent flowers, a card and the original opening night program of FOLLIES backstage. Harvey came bounding out after the show, looking for me, telling me his colleagues were very eager to meet me, and were amazed that we had come all the way from New York to see them. It was an amazing event, and Harvey was as warm and wonderful as everyone has said.
This man needs to wriite a book or at least someone somehow get every interview he has ever done transcripted in book form. i feel so fortunate to have seen him in the original production of Follies. Now I see he was in Experiment in Terror! Who knew.? This and all his other credits - talk about an impressive and range of a career. Boy, what show biz memories he must have!! And universally considered such a great guy. God bless him.