Hinton Battle

Not asking this to be invasive, but –– is Hinton Battle still performing? Based on a cursory Google/YouTube search, it appears the last major thing he did was a 54 Below show about 8 years ago. He is such a talent, and won an impressive THREE Tonys in the span of a decade (Miss Saigon, Tap Dance Kid, Sophisticated Ladies). He also originated the role of Scarecrow in THE WIZ, and played Coalhouse in the Chicago production of RAGTIME in 1998-99, among many other credits from the 70s-90s.

It seems that he would be prime for an Andre De Shields-style comeback, should he want to do so. (And he's only 66.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9T2UHUdhDM

Updated On: 1/19/23 at 01:10 PM

The Distinctive Baritone said: "Since we are on the subject, what other notable Broadway actors from the past decade or two have left the business relatively early? We can play "Whatever happened to...""

Matt Cavanaugh (became a lawyer), Jere Shea, and Michael Maguire all come to mind as principal actors who left the biz.

Far more common for ensemble types (ranging from Amanda Kloots to lower-profile folks), especially in the COVID world. And with dancers, there is an unfortunate shelf life for many bodies, unless you happen to be lucky like Charlotte D'Amboise and others to dance into your 50s and beyond. And not that you're saying this, but I wouldn't consider teaching theatre/dance to be leaving the biz.

One semi-unrelated item of note: Colm Wilkinson - age 78 - has retired, per his public Facebook page.

Updated On: 1/19/23 at 02:41 PM

Broadway is a hustle and a grind and just because you had success with one for two shows doesn't mean you'll find longevity. It is indeed a numbers game. So many great talents who, unfortunately, make the call and decide to choose a different path. I hope they are all happy and practicing their craft in one way or another.

dwirth said: "I was lucky enough to see Mr Battle in Tap Dance Kid and Miss Saigon - and he is amazingly talented. But despite 3 Tonys seems to have been out of mainstream showbiz for years (he was a bit player in the movie Dreamgirls, I seem to recall...)"

His last three IMDb credits are an episode of Smash in 2012, Dreamgirls, and an absolutely iconic guest starring role in the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.