Choreographer, dancer and actor Charles Augins, 81, died on July 19. Born in the US, most of his work was done in England: he choreographed and/or directed West End productions of Five Guys Named Moe (for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer in 1991—am I the only one who is not impressed with Laurence Olivier?), This Is My Dream, Kiss Me Kate, and Twelfth Night. He also directed and choreographed the Broadway production of Five Guys Named Moe, as well as Treemonisha, Guys and Dolls, and the 1977 flop Let My People Come. Augins also acted, in The Tall Guy, Revenge of the Pink Panther (Blake Edwards—another fellow I just don’t get), Blake’s 7, Labyrinth, Billy’s Christmas Angels, and the sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf (for which he also choreographed two numbers). Director Courtney Baker Oliver posted, “He was the first person to support my work as a director and always encouraged me to dream bigger and say yes to every opportunity my gifts made room for. Charles connected me with his friends all over the world, always took my calls and was a sounding board in some of my most challenging moments.”
