Reed Jones (June 30, 1953 – June 19, 1989) was a dancer and choreographer whose credits included Skimbleshanks in the original cast of Cats and Big Deal in the Jerome Robbins revival of West Side Story.
Early life
Jones was born in Portland, Oregon.
Performances
Originally cast as an understudy, Jones originated the role of Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat in the original Broadway company of "Cats".[1] He replaced originally cast member Willie Rosario in the pre-opening rehearsal period, after Rosario suffered a prolonged knee injury. Other Broadway credits included Peter Pan (1979 revival, dance captain), West Side Story (1980 revival), America (1981), Play Me a Country Song (1982, dance captain),[2] A Chorus Line (1983),[3] You Can't Take it With You (1983, choreographer),[2] As Is (1985), The Loves of Anatol (1985).[4] He also toured as a dancer with Sandy Duncan in 1979.[5][6]
On screen, Jones appeared in an episode of Live from Lincoln Center (1979) and as a dancer in the film adaptation of A Chorus Line (1985). He was also credited as a choreographer in The Fan (1981), starring Lauren Bacall, and for musical staging when You Can't Take it WIth You was shown on Great Performances in 1984.
Death
Jones died due to AIDS-related illness on June 19, 1989, eleven days before his thirty-sixth birthday, in Sherman Oaks, California.
References
- ^ Brantley, Ben (2001-11-14). The New York Times Book of Broadway: On the Aisle for the Unforgettable Plays of the Last Century. Macmillan. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-312-28411-4.
- ^ a b Dietz, Dan (2016-02-18). The Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 141–142, 451. ISBN 978-1-4422-6092-4.
- ^ Stevens, Gary (1995). The Longest Line: Broadway's Most Singular Sensation, A Chorus Line. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 233. ISBN 978-1-55783-221-4.
- ^ Wallach, Allan (1985-03-07). "A romantic comedy set in old Vienna". Newsday (Nassau Edition). p. 190. Retrieved 2024-02-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Barker, Gerry (1979-04-18). "Sandy Duncan a delightful act". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 46. Retrieved 2024-02-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Price, Hardy (1979-03-03). "Duncan rated G (for great)". Arizona Republic. p. 104. Retrieved 2024-02-25 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Reed Jones at IMDb
- Reed Jones at the Internet Broadway Database
- Martha Swope, "Reed Jones in a scene from the Broadway musical Cats" (photograph), in the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library