Bob Avian, the Tony-winning dance legend who co-choreographed “A Chorus Line” with Michael Bennett and was a lead producer on “Dreamgirls,” has died.
He was 83.
Avian passed away Thursday at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after suffering cardiac arrest, spokesman Matt Polk said in a statement.
His death was not related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Born in New York City, Avian made his Broadway debut in the original stage production of “West Side Story” and later got a job in “Funny Girl,” where he danced each night with Barbara Streisand.
He met Bennett when they both performed on the international tour of “West Side Story,” and the two formed a decadeslong partnership, collaborating on hits including “Promises, Promises,” “Coco,” “Follies” and “Dreamgirls.”
Avian won his two Tony Awards for his work with Bennett on “A Chorus Line” and “Ballroom.”
After Bennett’s death in 1987, Avian went on to choreograph the London and Broadway debuts of “Miss Saigon” and the original West End and Broadway productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard,” for which he received his sixth Tony nomination.
His musical staging for “Martin Guerre” in London landed him a prestigious Oliver Award for best choreography.
His other credits include choreography for the 1993 off-Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Putting It Together,” starring Julie Andrews, which later moved to Broadway starring Carol Burnett.
Avian is survived by his husband Peter Pileski, sister Laura Nabedian and five nieces and nephews, Polk said.
