Hartt Faculty Member and Broadway Veteran Kevin Gray Dies

Kevin Gray

Kevin Gray, associate professor of theatre in The Hartt School and a renowned Broadway performer, died suddenly on Monday night. He was 55.

Gray, who joined the Hartt faculty in 2011, appeared in more than 8,500 Broadway and national tour performances, and acted in or directed more than 150 productions. Among his many high-profile roles, Gray starred in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and on the U.S. national tour; starred in the national tour of Disney's The Lion King; and starred on Broadway in The King and I, Jesus Christ Superstar, Showboat, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and countless other productions.

Read an article about Gray’s death on BroadwayWorld.com.

At The Hartt School, Gray taught in the Theatre Division and directed such Hartt productions as A View from the Bridge and Miss Saigon. He also performed in the Hartt Collage Concert and the Hartt Gala.

This morning (Tuesday, Feb. 12), Hartt School Dean Aaron Flagg met with faculty, staff, and students in the Hartt Theatre Division to inform them of Gray’s passing.

In an email to the Hartt community, Flagg said that Gray “was an incredibly vibrant member of our community, who was passionate about his work with students and excited to be a part of The Hartt School and the University of Hartford.

“As a community of performing artists, we will have discussions about a future opportunity to express our collective appreciation for Professor Gray's life and work,” Flagg wrote. “For now, please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers and comfort each other. Professor Gray's wife was clear in communicating how much he cherished everyone at Hartt and how thrilled he was to be passing his life's passion on to his students. Kevin will be sorely missed.”

Information about funeral arrangements will be shared with the University community as it becomes available.

Support for students is available through the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services (860-768-4482, GSU 313). Support for faculty and staff is available through the University’s Employee Assistance Program, offered through the Lexington Group, Inc., at 800-676-HELP (4357).