Tony-Winning Broadway Vet George S. Irving is Dead at 94

Broadway vet George S. Irving died on December 26. He was 94. Best known for his character roles on the Main Stem, he won a Tony in 1973 for Irene.

The son of Abraham and Rebecca Shelasky, Irving was born George Irving Shelasky in Springfield, Massachusetts on November 1, 1922. A boy soprano in his youth, Irving made his Broadway debut in the original 1943 production of Oklahoma!, before being drafted days later to serve in the second World War.

Along with the Tony for starring opposite Debbie Reynolds in Irene, Irving received a Tony nod for Sir John in 1987’s Me and My Girl. He has a massive 32 Broadway credits, including On Your Toes, The Pirates of Penzance, Once in a Lifetime, Can-Can and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

More recently, he appeared off-Broadway in 2008 in the acclaimed Enter Laughing; that same year he was also honored with the 17th Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre.

Married to Maria Karnilova from 1948 until her death in 2001, Irving is survived by their son, Alexander, daughter, Katherine and three grandchildren.