Thay Floyd, one of the original Broadway cast members of Waitress and A Christmas Story, has died. News of Mr. Floyd's death was confirmed by his teacher and close friend, Leonid Mazor.
A graduate of New York University, Mr. Floyd was a familiar face on the regional circuit, performing as Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees at the Ordway Theater, a Sebastian understudy in The Little Mermaid for Paper Mill Playhouse (a co-production with PCLO, KC Starlight, TUTS, Dallas Summer Musicals, and TOTS), and as Rum Tum Tugger in Cats for North Carolina Theatre.
On Broadway, Mr. Floyd understudied Eric Anderson as Cal in the original Broadway production of Waitress, where he became a fan-favorite ensemble member spotlighted during the song "When He Sees Me," as the color blind man.
Mr. Floyd was also an accomplished drag artist, performing under the name KoKo Aviance. This expertise occasionally came in handy during Mr. Floyd's onstage career, such as when he played the Acid Queen in The Who's Tommy at the Berkshire Theatre Festival to great acclaim. As a leading member of the House of Aviance, KoKo Aviance was nominated multiple times for GLAM Awards, including Breakthrough Artist and Best Dance Performer.
Information on a memorial and survivors is not yet public.
