Bret Shuford
(© David Gordon)
Veteran Broadway performer Bret Hanna-Shuford has died at the age of 46. Hanna-Shuford was diagnosed in August with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and T-Cell Lymphoma, an immune disorder caused by the aggressive T-cell cancer.
Shuford made his Broadway debut in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. A lifelong Disney fan, he danced in the ensembles of Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid (understudying the roles of Flotsam and Prince Eric), as well as Wicked (understudying Dr. Dillamond and the Wizard), Amazing Grace, and Cirque du Solelil’s Paramour. He toured in Dreamgirls and South Pacific, and appeared in Actors’ Fund benefit concerts of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, A Wonderful Life, and On the Twentieth Century.
A Texas native, Shuford worked regionally at Theatre Under The Stars Houston, Paper Mill Playhouse, Asolo Rep, Alabama Shakespeare, and various other venues. He had roles on soap operas All My Children, Guiding Light, and As the World Turns, with additional screen work including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Martin Scorsese’s film The Wolf of Wall Street. He also sang with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and the Fort Worth Symphony
With husband Stephen Hanna, whom he met working on Broadway, Shuford co-ran the social media handle BroadwayHusbands, where the couple documented their experiences as LGBTQ parents. Hanna, their son Maverick, and Shuford’s mother survive him. To contribute to the family’s donation page, click here.
