Bobby Banas, who played Jets member Joyboy in 1961's West Side Story, appeared in other movie musicals and had a long career as a choreographer, died Monday. He was 90.
West Side Story dancer and actor Bobby Banas dies at 90
His official Instagram account posted the news, but gave no further details. "Fly on, Joyboy," it read in part. "I know the dance party up here is going to be awesome."
Banas was born on September 22, 1933, in New York City and originated the role of Kangaroo in the original 1954 Broadway production of Peter Pan. He went on to dance roles in such film musicals as The King and I and Carousel and the early rock 'n' roll film Rock Around the Clock, all in 1956. Later that decade he worked on The Girl Most Likely, Damn Yankees, Li'l Abner and a TV production of Annie Get Your Gun.
His most famous role would come in the Oscar-winning musical West Side Story, in which he played the Jets' Joyboy. The character had few lines, but was part of big dance numbers, including "Cool" and "Gee, Officer Krupke," in which he sings, "The trouble is he drinks!" The film, directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, won 10 Academy Awards in 1962.
