I remember Harry Haun, who did Broadway with Wit and Wonder

When indefatigable Broadway columnist Harry Haun joined the Observer’s roster in 2012, he was already a legend in arts journalism. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to work with many amazing writers who cover the rhythm of theater—Jesse Oxfeld, Rex Reed and the late John Heilpern among them—but no one was as passionately invested in both the art form and the storytelling around it as Harry, who died earlier this week at the age of 85 from heart complications.

Before adding his byline to our then-salmon-pink pages, Harry wrote for the LA Times, Broadway World, the New York Daily News (where he had a weekly column, “Ask Mr. Entertainment”), the New York Sun and, as a film buff as a Broadway devotee, Film Journal International. He also wrote two books that show his encyclopedic love of film: Movie Quote Booka collection of thousands of unforgettable lines from cinema, and The Cinematic Centurya day-by-day chronicle of movie history that captures a century of silver screen mining with wit and precision. But he was probably best known among the stage-beaters for his work at Playbill, where he wrote for 37 years, with columns including “On the Aisle” and “Theatregoer’s Notebook.”

Renowned in the industry and beyond for an unparalleled depth of knowledge, witty words and an absolute love of theatre, Harry wrote with a generosity that extended beyond the page. He approached the art form with precision but never modesty, and he had a deep appreciation for the people who bring plays and musicals to life—actors, directors, designers, producers, and broadcasters alike. A long-time member of both the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle, he was admired for his journalistic integrity and, by all accounts, was more collaborative than competitive, a rarity in the media world at times. “He fought for new voices,” wrote Suzanna Bowling in her obituary for Harry in the Times Square Chronicles. “He listened when others dismissed. He made room for the neglected, the neglected, and the beginners.”

During his tenure with the Observer, Harry contributed nearly 300 articles. His contributions to our theater mix include reviews, of course, but his conversations with the movers and shakers of New York’s marquee stages were arguably his most compelling work. His connections spanning more than five decades covering the theater with unmatched dedication and insight gave him insider access to everyone from Jessica Chastain and Harvey Fierstein to the late Broadway emcee Susan Schulman and the legendary Lynne Meadow. But in all his interviews, he spent very little time on the other side of the tape recorder. “A good journalist is someone who is curious and always tries to find answers to things,” he said in a rare interview. “Someone who tries to give someone a chance by showing their character.”

Harry’s dedication was officially recognized in 2024, when the Outer Critics Circle presented him with a Special Achievement Award, recognizing the breadth of his work and his lasting impact on the theater community. In recent years, despite life’s challenges, he continued to write features for the Observer and remained a regular, warmly greeted in theaters across the city—as always, watching, listening and taking notes.

Years ago, when Bowling interviewed Harry, he asked him to share his fondest memory of New York. “What I did, I liked,” he replied. “I’ve been to Broadway and Off-Broadway opening nights for 20 to 30 years. It’s like angel food cake… It’s the closest thing to heaven we have in New York. It’s as close to heaven as I’ll ever get.”

She is survived by her husband, Charles Nelson.