RIP Charles Augins

I just saw this news, via r/RedDwarf.

Announcement by theatre producer/director Courtney Baker-Oliver:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMTyiuuPFTF/

Now an ancestor, Charles Augins, legendary choreographer, actor and vocalist was one of my most important mentors. He was the first person to support my work as a director and always encouraged me to dream bigger and say yes to every opportunity my gifts made room for.

To me he was friend, inspiration, and surrogate father all in one. His presence on the scene kept me connected to #MikeMalone (his best friend since they were teenagers) though Mike’s been gone for almost twenty years now. Charles connected me with his friends all over the world, always took my calls and was a sounding board in some of my most challenging moments.

While his passing from labor to reward is devastating in this moment, I can only imagine the production he, Mike, Kenneth, Lynda, Glenda, and Tony are staging in heaven. The script is on point, the choreography is epic, and the harmonies are tight—I’m quite sure.
I love you Charles—you knew that. I’m so grateful I had the privilege to be in your life for nearly thirty years. You were magic and you always will be.
#CharlesAugins September 17, 1943-July 19, 2025