Desperate search underway for Broadway dancer missing in South Carolina
NEW YORK – A desperate search is underway for Zelig Williams, a former Broadway dancer who appeared in hits like “Hamilton” and “MJ the Musical,” after he was reported missing in South Carolina.
Williams, 28, was last seen driving in the vicinity of Congaree National Park the morning of Oct. 3, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. He left his home in Columbia, where he lives with his mother, just before 10 a.m. as he usually does – except this time he didn’t come back, his aunt told local Fox affiliate WACH.
Some 10 minutes later, Williams’ family was contacted by one of his friends in New York City, who told them she received an SOS alert from the dancer’s phone, indicating a car crash had occurred, his loved ones told “Good Morning America” on Saturday.
They reported Williams missing the next day, after going 24 hours without hearing from him. They told authorities the lack of communication was “out of character.”
A deputy out on patrol the afternoon of Oct. 4 located Williams’ vehicle in a parking lot at the Wateree Passage of the Palmetto Trail – a 500-mile stretch that runs across the state – but there was no sign of Williams. Police also noted the car appeared to be undamaged, and there was no evidence of any kind of accident.
In the days since his disappearance, Columbia residents have rallied together to help locate the missing dancer. Volunteers over the weekend joined authorities as they combed through the area around the Wateree Passage, a task that dragged well into the week, WISTV reported. They’ve also used boats to search the Congaree River, just 10 minutes away from the parking lot where Williams’ car was found.
Meanwhile, members of the Broadway and dance communities have taken to the internet to spread the word about Williams’ case, including movie and theater star Hugh Jackman. In a story shared to Instagram earlier this week, the “Wolverine” actor called on anyone who may have information about Williams’ whereabouts to contact law enforcement.
“Zelig, we love you and are praying for your safe return,” Jackman wrote. “Please pass this message on!!!”
Williams performed in Jackman’s 2019 concert tour, “The Man. The Music. The Show.” He more recently danced in the jukebox musical “MJ the Musical,” based on the life of Michael Jackson, and joined the cast of “Hamilton” back in 2016.
Williams’ disappearance comes just months after he relocated from NYC to his hometown of Columbia, where he’d been teaching dance classes.
“He was always someone who wanted to give back,” Mishay Petronelli, a teacher at the Broadway Dance Center, told ABC 7. “And that was so special that he was teaching classes and he’s giving back what he learned here in New York as a professional dancer.”
Police described Williams as 6-foot with short, black hair, a birthmark on his throat and skin pigmentation on his hands and legs. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, black shorts and brown slides.
He reportedly left home without his prescription medication, according to WACH.
Detectives have said his disappearance is being investigated as a missing persons case, with the potential of foul play.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help assist Williams’ family with any expenses that develop amid the ongoing search.