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 shortly after leaving the Columbia home he shares with his mother on the morning of Oct. 3, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
He was reported missing the following day by his family, who grew concerned when they didn’t hear from him for a full 24 hours. They told authorities the lack of communication was “out of character,” according to the statement.
His family told “Good Morning America” on Saturday they were contacted by a friend of Williams from New York City after she received an SOS alert from the dancer’s phone, indicating a car crash occurred the same day he disappeared.
Authorities later located his vehicle near Congaree National Park, abandoned along the Palmetto Trail — a 500-mile stretch that runs across the state — though they didn’t find any evidence of a crash.
In the days since his disappearance, the Broadway and dance community have rallied together online. Movie and theater star Hugh Jackman called on anyone with information about Williams’ whereabouts to connect with law enforcement.
“Zelig, we love you and are praying for your safe return,” Jackman wrote on his Instagram Story earlier in the week. “Please pass this message on!!!”
Williams performed in Jackman’s 2019 concert tour, “The Man. The Music. The Show.”
Williams more recently danced in the jukebox musical “MJ the Musical,” based on the life of Michael Jackson. He appeared in “Hamilton” back in 2017.
Prior to his disappearance, he’d relocated from NYC to his hometown of Columbia, where he’d been teaching dance classes.
“He was always someone who wanted to give back and he wanted to give back what he learned here in New York City,” 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 said Williams has 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’d reportedly left home without his prescription medication, according to Columbia’s Fox 57.
