Mark Syers

Mark Hsu Syers (October 25, 1952 – May 15, 1983) was a Broadway actor whose career spanned the 1970s and into the early 1980s. Born in 1952, he attended Hopewell Valley Central High School before enrolling at the University of New Mexico, where he performed in The Fantasticks. He later transferred to Emerson College in Boston, graduating in 1974. Early stage work included a production of Godspell in Boston and a New York City appearance in Under Fire.

Syers made his first major Broadway impact with Pacific Overtures, in which he took on multiple roles: the Russian Admiral in "Please Hello," the Soothsayer in "Chrysanthemum Tea," the Thief in "Four Black Dragons," and the Warrior in "Someone in a Tree." His performance in the production was documented in the television program "Anatomy of a Song: Someone in a Tree," hosted by Frank Rich and featuring Stephen Sondheim, Gedde Watanabe, and James Dybas alongside Syers. His work in Pacific Overtures also resulted in a cast recording credit.

He went on to portray King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar and Magaldi in Evita, both Broadway productions. His voice appears on the cast recording of Evita as well. His Broadway career, which ran from 1972 to 1979, also included a credit in Godspell.

Syers died on May 15, 1983, at the age of 30, following a head-on automobile collision on a wet road in Pennington, New Jersey.