3x Tony winning designer Franne Lee has died

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/1/23 at 6:36pm

She designed costumes and/or scenery for SWEENEY TODD, CANDIDE, DUDE, THE MOONY SHAPIRO SONGBOOK, CAMELOT, Rock 'N Roll! The First 5,000 Years, and more, often in collaboration with her ex-husband*, Eugene Lee. She won a Tony Award for her costumes of SWEENEY, and Tonys for both Scenic & Costume Design for CANDIDE.

She, like Eugene, also designed for Saturday Night Live, creating the looks for Blue's Brothers, Coneheads, and Lorne Michaels himself.

*Nice obit in the Times, which also notes that the Lees might not have been legally married! "The two became a couple and Franne adopted Mr. Lee’s name, though the nature of their relationship remained hazy; Patrick Lynch, a longtime aide to Mr. Lee, said the two were never formally married. (Mr. Lee died in February.) In any case, their personal and professional partnership continued until 1980, the year Ms. Lee left “Saturday Night Live.”"

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 9/2/23 at 3:12pm

I recently watched that documentary on the original London production of Sweeney and was really blown away by the costumes and makeup. For some reason the unusual beauty of her designs never struck me in the Lansbury-Hearn recording, but now it's all I can see! Brilliant and imaginative work. RIP.