Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 1:32pm

A great lady of the theater...and a great lady.

Theoni V. Aldredge, Costume Designer for ‘Chorus Line,’ ‘Annie,’ Has Died

Updated On: 1/21/11 at 01:32 PM

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 1:38pm

I genuinely believe she influenced the fabric (no pun intended) of the American musical more than she'll ever get credit for. She will be missed, but her contributions and legacy will live on for a very long time.

Akiva
Updated On: 1/21/11 at 01:38 PM

[WOSQ]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 1:39pm

And in my opinion the designer of the single best costume I have ever seen anywhere.

Chita Rivera wore the same shirtwaist dress throughout almost all of The Rink. It was a drab print (blue?). But during the musical numbers there were hidden deep box pleats that just appeared with every turn and extension and this dress danced as much as the star. When each of Chita's songs ended the dress immediately fell back to its everyday look.

Phenomenal.

Good night Theoni. Love to Tom.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 1:44pm

Poor Tom. After 58 years

RIP <3

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 1:47pm

Her designs were incredible as evidenced in thousands of Broadway costumes. Her Dreamgirls costumes were brilliant, not to mention her work on the quick change for the Effie character.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 1:50pm

She designed the costumes for ABT's Themes and Variations which I saw on Tuesday evening in DC. The costumes for this piece were absolutely stunning.

Just a few of my favorite costumes of hers:

Annie - because it was my first Broadway show
Original "42nd Street" - the gowns in Dames.
Dreamgirls - the photoshoot
La Cages - the Saint Tropez scene

There will never be another like her.

Updated On: 1/21/11 at 01:50 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 1:54pm

If ever anyone deserved a posthumous lifetime achievement Tony it was Theoni Aldredge. A staggering body of work.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 1:56pm

Brilliant costume designer. Probably her most iconic designs were the finale costumes for ACL ... which Michael Bennett originally wanted in red. Thanks, Theoni, for your brilliance and making so many shows absolutely beautiful.

RIP.

[morosco]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 2:01pm

Oh how sad. Hard to say goodbye my love.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 2:12pm

Even her minor costumes for her minor shows were remarkable.

And she did so many major shows--if you add in the ones no one remembers, and the sum total of shows she designed must be in the thousands.

I believe there was one year in the mid-1980s when there were over 1,000 of her costumes being worn in one year on Broadway.

Her costumes were the single great thing about the movie of The Great Gatsby. The movie was pompous and overblown but her costumes created a trend and (did very nicely for Ralph Lauren as well).

[jv92]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 2:15pm

I had forgotten she did the costumes for The Great Gatsby. They were terrific, as were all of her costumes. She will be missed.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 2:17pm

A staggering loss.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 2:57pm

What was her most recent Broadway credit?

[morosco]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 3:04pm

The revival of FOLLIES in 2001. (Unless you want to count the recreations of her costumes for the more recent CHORUS LINE.)
Updated On: 1/21/11 at 03:04 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 3:28pm

Thanks, Morosco.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 3:39pm

One of the all-time greats!

[esparza 333]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 4:21pm

What an artist!! She made some of the most iconic costumes in broadway history. Rest in peace Miss. Aldredge

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 4:46pm

I am deeply saddened! An amazing woman and incredible body of work. Dreamgirls had to be my favorite show of hers.

[jv92]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 6:14pm

Going through Playbill's photo tribute, I had forgotten what wonderful work she had done on shows like The Rink. Not particularly flashy, but wonderful and real.

[PVDColleen]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 6:32pm

An amazingly talented woman. Her work will never be topped...in my opinion.

You will be missed, Theoni.

[fitzykatebaldwinfan]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 7:20pm

A great loss to the theater. RIP Theoni.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 7:32pm

May she Rest in Peace.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 8:38pm

Is there any sort of memorial planned?

[jv92]

Posted: 1/21/11 at 10:22pm

The Playbill article says there will be none.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 1/22/11 at 3:48am

It's still been one helluva ride.....








(with a nod to Ann Roth who designed costumes for Seesaw)

Updated On: 1/22/11 at 03:48 AM