Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

#1

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

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

#2

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

#3

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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.

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#4

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

Poor Tom. After 58 years

RIP <3

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#5

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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.

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#6

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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.

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Hey Dottie! Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany

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

#7

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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.

#8

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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.

#9

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

Oh how sad. Hard to say goodbye my love.

#10

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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).

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#11

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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.

#12

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

A staggering loss.

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#13

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

What was her most recent Broadway credit?

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Hey Dottie! Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany

#14

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

#15

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

Thanks, Morosco.

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Hey Dottie! Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany

#16

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

One of the all-time greats!

#17

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

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#18

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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.

#19

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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.

#20

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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.

#21

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

A great loss to the theater. RIP Theoni.

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"I never think of the classic musicals as old-fashioned; I think of them as timeless."--Kate Baldwin

#22

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

May she Rest in Peace.

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#23

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

Is there any sort of memorial planned?

#24

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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

The Playbill article says there will be none.

#25

Rest in Peace, Theoni Aldredge

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)

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