Theoni Aldredge: B'way to dim lights in memory

The Broadway community mourns the loss of costume designer Theoni Aldredge who died yesterday at age 88. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in her memory on 25 Jan 2011 at exactly 7:00pm for one minute.

Aldredge won Tony Awards for Best Costume Design for the original Broadway productions of 'Annie,' 'Barnum' and 'La Cage aux Folles.' She was Tony-nominated 15 times, and created memorable costumes for over 100 shows including the musicals 'A Chorus Line,' 'Dreamgirls,' '42nd Street' and 'Gypsy.'

Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League, commented, "Nominated for 15 Tony Awards, Theoni Aldredge created iconic costumes that are associated with shows and pop culture spanning the last five decades. I have a photo hanging in my office of 'A Chorus Line' featuring her costumes that inspires me every day."

Aldredge's first Broadway assignment was designing costumes for Geraldine Page in Tennessee Williams' 'Sweet Bird of Youth' in 1959; her most recent was the 2006 revival of 'A Chorus Line.'

The prolific designer created costumes for over 300 stage and film projects, and won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Costume Design for 'The Great Gatsby,' as well at the British Academy Award.

Aldredge is survived by actor Tom Aldredge. She was born in Athens, Greece, and died in Stamford, Connecticut.