William Ivey Long's Designs Featured at Cameron Art Museum

Hairspray_Edna_sketch.JPG" vspace="10" width="200"/>Costume designer and four-time Tony award-winner, William Ivey Long, will be featured during an April 29-Oct. 14 exhibition celebrating his costume designs at Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, N.C.

Cameron Art Museum, the only accredited art museum in southeastern North Carolina, will showcase the first exhibition of Long's costume designs and sketches in an exhibition titled, "Between Taste and Travesty: Costume Designs by William Ivey Long.'

"The exhibition, which celebrates the creative genius of the North Carolina native, will encompass Cameron Art Museum's 12,000-square foot galleries. Costumes, sketches, film clips and accessories will be on display from shows such as The Producers, Hairspray, Nine, Crazy For You, and La Cage aux Folles.  Some of the renowned individual costumes will include the Pearl Girls from The Producers, the Lace Body Suit from Nine and the Yellow Dress from Contact," according to press notes. 

"Long has designed costumes for more than 50 Broadway productions, in addition to numerous ballets, operas and other theatrical venues. From sleek and chic in Chicago to outrageous in Stephen Sondheim's The Frogs – Long's work has received professional and popular acclaim. He was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2006 and was honored with the "Legend of Fashion' Award by the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003. Recently, Long's work was seen in Mel Brooks' and Susan Stroman's 2005 film version of The Producers, a production that required thousands of costumes."

The exhibition's title was inspired by New York Times critic John Simon's 1983 review of the off-Broadway play, "The Lady and the Clarinet,' in which he wrote, "William Ivey Long's costumes hover between taste and travesty."

The exhibition will open to the public with a reception on Sunday, April 29, 2007. An April 28 Gala will include a first preview of the exhibition, while also celebrating the fifth anniversary of the opening of Cameron Art Museum's 42,000-square foot facility. The museum is in the midst of a $20 million Endowment Campaign.

Picture 1) Long's sketch of Hairspray Edna Turnblad costumes; Picture 2) Contact Yellow Dress costume; 3) Pearl Girls from The Producers film

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