Esoldi to Sell Unique Autograph Suit on eBay, 8/18

After a career on Broadway and at Radio City Music Hall, New Jersey wardrobe & hair professional Vince Esoldi is retiring along with his unique Autograph Suit with over 300 famous signatures.  Where else would you find Paul Newman and JoAnne Woodward sitting next to Debbie Reynolds and Johnny Cash? The answer is...on the incredible Autograph Suit with over 300 famous signatures that have been collected over the last 35 years by Vincent Esoldi who is now retiring from a career on Broadway.

Esoldi, a lifelong resident of New Jersey, worked as a hairdresser and wardrobe professional on Broadway and at Radio City MusicAl Hall for most of his career.  He's officially beginning his first year of retirement and he is seeking to retire his Autograph Suit with over 300 famous signatures which was first signed by Ethel Merman 35 years ago at a party at Sardi's Restaurant.  The suit is going on sale on eBay beginning Wednesday, August 18th. 

The signatures include: Frank Sinatra, Henry Fonda, Bette Midler, Cher, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Paul Newman, JoAnne Woodward, Lena Horne, ElizaBeth Taylor, Lilly Tomlin, Gloria Vanderbilt, Barbara Walters, Andy Warhol, Robin Williams, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Reeve, Mary Tyler Moore, Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Jimmy Stewart, Alec Baldwin, Bernadette Peters, Walter Cronkite and most recently President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Daniel Radcliffe "Harry Potter" and Hugh Jackman. 

The Smithsonian has expressed interest in the suit which Curator Dwight Bowers has described as "...a fabric equivalent to the walls of Sardi's or the Hollywood walk of fame!"

Esoldi is seeking a buyer for the suit who he hopes will either put the suit on display in a prominent theatre museum or donate it to the Smithsonian.

Upon the sale of the suit, 20 percent of the proceeds will be donated to The Lillian Booth Actors Home of The Actors Fund, located in Englewood, New Jersey. Esoldi will be making the donation in memory of his friend and colleague Peter Howard, musical director, composer, and musician.

Howard's Broadway credits included: My Fair Lady, The Sound Of Music, Carnival, Hello, Dolly!, 1776, Chicago, Annie, Barnum, Baby, My One and Only, Crazy For You and Swingin' on a Star. His film credits included: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Zelig, 1776, Mame, Annie, and Stepping Out.

Esoldi met Howard while working as a hairdresser on the Broadway musical Barnum. They worked together on a number of events over the years, including Liberty Week in New Jersey in the summer of 1986 which was a fundraiser for The Actors Fund. Esoldi was a producer of the program.

Howard passed away in April of 2008 at the age of 81. He had been a resident at the Lillian Booth Actors Home. Just prior to his death, Howard composed several songs for a musical that Esoldi wrote and produced called Udderly Gorgeous, a Moosical Musical.

The Lillian Booth Actors Home is a beautiful, state-of-the-art assisted living and skilled nursing care facility with 124 residents.  The Home's experienced professional staff is committed to providing quality health care and supportive services for everyone who has dedicated their professional lives to performing arts and entertainment, as well as their immediate family members.

The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that helps everyone - performers and those behind the scenes - who works in performing arts and entertainment, serving nearly 12,000 people annually. Programs include social services and emergency assistance, health care and insurance, housing, and employment and training services. For more information, visit  www.actorsfund.org.