Maine State Music Theatre Bids Farewell To Its Original Costume Designer

Theoni V. Aldredge, the designer of the fabulously feathered transvestites in the original stage version of "La Cage aux Folles" and Little Orphan Annie's red dress on Broadway, died Friday morning in Connecticut. She was 88.*

Ms. Aldredge was the original costume designer for Victoria Crandall and her fledgling company, Brunswick Summer Playhouse, now known as Maine State Music Theatre. This was no small feat, because unlike today where the theatre performs four mainstage shows, Victoria produced nine!

Considered one of the greatest costume designers of her era, Ms. Aldredge created the clothes for more than 300 stage and film productions, including "Gypsy," "A Chorus Line," "Dreamgirls" and "42nd Street." She won an Oscar in 1975 for "The Great Gatsby" with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, and three Tony awards for "Barnum," "Annie" and "La Cage." In 1984 it was nearly impossible to take in the Broadway season without seeing one of Ms. Aldredge's deliciously innovative costumes: five concurrently running shows (including "La Cage") put 1,000 of her creations on stage at the same time.*

* Excerpts from Patricia Cohen, New York Times