TDF Gives Sharaff Awards
Costumes designers José Varona, who is internationally renowned in the worlds of opera and ballet, and the late Ruth Morley, known for her Broadway and film designs, were among the honorees at Theatre Development Fund's Irene Sharaff Awards given for "outstanding achievement in theatrical costume design," at a reception last week the Marriott Marquis Hotel.
Varona, an international costume designer most identified with opera and dance productions, received the 2003 recipient of the lifetime achievement award.
Among Varona's roster of credits: designing costumes for Beverly Sills, Joan Sutherland, and Placido Domingo. He has collaborated with Joseph Papp, Alan Jay Lerner, George Balanchine, Margot Fonteyn, and Rudolf Nureyev. And then there are the myriad companies for whom he has designed costumes, including the New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Berlin Opera Ballet, Zurich Opera Ballet, Hamburg Opera, New York City Opera, Paris Opera, Netherlands Opera, and the Australian Opera Company.
Morley, who died in 1991, was perhaps best known for her "Annie Hall" costume designs, which launched an international fashion trend. She earned an Academy Award nomination for her costume designs for the film "The Miracle Worker" (1962). In addition to her many movie credits, she designed costumes for 35 Broadway shows, including such hits as "Wait Until Dark" (1966), "Deathtrap" (1978), and "Death of a Salesman" (the 1984 revival).
Other recipients of the TDF/Irene Sharaff awards are: Anita Yavich (Young Master Award) and Maria Brizzi/Grace Costumes (Artisan Award).
Free Library Panel Discusses 'Millie' Album
"Only in New York: Recording 'Thoroughly Modern Millie,' " a panel discussion on the making of the "Thoroughly Modern Millie" cast album, will take place on Sat., April 5 at 3 pm at the Library of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, in the Bruno Walter Auditorium, 111 Amsterdam Ave. (south of 65th Street).
The panelists will include author Dick Scanlan, composer Jeanine Tesori, A&R executive Bill Rosenfeld, and producer Mike Isaacson. The panel will be moderated by Kevin Winkler, chief librarian of circulating collections at the Library for the Performing Arts and curator of the library's Original Cast Recordings exhibition.
The event is free and open to the public. For more info, visit www.nypl.org or call (212) 642-0142.