Freddy Wittop
Freddy Wittop | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frederick Wittop Koning 26 July 1911 Bussum, Netherlands |
| Died | 2 February 2001 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | US, Netherlands |
| Occupation(s) | Costume designer, educator, dancer |
| Years active | 1931-1973 |
| Known for | Tony Awards for Best Costumes (1964)- Hello Dolly! Drama Desk Awards - Outstanding Costume Design (1970) - A Patriot For Me |
| Notable work | Costumes for Hello Dolly! (1964), A Patriot For Me (1970), production costumes for Lucille Ball, George Abbott, and Josephine Baker |
Freddy Wittop (July 26, 1911 – February 2, 2001) was a
.Born Frederick Wittop Koning in
In 1942, Wittop designed costumes for the Ice Capades, George Abbott's Broadway musical Beat the Band, and Lucille Ball for her film melodrama The Big Street. Soon after this, Wittop joined the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II and served overseas for three and a half years. His service awarded him American citizenship.
Once Wittop returned to America after the war, he had a stint dressing show girls and dancers at the Latin Quarter (nightclub) in New York City. He then formed his own dance company in 1951 and for the next seven years toured the US and Europe. He returned to theatre design at the behest of director Harold Clurman, who saw his show and asked him to design his 1959 Broadway production of George Bernard Shaw's Heartbreak House. He actively worked in New York for the next fourteen years.
In 1973, Wittop retired to Ibiza, where he remained for eleven years before returning to New York to work on two more projects before settling in Tequesta, Florida. He frequently traveled to Athens, Georgia, where he held a position as adjunct professor in the school of drama at the University of Georgia.[1][2]
Wittop died at age 89 at the JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Florida, on February 2, 2001,[1] shortly after being chosen as the 2001 recipient of the Theatre Development Fund's Irene Sharaff Award for "lifetime achievement in theatrical costume design."[2]
His original sketches have been showcased in museums and sold in
Productions
Source:[3]
- Carnival! (1961)
- Subways Are For Sleeping(1961)
- Hello, Dolly! (1964)
- Bajour(1964)
- Kelly (1965)
- The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd(1965)
- On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965)
- I Do! I Do!(1966)
- Breakfast at Tiffany's (1966)
- The Happy Time (1968)
- George M! (1968)
- Dear World (1969)
- A Patriot for Me (1969)
- Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen (1970)
- The Three Musketeers (1984)
- Wind in the Willows (1985)
Awards and nominations
Source:[3]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Tony Award
|
Best Costume Design | Hello Dolly!
|
Won |
| 1965 | The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd | Nominated | ||
| 1967 | I Do ! I Do! | Nominated | ||
| 1968 | The Happy Time | Nominated | ||
| 1970 | A Patriot for Me | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Costume Design | Won | ||
| 1971 | Tony Award
|
Best Costume Design | Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b c "Freddy Wittop; Designer of Costumes for Stage Musicals" Los Angeles Times, February 15, 2001
- ^ a b Jones, Kenneth. "Freddy Wittop, Designer Who Created Dolly's 'Sunday Clothes,' Dead at 89" Playbill, February 13, 2001
- ^ a b "Wittop Broadway" Playbill, retrieved January 16, 2018
External links
- Freddy Wittop at the Internet Broadway Database
- Freddy Wittop at IMDb
- Freddy Wittop costume designs, 1964-1968, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
- Freddy Wittop papers, 1927-2005, held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia
- W.H. Crain Costume and Scene Design Collection at the Harry Ransom Center
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