They both hope that a new time of reckoning has arrived. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images He moved into the Chelsea Hotel to be near one of his idols, the couturier Charles James, who lived there and for whom Long worked, unpaid, until James died in 1978. In 2000 Long was chosen by the National Theatre Conference as its "Person of the Year" and was honored with the "Legend of Fashion" Award by the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003. The Longs moved to a house after their second son, Robert, was born. [6] In November 2021, National Public Radio published an article detailing accusations of sexual abuse and predatory behavior against Long. He pursued a PhD in art history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Not only was he inspired by the legendary David Bowie . Anyone can read what you share. ", Forget about avoiding intimacy -- he won't even share plumbing. (I will instead: he was an usher at Caroline Kennedy's wedding to Edwin Schlossberg, and the table was a gift from the bride's mother.). But he slid it into place, returned the Chippendale chairs to their usual station, side by side against the wall, and once he showed me out, closed the door softly, even tenderly, behind him. (2015) The Producers (2005), The Cutting Edge (1992) and Life with Mikey For his design work for the stage, he was recently nominated . "In no instance is it acceptable for someone in a position of authority to take advantage of someone younger, someone who's new to an industry," Watson says. They hugged as he congratulated her before leaving separately for the party at the Metropolitan Club. Designing for Murder on the Orient Express (2017), William Ivey Long - In Search of the Heat (2016), Broadway's William Ivey Long honored in Raleigh (2016), The Most Memorable Broadway Costumes of All Time (2016), The Broadway Professor: Dressing for the Tony Awards (2017), Iconic and Influential: Career Shaping Influences (2014), Broadway's Fairy Godfather: William Ivey Long (2013), He Dresses the Goddesses of Broadway (2002), William Ivey Long Keeps his Clothes On (2006), Carson Elrod Tips his hat to the stage costume king (2015), Christine Ebersole makes an Entrance fit for the Tonys (2017), The Tony Awards make a fashion statement (2016). he said. But Watson and another man named Michael Martin say that while they were under Long's tutelage working as college students at a summer production in North Carolina called The Lost Colony, a show with an outsize influence within the American theater community Long sexually abused them both. He has also won the Drama Desk Award for outstanding costume design for Hairspray, The Producers, Guys and Dolls, Lend Me a Tenor, and Nine. Martha Ella Crowell. 1886 . An aspiring Branson, Mo., it is to have live-performance theaters, movie theaters, restaurants, hotels and shops. Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur onstage in the musical Hairspray in 2008, with costumes by William Ivey Long. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? by Anonymous: reply 76: . He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame by Stroman, and from the breathless way Long talks about her, you would think he was a starstruck fan; they've done nine Broadway shows together, including the musical "Contact." "William Ivey Long's costumes hover between taste and travesty," he wrote. Along with her written statement to NPR, Zuchlewski provided copies of an undated letter that Martin sent to Long that Long believes was written in 1997, and another one from Martin seeking Long's professional advice, written a few years later. A Look Inside William Ivey Long's Studio. "He made long, lingering eye contact with me," Martin says. On reflection, I think I was basically being given a test run." We both laugh because neither of us believes in shrinks. Whatever I do, I want it to be serious.". I guess this is what a job is, that the boss gets to be a total creep. And in between guessing the correct answer and the morphine pump, she would say, 'Oh, I still hope you find some nice girl and settle down and have children, because children are the greatest happiness in anyone's life.' He says that at the time, Martin did not explain to him what was going on, but that several years ago, as the #MeToo movement began spurring public conversations about sexual misconduct and power dynamics in arts and entertainment, he learned of the alleged incidents between Long and Martin. [4][5] He was the first working theatre artist to hold this position since Helen Hayes. William Ivey Long in his . By Mr. LANKFORD (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mrs. Fischer . Long, 71, was born in Raleigh, N.C., in . Costume Design. Walter McBride/WireImage via Getty Images "That is totally true," he said. So? Revenue Thumbnails. His most notable work includes the Broadway shows The Producers, Hairspray, Nine, Crazy for You, Grey Gardens, Young Frankenstein, Cinderella and Bullets Over Broadway. "His pieces are so lively that they seem to have personalities on their own. The ground floor is a long rectangular loft that has been divided by curtains, half-walls, and boards covered with research photos (of weddings for It Shoulda Been You, a musical directed by David Hyde Pierce that's getting its world premiere at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, N.J., and for . "Run!" In a response filed with the court, RIHA denied most of Stewart's allegations but did admit that employees had complained about Long's "abusive behavior.". To enter the floating treehouse of Long's life, the tight camaraderie of his five-person staff, one of whom always travels with him, is a curious exercise. "You're telling me," she said, laughing, arms covered with goose pimples. . Zuchlewski also wrote to NPR: "Neither Martin nor Watson ever brought their complaints about Long to any local, state or federal human rights agency nor did they file a state or federal judicial action. William Ivey Long's income source is mostly from being a successful Costume Designer. Instead, both Martin and Watson choose to air their accusations against Long in the media where they cannot be challenged by any objective fact finder. But she was also very good at making me come to the realization that I was at the beginning of my career, and that if I sued The Lost Colony or brought a formal complaint against Mr. Long, that would follow me around for my career that I might be damaging myself way more than I could damage William.". Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur onstage in the musical Hairspray in 2008, with costumes by William Ivey Long. But both Watson and Martin say they had reason to doubt the seriousness of that endeavor. "It's the same old story. While at Yale he studied under designer Ming Cho Lee, whom he has credited with being a major influence on his work. On the night in question, which Watson says was on or around August 18, both men attended a party near Long's home. "He started doing it in front of other people, saying things like, 'I liked your work better yesterday, but then again yesterday you weren't wearing a shirt.' He was roommates with actress Sigourney Weaver at the Yale School of Drama. He hasn't stopped since. . . That's not a pass.". I wanted to go someplace where they could be critical and I could say: 'Too bad, I belong here. "Her opening line was 'Unto my people, greetings,"' her son said. William Ivey Long moves in rarified and powerful circles. The same man claimed that Long performed oral sex on him against his wishes, and that Long also tried to make him find 'young boys with whom Mr. Long could engage in homosexual activity. "Beauty is skin-deep," he likes to say. William is also well known as, Costume designer best known for his work on films like The Producers, Grey Gardens, and Young Frankenstein. He's responsible for the jazzy, slinky garments in the long-running revival of Chicago, the Weimar Republic seediness of the garb in the revivals of Cabaret, and the '50s Day-Glo pizzazz of the frocks in Hairspray. Even with the door closed, the sound of people on the stairs was loud and clear. But when it came to Grease: Live, you might say they moved like lightning. "I think to a certain extent that the world is William's significant other," he said. After Watson had consumed several drinks, he says, Long invited him over to get a copy of Weber's book. A friend of his from Yale, Karen Schulz, who was the set designer for a Broadway revival of Nikolai Gogol's The Inspector General, suggested that Long be hired to do costume designs for the show. Legendary costume designer and six-time Tony Award winner William Ivey Long has been accused of sexual harassment and abuse by two different men, according to an explosive new report by NPR . Opened August 24, 2017. (When called to corroborate Martin's story, this person, who has asked to remain anonymous for fears for his professional reputation, told NPR that Long also came on to him several times that summer, sidling up to him and putting his hand on the young man's knee as well as making promises to make introductions for him in the arts world. Long was raised in a theatrical family. He works on and off Broadway, in film, television, dance, and opera. Because when you turn jobs down, it's the worst. Headquarters. Although the fashion line he tried to establish in 2003 failed, he continues to design for private clients, including Halle Berry, who wore one of his gowns to the 2002 Screen Actors Guild awards. He first greeted Stroman's extended family, then Neil Simon, whose last four plays Long has designed costumes for, then producers of the show and of the movie "The Producers." Can you not handle the workload? But Andr Bishop, the artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater, which produced "The Frogs" and a number of other Long-designed shows, said: "Most great designers I know are expensive. "I always want to redo something," he said. It's an addiction. He wants you to work in props he's seen a talent in you and wants to foster it.' Biography. But he's not that old, so you never know. In the recent Lincoln Center production of Stephen Sondheim's "Frogs," for instance, Long gave the chorus girls in Hell headdresses that flamed up like cigarette lighters. ", Martin says that for him and his peers, working at The Lost Colony "was like an ongoing audition to work with William Ivey Long in New York" and that for a lot of college and grad student-aged workers, "it really felt like this was their first foot in the door. ", By the time Long graduated from Yale in 1975, he had been in college and graduate school for 10 years and had no idea how to look for a job. So no matter what city they are in, his houses feel vaguely the same. With the boss out of commission all morning, the staff was growing frantic. Most of the time, directing a play includes all of the following except. "I often say my parents left the farm to join the circus.". "Oh, goddess!" A current Diana cast member told NPR that multiple Diana performers approached the show's production team with concerns about Long last summer. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, and has been referred to as "one of theater's most sought-after costume designers on both coasts." [1] Long has friendships with scores of celebrities and prides himself on never mentioning their names in print. Mear would stay with me. Reinterpreting Tim Burton 's adaptation of . NPR's report also includes excerpts from a 2002 lawsuit that detail further allegations against Long and how his employer at the time responded to complaints that were . She did not want to be named because she works in the theater industry. He left UNC and went to the Yale School of Drama to study set design. This exhibition, organized by The Mint Museum, explores Long's most recent work, from 2007 to today. Additionally, Stewart said, her own husband at the time was sexually propositioned by one of Long's assistants, with the intention of having Long watch. Long, who saves his flights of fancy for his actors and their characters, has worn the same outfit for some 30 years now: navy blazer, white shirt, striped tie, khakis, black lace-up shoes. (That's family the Southern way; every June, Long gives a Long family party, and 600 people attend.) His costume designs will continue to be used . In a lengthy statement to NPR prepared by his lawyer, Pearl Zuchlewski, Long "emphatically denies" both Martin's and Watson's allegations. Whenever a cousin doesn't want something, Long drives a truck down to rescue it. It is anchored by a drafting table of 18th-century American pine that he will only say was "given by a dear friend." "By having this market here, we will be unique as a training facility.". judge and scorekeeper Carl Kasell. "You wear this dress in the opening scene when we don't know Roxie yet, so it makes sense to be covered up," Long told her. Nevertheless, William and the producers mutually agreed that he would step away from the production in order to address them in his own way.". ), On the most alarming occasion, Martin alleges, Long slid his hand down under Martin's clothes to his bare buttocks. Martin says that Long quickly deflected the conversation, and said something along the lines of "Did you tell me you were exhausted? Alex Witchel is a staff writer for the magazine. My God, did they work! he cried, turning her side to side from her hips. (He is a theater architect based in Chapel Hill.) "If I were wearing something people commented on, it would be distracting. William Ivey Long is an American costume designer for stage and film. Skip In 00 : 02 prev next. He is from USA. "And then you would put body paint on and become a 'Native American,' attack the English settlement, get shot by a fake arrow, and then wash your paint off and come back as a colonist later on. "But getting rid of a cancer can only help theater thrive," he says firmly. William Ivey Long is a famous American costume designer. William Ivey Long is an iconic presence on Broadway, designing costumes for shows such as Diana: The Musical and Chicago. I think that's why in the South, you hold onto things. "Those accusations [in the lawsuit] included forcing one young man to have sex with another man at Long's direction, while an RIHA board member watched. Showing all 7 items. I think it's encouraging to have their things around. "And as more time went by, I realized that what had transpired [between us] wasn't right." In conversation earlier that summer, Long had mentioned to Watson that he had been photographed for a new book by fashion photographer Bruce Weber and that he had several copies of the book. Spouse. The company successfully lobbied to remove costume designer William Ivey Long, who has previously faced sexual harassment allegations, from continuing to work on the show, though his designs will . Five-time Tony award-winner William Ivey Long is such a successful costume designer that to list the productions in which he has been involved would read like some kind of history of Broadway over the past 30 years. Long . "What it really is, is ordinary," Long said during the 90-minute drive to Seaboard from Raleigh. "That's why the projects keep expanding. A previous version of this story suggested that both Michael Martin and Court Watson were at The Lost Colony from 1996 to 2002. It's true that neither man went to the authorities or filed suit against Long. In response, Martin says, "It was the late 1990s. "Let other people keep them in the bathroom," he said. "Let's go look in that fancy room." William Ivey Long, Tootsie. The worst episode, Watson alleges, came the next season in mid-August 2002. Court Watson and William Ivey Long at The Lost Colony, in a photo that Watson believes was taken in 2001 or 2002. ", Ute Lemper performs a scene from "Chicago" in 1997, with costumes by William Ivey Long. What did he think? O.K. s more recent work, on display through June 3, 2018. In response, RIHA's Bradley told NPR: "That statement is not accurate.". (As of July 2021, the union revised its rules to extend that period to 365 days for allegations involving harassment, discrimination and bullying, Local USA 829 told NPR.). William Ivey Long, Beetlejuice. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results William Ivey Long (1911 - 1998) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. But then at night, you'd go to parties where people were drinking, and they would regale each other with war stories about what a creep he was. William Ivey Long. Not that this seared itself into my soul or anything. William Ivey Long's collection reflects his talent for creating whole worlds out of the details, the little pieces that bring stories to life in our imaginations. William Ivey Long is a six time Tony Award winning costume designer. His most notable work. But for Watson, that conversation, as he remembers it, points to the culture of The Lost Colony. Court Watson recalls hearing once that William Ivey Long was "a tornado made of chiffon." That's what friends are for. Months later, Bradley told Martin that Long had resigned, and that there was a new creative team in place. false. (William Ivey Long (1947830-) . Court Watson joined The Lost Colony at age 19 in the summer of 2000. We were determined to do the right thing about these allegations.". "The Roxies we've had never even had a suntan. Until the director shows me what way we're going, I don't need to start thinking, which is one of the hardest things, because how can you not start seeing the production as you're reading it? During that time he befriended Betty Smith, the author of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," who had come South to teach playwriting. Meanwhile, Long's star continued to rise. William Ivey Long's studio in New York City. 'Billy, calm down and be someone else' is what they were trying to say. Court Watson and William Ivey Long at The Lost Colony, in a photo that Watson believes was taken in 2001 or 2002. As part of a written statement, Bradley said that the current leadership learned of the allegations against Long in the summer of 2020 and immediately began an investigation. The invitation bore a quote from the critic John Simon's review of "The Lady and the Clarinet," an Off Broadway play from 1983. Now two men have accused the former Tony Awards chairman of sexual abuse. [2] This marked Long's first Broadway production; he has since designed for over 60 Broadway shows. "Hopefully there's not a previous production or a movie, a previously owned vehicle, as I say, because I don't need to know that someone was wearing the red dress. The essay did not include Long's name or identifying details in either publication, and Watson pixelated Long's face out of pictures of the two together. "This is a recent . "I hadn't submitted a portfolio of design work," he says. That's one of the reasons I use his name. The suit also said that Long took "sexually revealing and inappropriate photographs" of RIHA employees for a Men of The Lost Colony calendar he was putting together, as well as other nude photographs of RIHA employees. That's why I think 'dilettante' is the word I fear most. You could say there's something lost about William Ivey Long. They filled the ground floor of his 1864 brownstone, and at the very back, he sat in the room he calls his sanctum. Watson adds that what he wrote six years ago is still true: he learned a ton from Long teachings that he still incorporates into his own work but that didn't mean that Long hadn't also taken sexual advantage of him. "He was a sensitive soul stuck in his time and place. "It was like a circus family," he said. ", Michael Martin loved how much action was involved with his actor-technician gig at The Lost Colony. Dodds, Richard. His most notable work includes the Broadway shows The Producers, Hairspray, Nine, Crazy for You, Grey Gardens, Young Frankenstein, Cinderella, Bullets Over Broadway and On the Twentieth Century. Includes all of the Lost Colony, in a photo that Watson believes was in! Join the circus. `` told Martin that Long had resigned, and that there was new... Turn jobs down, it would be distracting powerful circles ] he was a new time of reckoning arrived! 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