Florence Klotz

Kathrina E. “Florence” Klotz (October 28, 1920 – November 1, 2006) was a Tony Award-winning costume designer on Broadway and film.

Biography

Born Kathrina E. Klotz in Brooklyn, New York, Klotz graduated from Parsons School of Design, and went to work painting fabrics for Brooks Costumes. [cite news | author=Michael Portantiere | title=Florence Klotz, Tony Award Winning Costume Designer, Dies at 86 | url=http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/9391 | work=TheatreMania | date=2 November 2006 | accessdate=2008-05-09] [cite news | author=Andrew Gans; Robert Simonson | title=Florence Klotz, Tony-Winning Costume Designer, Dead at 86 | url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/103216.html | work=Playbill | date=2 November 2006 | accessdate=2008-05-09]

Klotz began her career in 1951 as an assistant to Irene Sharaff, who designed the costumes for Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's "The King and I".

She also worked with Jerome Robbins, designing costumes for "Madama Butterfly" for the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the film version of "A Little Night Music". She became friendly with actress Elizabeth Taylor on the set of this last venture, for which Klotz was nominated for an Academy Award — Taylor asked Klotz to design the lavender dress she wore for her wedding to Senator John Warner in 1976.

Other musicals she designed for included "City of Angels", "On the Twentieth Century", "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman" and "The Little Foxes".

Klotz died at her Manhattan home of cardiac arrest at age 86. She is survived by her niece, Suzanne DeMarco; her partner, producer and stage manager Ruth Mitchell. [cite news | author=Campbell Robertson | title=Florence Klotz, 86, Creator of Broadway Styles, Dies | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/03/obituaries/03klotz.html?ex=1163307600 | work=The New York Times | date=3 November 2006 | accessdate=2008-05-09]

Awards

All of the Tony Awards Klotz won were for musicals produced by Hal Prince with whom she had a long association.

*1995: "Show Boat"
*1993: "Kiss of the Spider Woman"
*1985: "Grind"
*1976: "Pacific Overtures"
*1973: "A Little Night Music"
*1972: "Follies"

She won five Drama Desk Awards, three L.A. Critic Circle Awards, and two Outer Critics Circle Awards. In 2002, she received the Patricia Zipprodt Award from the Fashion Institute of Technology; and in 2005, she won the Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award.

References

External links

*ibdb|25032
*imdb|0460108
* [http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/15912856.htm Florence Klotz obituary] in the San Jose Me

###@@@KEY@@@### s-ach|awsuccession box
title=Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design
years=1975-1976
for "Pacific Overtures"
before=Geoffrey Holder
for "The Wiz"
after=Theoni V. Aldredge
for "Annie"succession box
title=Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design
years=1977-1978
for "On the Twentieth Century"
before=Theoni V. Aldredge
for "Annie"
after=Patricia Zipprodt
for "King of Hearts"