A dress inspired by the Duchess of Sussex is featured the new Tony Award-nominated musical “Tootsie.”
Meghan Markle has been inspiring people across the world with her keen sense of fashion. Now, her exceptional style is hitting the Broadway stage.
A dress inspired by the Duchess of Sussex is featured the new Tony Award-nominated musical “Tootsie," based on the 1982 film starring Dustin Hoffman.
Actor Santino Fontana plays Hoffman’s iconic role of Michael Dorsey. His character dresses as woman named Dorothy Michaels in order con a director into letting him star in a Broadway show.
One of his costumes is a dress that channels Meghan’s style. It’s based on a navy Roland Mouret dress she wore to her rehearsal dinner the night before her wedding to Prince Harry.
“I had a dream one night,” six-time Tony Award-winning costume designer William Ivey Long told InsideEdition.com of how the dress made it into the show.
While the movie takes place in 1982, this musical interpretation takes place in present day. The royal wedding had just happened and Long was brainstorming ideas for what Dorothy would wear. “Early on [Fontana's character of] Michael Dorsey decided the perfect look was to channel all things Meghan Markle.”
Long added that Markle is someone to idolize. “[She is] the lady of the moment a strong woman who has a sense of self,” he said.
It’s not the only dress of note in the show. Remember the iconic red sequined gown Hoffman wore in the film? Long designed a similar dress in homage. “It is made out red sequins, but therein lie the only similarities between this and the film,” he said.
Not only is he Tony nominated for his costume designs in “Tootsie,” but he's also nominated for another musical based on a 1980s film — “Beetlejuice.” That makes “Beetlejuice” his 75th Broadway show or as Long called it, his “diamond jubilee.” And yes, in case you were wondering, he did work on both shows at the same time.
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