Overview

Smart Blonde is a play with music by Willy Holtzman exploring the life and career of Academy Award-winning actor, comedian and singer Judy Holliday.

Framed around a recording session later in Holliday’s life, the play moves through memories of her rise from Greenwich Village’s nightclub scene to Broadway and Hollywood, tracing her relationships, creative collaborations and experiences navigating fame and the politics of the entertainment industry in the 1950s.

The New York premiere was presented Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters, starring Andréa Burns as Judy Holliday alongside Andrea Bianchi, Mark Lotito and Jonathan Spivey. Directed by Peter Flynn, the limited engagement ran from March 16 through April 13, 2019.

Contribution

Matthew Solomon served as Associate Costume Designer, working with Costume Designer Michael McDonald on the production’s period wardrobe.

The costume design supported a story moving across multiple decades of Judy Holliday’s life and career, from her early years performing in Greenwich Village through her success on Broadway and in Hollywood.

With a four-person company portraying Holliday and numerous figures from her life, the wardrobe helped establish shifts in period, setting and character while maintaining the intimacy and fluidity of the production’s memory-driven structure.

The design drew from mid-century American fashion and entertainment culture while supporting the rapid transitions required by a small ensemble playing multiple roles.

Production Details

Production: Smart Blonde

Production: New York Premiere / Off-Broadway

Venue: 59E59 Theaters, Theater B

Location: New York, New York

Performance Dates: March 16–April 13, 2019

Playwright: Willy Holtzman

Director: Peter Flynn

Producers: MBL Productions and Mary J. Davis, in association with Judith Manocherian LLC

Starring: Andréa Burns

Cast: Andrea Bianchi, Mark Lotito, Jonathan Spivey

Scenic Designer: Tony Ferrieri

Costume Designer: Michael McDonald

Associate Costume Designer: Matthew Solomon

Lighting Designer: Alan Edwards

Sound Designer: Joanna Lynne Staub