Summary
Frances Elaine Newman (December 30, 1941 – August 27, 2023), known professionally as Franne Lee, was an American costume and production designer for stage, television, and film.[1] She won multiple Tony Awards and Drama Desk Awards.
Franne Lee | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frances Elaine Newman[1] December 30, 1941 The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 27, 2023 (aged 81) Atlantis, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Costume and production designer |
| Notable work | Saturday Night Live |
| Partner | Eugene Lee (1970s) |
Lee and her partner, set designer Eugene Lee, had a daughter, Stacy.[2] Franne and Eugene did some of their most high-profile work in the 1970s, during their personal relationship. The two collaborated with him on productions including an acclaimed Candide, directed by Harold Prince at the Chelsea Theater Center in Brooklyn in 1973. It moved to Broadway the next year and ran there for 740 performances. The Lees later worked together and both won Tony Awards, for Scenic Design and Costume Design, respectively, for the 1979 musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, starring Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou, and also produced by Prince.[1] On television, Franne was the original Saturday Night Live costume designer, who designed for such characters as the Coneheads, the Killer Bees, and Roseanne Roseannadanna.[1]
Franne Lee died in Atlantis, Florida on August 27, 2023, at the age of 81. Eugene Lee died earlier that same year.[1][3][4]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "Franne Lee, Tony Winner Who Also Costumed Coneheads, Dies at 81". The New York Times. September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (February 10, 2023). "Eugene Lee, Set Designer for Broadway and 'S.N.L.', Dies at 83". New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ "Franne Lee Dies: Broadway And 'SNL' Costume Designer Who Created Looks Of Coneheads, Blues Brothers & Roseanne Roseannadanna Was 81". Deadline. September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ "Franne Lee, who designed costumes for 'SNL' and 'Sweeney Todd,' dies at 81". NPR. September 6, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
External links edit
- Franne Lee at the Internet Broadway Database
- Franne Lee at IMDb
- Franne Lee papers and designs, 1969-1997, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
