Tony Walton Dead: Oscar- And Tony-Winning Designer Was 87

Tony Walton, one of the most prolific, honored and celebrated designers of sets and costumes on Broadway and in Hollywood, died yesterday, March 2, from complications of a stroke. He was 87.

His death was announced on Facebook by stepdaughter Bridget LeRoy, who wrote, “A fond and loving farewell to the most fabulous stepdad and human being in the world. Love you forever, Tony Walton. Have a great trip.”

A three-time Tony Award winner for set design (Guys and Dolls, 1992; The House of Blue Leaves, 1986; Pippin, 1973), Emmy winner (Death of a Salesman, 1986) and an Oscar winner for the art and set decoration of 1979’s All That Jazz, Walton was among the most prolific designers of his generation.

Among his 20 film credits are the 1964 Disney classic Mary Poppins, The Wiz, Murder on the Orient Express, Fahrenheit 451, The Boy Friend, All That Jazz, Death of a Salesman, The Glass Menagerie, Regarding Henry, and Deathtrap.

Broadway credits include Chicago, Grand Hotel, The Real Thing, The Will Rogers Follies, The House of Blue Leaves, Our Town, I’m Not Rappaport, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Uncle Vanya, Annie Get Your Gun, 1776, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, She Loves Me, Guys and Dolls, Anything Goes, Harold Pinter’s Moonlight and Ashes to Ashes. He was elected to the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1991.

He was the Production Designer for Madison Square Garden’s Christmas Carol for 10 years as well as for the 2003 revival of The Boy Friend, directed by his former wife Julie Andrews, for the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, New York, and for Goodspeed Opera House, followed by a national U.S. tour in 2005.

He collaborated with such directors as Bob Fosse, Sidney Lumet, Paul Newman, Mike Nichols, Ken Russell, Volker Schlöndorff and Francois Truffaut.

Tony Walton, Julie Andrews at the premiere of ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965). The couple were married from 1959-1967

Oscar-nominated for the costume designs of 1964’s Mary Poppins, 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express, and 1978’s The Wiz, Walton would also earn a remarkable 16 Tony Award nominations. In addition to his three wins, his Tony nominations include The Apple Tree, costume design, 1967; Chicago, scenic design, 1976; A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, scenic design, 1980; The Real Thing, scenic design, 1984; The Front Page, scenic design, 1987; Anything Goes, costume design, 1988; Lend Me a Tenor, scenic design, 1989; Grand Hotel, The Musical, scenic design, 1990; The Will Rogers Follies, scenic design, 1991; She Loves Me, scenic design, 1994; Steel Pier, scenic design, 1997; and Uncle Vanya, scenic design, 2000.

Born in Walton-on-Thames, England, on October 24, 1934, Walton followed his decades-long career in set and costume design with directing, leading productions of plays by Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Noel Coward and others for New York’s Irish Rep, San Diego’s Old Globe, Sarasota’s Asolo Rep, East Hampton’s John Drew Theatre, and the Bay Street Theatre.

He both directed and designed the hit revival of Where’s Charley? for the Goodspeed Opera House. For Off Broadway’s Irish Repertory Theatre, he directed and designed the U.S. premiere of Noël Coward’s After the Ball, (a musical version of Lady Windermere’s Fan), The Importance of Being Earnest, Major Barbara, Candida and the recent The Devil’s Disciple, which he restaged for the Asolo Rep in Sarasota, Florida.

Other productions directed by Walton include Noël Coward’s A Song At Twilight for Bay Street Theatre and Oops! The Big Apple Circus Stage Show for a 60 city U.S. tour. At the Guild Hall in Easthampton, New York, he staged Orson Welles’ Moby Dick Rehearsed starring Peter Boyle and Peter Shaffer’s Equus and The Gift of the Gorgon, both starring Alec Baldwin. Most recently, he staged Noel Coward’s Tonight at 8:30, starring Blythe Danner and Simon Jones, on the same stage.

As a producer, Walton co-presented six productions of plays and musicals in London, including three in association with Hal Prince. His designs for opera have been seen at London’s Theatre Royal Covent Garden, The Sadler’s Wells Opera Company and throughout Europe and America.

Among his many designs for the ballet designs were projects for St. Louis Woman for Dance Theatre of Harlem at Lincoln Center and Peter and the Wolf and Sleeping Beauty for American Ballet Theatre, as well as many ballets for the San Francisco Ballet Company.

Walton is survived by his wife, the author Gen LeRoy Walton; daughters, Emma Walton Hamilton and Bridget LeRoy; and five grandchildren. A private service will be held in Sag Harbor on a date yet to be determined. A public celebration will be held at a later date.