Cole Escola, star of the hit Broadway comedy Oh, Mary!, made a stunning appearance at the 2025 Tony Awards in New York City, honoring a Broadway icon through his style. Wearing a custom “Cinderella blue” gown inspired by Bernadette Peters’ look from the 1999 ceremony, Escola paid tribute to the legendary actress.
The gown, designed by Jackson Wiederhoeft, features a lace-up corset in pale blue taffeta with draping at the chest and hips and hand-embroidered metallic blue glass beads. The skirt, also embroidered in the same glass beads, has an ornamental door motif cascading down the entire front.
Escola’s choice of redish-brown curly wig was another nod to Peters’ signature style, adding to his overall tribute. “It’s my favorite blue,” Escola told PEOPLE on the red carpet, referring to the Cinderella blue hue. The pendant necklace also features Laura Keene, a famed British actress who starred in Our American Cousin.
The designer, Jackson Wiederhoeft, revealed that they were inspired by Peters’ look from 1999 and aimed to capture themes of faded crypticism, false innocence, and womanly age-hold. Escola is nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a play for his work in Oh, Mary!, which has earned him numerous awards, including the Obie, Drama Desk, Theatre World, and Outer Critics Circle awards.
The Tony Awards ceremony took place on June 8, with Cynthia Erivo hosting and the original Broadway cast reunited.
Source: https://people.com/tony-awards-2025-cole-escola-gown-inspired-by-bernadette-peters-iconic-1999-look-exclusive-11750386