Cole Escola Pays Glamorous Tribute to Bernadette Peters’ Legendary 1999 Tony Dress See the Look That Stole the Night

| June 9, 2025 | Celebrity | No Comments

Broadway’s brightest stars lit up the red carpet at the 2025 Tony Awards, but it was Cole Escola who turned heads with a deeply symbolic and glamorous tribute to theater icon Bernadette Peters.

On Sunday, June 8, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Escola — star and playwright of Oh, Mary! — arrived in a stunning silvery-blue gown designed to pay homage to Peters’ legendary look from the 1999 Tony Awards, when she won Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Annie Get Your Gun.

“It’s my favorite blue — I call it Cinderella blue,” Escola shared on the red carpet.

 A Gown Full of Meaning: From Cinderella Blue to Ancient Doors

Created by designer Jackson Wiederhoeft, Escola’s custom ensemble was more than just a visual masterpiece — it was a love letter to theater history and femininity.

The dress featured:

  • A lace-up corset in pale blue taffeta

  • Draped detailing at the chest and hips

  • Hand-embroidered metallic blue glass beads

  • A dramatic train in light blue taffeta

But perhaps the most eye-catching detail? A front skirt panel designed with an ornamental door motif, made of silver glass beads, faceted crystals, and tarnished metal sequins — a symbolic “nod to Bernadette’s medals and the significance of the passage of time.”

To complete the homage, Escola wore a reddish-brown curly wig, echoing Peters’ signature look from the ’90s.

“We were obsessed with the color, the medals, and that sense of fake naiveté,” Wiederhoeft said in a statement.
“Themes of faded crypticism, false innocence, queenly status, and ancient doors all found their way into the look.”

 A Powerful Night for Cole Escola – On and Off Stage

This powerful fashion moment comes as Escola, 38, celebrates a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Oh, Mary!, a critically acclaimed Broadway comedy which they also wrote.

After stepping away from the lead role of Mary Todd Lincoln, Escola returned to the production on April 8 — reuniting the entire original cast, including:

  • Conrad Ricamora as Mary’s Husband

  • James Scully as Mary’s Teacher

  • Bianca Leigh as Mary’s Chaperone

  • Tony Macht as the Husband’s Assistant

The play originally premiered Off-Broadway in February 2024, earning Escola multiple awards, including:

  • 🏆 The Obie Award

  • 🏆 Drama Desk Award

  • 🏆 Theatre World Award

  • 🏆 Outer Critics Circle Award

Now on Broadway, Oh, Mary! continues to win hearts and headlines, with Cynthia Erivo hosting this year’s Tony ceremony in front of a star-studded crowd.

Cole Escola didn’t just wear a dress — they wore a legacy. In honoring Bernadette Peters, they reminded Broadway fans and fashion lovers alike of the magic that happens when style, history, and heart come together.

This unforgettable red carpet moment will be remembered as one of the most iconic tributes in Tony Awards history.