Three-time Tony Award winner Donald Holder ’80 received his thirteenth nomination in 2018, this time for his lighting design of the classic musical, “My Fair Lady.”
The “Tonys,” which recognize achievement in Broadway productions, were held Sunday evening at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and broadcast live on CBS.
This year, the awards were dominated by the hit musical, “The Band’s Visit,” which won 10 Tonys, including the award for which Holder was nominated. However, he previously won it for his work on “The Lion King” (1998), “South Pacific” (2008), and “Oslo” (2016).
In a 2013 interview, Holder, who majored in forestry at UMaine, admitted that his love for stage lighting started in junior high school where he created lighting for holiday concerts and special events.
“I’m fascinated by light in all its forms, particularly the light we encounter in nature: sunlight, moonlight, starlight, et cetera,” he said. “I’m constantly observing the infinite ways that light reveals our world and more importantly how the quality of light affects mood and perception.”
Holder and his wife, director Evan Yionoulis, live in Croton, NY.