WATCH NOW! Zooming in on the Tony Nominees: William Ivey Long

The Tony Awards are like Christmas in June for theatre lovers, and that makes this year's nominees the reason for the season. This year's Tony nominees transported us with the magic of theatre, and we're saluting their work by taking a closer look at their extraordinary accomplishments. Today we're studying up on William Ivey Long!

Quick Facts About William

His Nominations: Best Costume Design of a Musical

The Shows: Tootsie and Beetlejuice

Up Against: Michael Krass (Hadestown), Bob Mackie (The Cher Show), Paul Tazewell (Ain't Too Proud)

Did You Know?: These are William's 16th and 17th Tony nominations. He won previously for his work on Nine (1982), Crazy for You (1992), The Producers (2001), Hairspray (2003), Grey Gardens (2007), and Cinderella (2013).

William on His Nominations: "Luckily they're about as different from each other as any two projects could be, except that they're both film to stage. As I tell everyone within earshot, respect the original material because we're only reviving it or doing in another medium because it was excellent."

watch as William tells us all about what these nominations means to him, how he's preparing for the Tonys, and so much more!