Dede Ayite
Dede Ayite is a costume designer whose Broadway credits include A Soldier’s Play, Slave Play, American Son, and Children of a Lesser God. Select Off-Broadway credits include Secret Life of Bees, FireFlies, Marie and Rosetta, Tell Hector I Miss Him (Atlantic); By The Way, Meet Vera Stark, JHAT (Signature); BLKS, Collective Rage…, School Girls… (MCC); Slave Play (NYTW); Sugar in Our Wounds (MTC); If Pretty Hurts…, Mankind, Bella: An American Tall Tale (Playwrights Horizons); The Royale (Lincoln Center); Ugly Lies the Bone (Roundabout); and brownsville song [b-side for tray] (LCT3).
Latest News on Dede Ayite:
BIO
Dede Ayite is a costume designer whose Broadway credits include A Soldier’s Play, Slave Play, American Son, and Children of a Lesser God. Select Off-Broadway credits include Secret Life of Bees, FireFlies, Marie and Rosetta, Tell Hector I Miss Him (Atlantic); By The Way, Meet Vera Stark, JHAT (Signature); BLKS, Collective Rage…, School Girls… (MCC); Slave Play (NYTW); Sugar in Our Wounds (MTC); If Pretty Hurts…, Mankind, Bella: An American Tall Tale (Playwrights Horizons); The Royale (Lincoln Center); Ugly Lies the Bone (Roundabout); and brownsville song [b-side for tray] (LCT3). Regionally, Ayite’s works has appeared at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Williamstown Theatre Festival; Steppenwolf; American Repertory Theater, Denver Center; California Shakespeare; La Jolla Playhouse; Berkeley Repertory; Baltimore Center Stage; Arena Stage; Cleveland Playhouse; Signature Theatre; and McCarter Theatre, Hartford Stage. She has worked in television with Netflix, Comedy Central, and FOX Shortcoms. Ayite earned her MFA at the Yale School of Drama and has received an Obie, Lucille Lortel, Helen Hayes, Theatre Bay Area, and Jeff Awards, along with four Drama Desk Nominations.
Photos
Productions
Awards and Nominations
Dede Ayite, Goddess
winner
Dede Ayite, Our Town
Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Dede Ayite, Jaja's African Hair Braiding
Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club
Dede Ayite, Hell's Kitchen
winner
Dede Ayite, Jaja's African Hair Braiding
Dede Ayite, Appropriate
Dede Ayite, Topdog/Underdog
winner
Dede Ayite
Dede Ayite, Slave Play
Dede Ayite, A Soldier's Play
Videos
Video: 'I Can Hear the Stars' from BASURA at Alliance Theatre
by Joshua Wright - 2026-05-28 16:39:59
Video: Michelle Obama Highlights the Importance of Black Storytelling in PROOF
by Josh Sharpe - 2026-05-22 13:40:46
Video: CRAZYSEXYCOOL – THE TLC MUSICAL Cast Begins Rehearsals at Arena Stage
by Stephi Wild - 2026-05-19 09:11:09
Video: Alex Lacamoire and BASURA Pay Tribute To Michael Greif On RENT 30th Anniversary
by A.A. Cristi - 2026-04-29 23:30:20
Video: Ayo Edebiri Has a Tattoo of a Quote From Her PROOF Co-Star
by Josh Sharpe - 2026-04-29 09:28:49
Video: Go Inside the First Rehearsal For BASURA at Alliance Theatre
by Michael Major - 2026-04-24 15:58:42
Video: Why Don Cheadle Doesn't Want to Know Who's in the Audience for PROOF
by Josh Sharpe - 2026-04-21 15:48:50
Video: Don Cheadle and Ayo Edebiri Discuss Their Broadway Debuts, Love of Theater on CBS SUNDAY MORNING
by Josh Sharpe - 2026-04-20 10:51:30
Video: THE LAST FIVE YEARS Standbys Noah Kieserman & Nasia Thomas Have Special Performance
by Michael Major - 2025-06-16 09:44:10
Video: Watch HELL'S KITCHEN Perform 'Girl on Fire' & 'No One' on GOOD MORNING AMERICA
by Michael Major - 2025-06-13 14:09:08
Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren Reflect on Artistic Risk & Social Media Pressure
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-05-27 10:00:40
Video: Nick Jonas Shares the Biggest Difference Between Touring and Broadway
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-05-16 14:00:43
Video: Tank and Amanda Reid Perform 'If I Ain't Got You' From HELL'S KITCHEN; Deluxe Album Out Next Week
by Stephi Wild - 2025-05-16 05:37:09
Video: How Nick Jonas Learned 'The Schmuel Song' From THE LAST FIVE YEARS
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-05-15 15:15:53
Video: Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren Reveal Their Favorite Moments in THE LAST FIVE YEARS
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-04-11 18:01:08
Video: What Adrienne Warren Wants People to Know About Broadway Previews
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-04-01 12:26:31
Video: Whitney White Shares Why She Cast Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren in THE LAST FIVE YEARS
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-03-25 16:47:14
Watch Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren's Performance of 'The Next Ten Minutes' From THE LAST FIVE YEARS on The Tonight Show"
by Stephi Wild - 2025-03-14 10:10:33
Video: Watch Amber Iman Sing 'Honey Sweet' From GODDESS Musical
by Michael Major - 2025-03-05 15:05:36
News
by Stephi Wild - Sep 3, 2026
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB will welcome Golden Globe and Olivier Award-winner Rachel Zegler as host of the next “dance along” performance in September.
by Stephi Wild - Sep 2, 2026
Steppenwolf Theatre Company will launch its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog, helmed by Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon. Check out rehearsal photos here!
by Stephi Wild - Aug 31, 2026
Tickets are now available for HELL'S KITCHEN, Alicia Keys' Tony- and Grammy-winning musical, running November 3-8 at West Herr Auditorium Theatre in Rochester as part of RBTL's 2026-2027 Broadway season.
by Stephi Wild - Aug 27, 2026
Tectonic Theater Project's Pulitzer Prize finalist HERE THERE ARE BLUEBERRIES will begin a limited engagement at the Barrymore Theatre, directed by Moisés Kaufman in a co-production with La Jolla Playhouse.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Aug 26, 2026
Steppenwolf Theatre Company will launch its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog. Topdog/Underdog will play a limited engagement
by Stephi Wild - Aug 24, 2026
Tickets went on sale for HELL'S KITCHEN, Alicia Keys' Tony and Grammy-winning musical, for a limited engagement at Shea's Buffalo Theatre as part of the venue's Broadway season.
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 21, 2026
The Tony and Grammy-winning musical featuring the music of Alicia Keys will make its Columbus debut with eight performances at the Ohio Theatre. Tickets start at $41.78 and go on sale Friday, August 21 at 10 a.m.
by Lucía Serrano - Aug 13, 2026
I’ve loved the music of 17-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys for more than two decades, but the award-winning musical Hell’s Kitchen gave her songs new meaning and possibilities. After opening on Broadway in April 2024, the musical ran for nearly two years at the Shubert Theatre, playing 767 regular performances and 23 previews before closing in February 2026. Now, the musical is hitting the road, bringing Keys’ music and a story inspired by her own upbringing in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen to audiences across North America.
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 11, 2026
Tickets for the Tony and Grammy-winning musical BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB will go on sale for its Austin premiere at Bass Concert Hall as part of the Broadway in Austin season.
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 7, 2026
The touring production of BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB will make its South Florida premiere at the Adrienne Arsht Center, accompanied by a free week of Cuban music and cultural programming.
by Michael Major - Aug 3, 2026
Warriors is holding a workshop in New York City this summer, prior to its Broadway debut in 2027. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Casey Likes took to social media to share a preview photos.
by Stephi Wild - Jul 23, 2026
Major League Baseball veteran and recording artist José Iglesias, known to music fans as Candelita, will make history as the first Latino MLB player to debut on Broadway, joining the cast of Buena Vista Social Club
by Sidney Paterra - Jul 19, 2026
Broadway says goodbye to Proof, which closes at the Booth Theatre, following 15 previews and 109 regular performances. The next tenant for the venue has not yet been announced.
by Tyler Hinton - Jul 8, 2026
The national tour of Alicia Keys’ HELL’S KITCHEN has arrived at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City with swagger and soul. This show is unlikely to play in Utah again, so seize this chance to experience something different and meaningful.
by Stephi Wild - Jul 7, 2026
Broadway’s BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB will team up with Telemundo to host a free, live event featuring the Broadway musical’s band and choreography at The Rink at Rockefeller Center turned Telemundo Fan Village.
by Mary Lincer - Jun 27, 2026
What did our critic think of CRAZYSEXYCOOL: THE TLC MUSICAL at Kreeger Theater?
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 26, 2026
The Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical HELL'S KITCHEN, featuring music by Alicia Keys, will kick off the Broadway In Portland season at Keller Auditorium, with Maya Drake leading the North American Tour cast.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jun 25, 2026
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is launching its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog. Ensemble members Glenn Davis and Namir Smallwood star in the production.
by Stephi Wild - Jun 24, 2026
The Tony and GRAMMY Award-winning Broadway musical BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB will play a limited engagement at Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center, featuring a book by Hialeah native Marco Ramirez and choreography by Miami-born Patricia Delgado.
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 27, 2026
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis bring WARRIORS to Broadway in 2027! Everything you need to know about the new musical at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Outstanding Costume Design (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Goddess, Outstanding Costume Design of a Pla (Drama Desk Awards) for Our Town, Best Costume Design of a Musical (Tony Awards) for Buena Vista Social Club, Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Buena Vista Social Club, Outstanding Costume Design (Broadway or Off-Broadway) (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Jaja's African Hair Braiding, Outstanding Costume Design (The Lortels) for Buena Vista Social Club, Best Costume Design of a Musical (Tony Awards) for Hell's Kitchen, Best Costume Design of a Play (Tony Awards) for Jaja's African Hair Braiding, Best Costume Design of a Play (Tony Awards) for Appropriate, Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Topdog/Underdog, Special Award (Drama Desk Awards), Best Costume Design of a Play (Tony Awards) for Slave Play and Best Costume Design of a Play (Tony Awards) for A Soldier's Play.
Dede Ayite has won the Outstanding Costume Design of a Play at the Drama Desk Awards for Our Town, the Best Costume Design of a Play at the Tony Awards for Jaja's African Hair Braiding, and a Special Award at the Drama Desk Awards.
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