BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — It's been one of the biggest shows of the year at Shea's Performing Arts Center, the North American Tour of Annie, and wouldn't you know there's a Buffalo connection.
"This one is kind of special because it's going around the country," said Bret Runyon, who has been a designer and tailor in Buffalo for decades. Runyon helped create many of the costumes you'll see on stage in Annie.
"We were contracted last year at DC to do all the men's wear for the show, like all the suits, which were actually quite a few," said Runyon.
He's not kidding. Runyon said he had a hand in making more than thirty of the show's costumes and for some of Annie's biggest characters.
"Daddy Warbucks, FDR, all of the cabinet members, the butlers. All of the butler uniforms we did," said Runyon.
"They send their designs, and their fabrics, and measurements, and then we made them to order for them," said Dave DeJac in a phone interview with 7 News.
Dejac owned DC Theatricks Costume Shop on Main Street in Buffalo for more than 40 years. Dejac helped lead the Annie costume project with Runyon by his side.
"It was quite a big job for us," said Dejac.
But it was also the last.
Just weeks after Dejac and his team finished up the costumes for Annie the four-alarm fire broke out that tragically killed Buffalo Firefighter Jason Arno. DC Theatricks was also housed inside part of that building.
Now, right down the street at Shea's, almost a year later, DC Theatricks final costume build is on full display in Annie.
"It's kind of bittersweet for us to see them come back into town," said DeJac. "To actually know that probably is the last time we'll see our costumes on stage of any type."
Dejac is now retired but says he's proud to see a small part of the legacy of DC Theatricks continue on the national stage.
"We just appreciate the Western New York community that supported us all these years in the theater community."
