Julie Hughes, a prominent casting director and consultant, passed away in her sleep October 21 after a long illness. News of her passing was confirmed by her daughter, Elisa Rothstein. Ms. Hughes was 81.

Ms. Hughes was one half of Hughes/Moss Casting, a firm which she helped to found in 1981 alongside her friend Barry Moss. Together the pair cast nearly 90 Broadway productions, including The Little Foxes with Elizabeth Taylor, Woman of the Year with Lauren Bacall, and My One And Only with Twiggy. Additionally, they cast the original Broadway runs of Titanic, Grand Hotel, Crazy For You, Footloose, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Who's Tommy, and Nine, as well as revivals of Sweeney Todd, On Your Toes, Show Boat, Blithe Spirit, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Pygmalion.

Hughes/Moss cast the original production and revival of Whose Life Is It Anyway? and the premieres of Children of a Lesser God, Agnes of God, Harvey Fierstein‘s breakout Torch Song Trilogy and August Wilson‘s King Hedley II. 

Ms. Hughes was a staunch supporter of the Entertainment Community Fund (previously known as the Actors Fund), a longtime Tony voter, and a crossword aficionado who loved to spend her summers on Fire Island with her granddaughter and her extended theatre family.

Ms. Hughes retired from the theatrical industry in 1999 after the passing of her husband, general manager Norman E. Rothstein, who was instrumental in the revitalization of the New Amsterdam Theatre. 

Ms. Hughes was predeceased by Barry Moss in 2014. She is survived by her daughter Elisa Rothstein, her son Jeffrey Rothstein, and her granddaughter Emily Ervolina. Information on a celebration of Ms. Hughes life will be announced in the new year.