"Grease the musical" From film to stage

“I got chills… They’re multiplying!”

Now the characters of “Grease” are loosing control every night on Broadway.  Slick hair, puffy skirts and shinny tights are gracing the stage after being made and re-made for film. It opened on Broadway in 2007 and is now on tour.

The movie’s history spans over a quarter of a century drawing all ages to the theatre.  Orignally made in 1970 the film starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton.  It tells the story of a group of friends in a 1950’s high school so it captures baby boomers’ since of nostalgia.

Black jackets and red accessaries make the lead characters pop in this musical as they dance and sing among the pastel drenched ensemble.  All of these costumes makes this show a flashback success.

"Wicked The Musical"- From Book to Film to Stage

Everyone has seen the “The Wizard of Oz” at some point in their lives and holds a special connection to the timeless film. The film (1939) was based on a series of books created by Lyman Frank Baum. In 1995, decades after the movie was made, Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory McGregor was published.

There aren’t any rainbows to fly over in “Wicked the Musical” which has deliciously composed music which leaves its flavors lingering on your tounge for days. I still can’t get those songs out of my head. In this spin off of “The Wizard of Oz,” we learn how society forced Elphaba to become the Wicked Witch of the West.

This show pulled out all the stops as far as costumes were concerned. In an interview, the Costume Designer Susan Hilferty (“Spring Awakening,” “Into the Woods,” “Lestat,” “Jitney”) mentioned that she couldn’t find as many shades of green as she would have liked to use for the production which has over 20 numbers performed by a large cast and with an even larger ensemble.

One of Elphaba’s costumes cost as much as $20,000. Idina Menzel, who won a Tony Award for her portrayel of Elphaba, fell through a trap door during a performance and injured her leg. The costume was so expensive that hospital workers carefully undress her instead of cutting her clothes off as they would have done to anyone else.

In the musical’s most famous numbers “Defying Gravity,” oceans of fabric swing down from lofts and out from the wings, which all seem to connect to The Wicked witch’s dress. Together, it creates the allusion that she is flying! There is no wonder why Hilferty won a Tony Award for her awe inspiring designs.

"Legally Blond" from Film to Stage

A million young blond girls who love to be Pretty in Pink got an ego boost from the hit movie “Legally Blond,” which opened in 2001 when Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) fought to show the world that she wasn’t as stupid as she seemed. The movie, which had a sequel, was so popular that it was turned into a musical and put on Broadway in 2007. Although the show only lasted on the great white way for a year, it’s still touring around the U.S.

Elle Woods’ costumes for the musical had to be even more Pink and Bold to be seen by the entire audience.

Costume Designer Gregg Barnes (“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, “Drowsy Chaperones,” “Side Shows”) designed a ton of pink outfits for the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vNgDvdJIXE

"Dreamgirls": From Stage to Film

“Dreamgirls” is a 1980’s musical, somewhat inspired by the story of the Supremes, tells the story of a girl group and the changes it experiences as they make it to the top, leaving one behind.  This show offers a wide spectrum of costumes from poor homemade performance outfits when the group is hoping to be discovered to mod 70s dresses for a variety show performance to glam gowns as they perform in some of the most respectable venues.

“Dreamgirls” dazzled audiences on Broadway between 1980 and 1986.  The most notable song from this musical is when the largest member of the group, Effie White, sings a powerful ballot lyrically shouting “And I’m telling you I’m not going” as Band manager Curtis dismisses her from the group and ends the love affair between the two of them.

An all-star cast was selected to make the film version which was released in 2006. The film features, Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Ankia Noni Rose, Eddie Murphy, Sharon Leal, Keith Robinson.  The cast is rounded out by Danny Glover, Lorreta Divine (also in the original Broadway cast) and American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson.

The first time we meet the girl group, they are dressed in homemade matching peach sleeveless knee length dresses. Although the girls discuss the making of their outfits, they are so well put together, one would assume that they were purchased from a store.

As they make their way to the top and the girls make their debut as the reinvented group, they sing the theme song from the movie, “Dreamgirls.”  In this scene they wear the most gorgeous costumes in the entire movie.  They are dressed in white sequenced mermaid gowns with sky blue trim on to of the bodice and at the bottom of the dresses.  This costume design is what you would expect to see when you here the term Dreamgirls.

The downfall from costume heaven occurs during “And I’m telling you I’m not going.”  The costume mistress dressed Hudson in an elegant beige embroidered suit.  Unfortunately, the three quarter length top fits Hudson appropriately, but unfortunately, the skirt stops at her knees and looks awkward on Hudson’s long legs.  This problem couldv’e easily been averted had the costume designer lengthened the shirt to stop mid way at Hudson’s calves.

But there’s more.  In the final scene, the Dreamgirls give a farewell performance and invites Hudson’s character back to join them.  The dreams wear a sleek coal rhinestone dress.  Somewhere n the creative process, it was decided that Hudson should not wear the same dress.  Instead they put her in an awful billowy dark burgundy dress that made her look worse than the other members in the group.

Though she made a few mistakes, one can forgive the costume designer as the majority of the hundred of costumes in this musical, which covers three decades, are flawless in their design and stay with the time period.

“Dreamgirls” has been reworked in Japan is scheduled to make its American debut in late 2009.

 (photo from dreamgirlsmovie.com)

"Chicago": From Stage to Film

The costumes in this popular, dark, sensational musical are timeless.  “Chicago” opened on Broadway in 1970 and ran for 10 years.  The show tells the story of Roxy Heart, who murders her husband and is thrown in prison where she meets “” who, along with the other inmates, suggests what she should do to get out of prison.  She hires a lawyer who knows how to “Razzle” and “Dazzle” jurors, judges, reporters and everyone else. 

With edgy costumes and choreography by Bob Fosse, this musical is at the top ten all time favorites.  Therefore it was made into a movie in 2000.  The cast featured Rene Zelweger, Richard Geere, Catherine Zeta Jones, Queen Latifa, and many others.

The musical is set in the 1930 and the period costumes are magnifique.

One of the most famous scenes is at the end when Roxy and Catherine are both free and have opened their own vaudeville duet act.  They shimmy across the stage with black sequenced fringe mini skirts.

(photo from Playbill.com)

"Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street": From Stage to Film

Sweeny Todd certainly appears to be Demon Possessed as he goes about a murderous rampage after returning to Fleet Street after being wrongfully imprisoned for about 15 years.  He discovers that his wife is dead and that his daughter has been adopted by the man who imprisoned him.  And so the journey begins.  He ultimately looses everything in search of revenge.

This London Musical opened on Broadway in March of 1979 and was revived in 1989 winning numerous awards with its dark tones. The bloody musical made it way to the silver screen in the summer of 2007.

Johnny Deep lead the cast, which also included Helen Bonhm Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen and Timothy Spall.

The most beautiful part of this nocturnally morbid film is the detail in the costumes.  The mid-19^th century full gowns, with rich fabrics and lace and men’s accessories such as capes and canes sets “Sweeny Todd” apart from other musical movies.  It was fashionable for men to wear top hats and lacy shirt. While the present day parts of the movie are dark, gloomy, and seem to be drained of all color, the flash backs are bright and colorful.  Tones of gray, black, bronze, bronze, green and burgundy fill the screen.

Sweeny Todd (Johnny Depp) has one strip of white hair among his too black hair adding to his madding demeanor.  His face is also whitened with make up to make him look pale He wears white button down shirts neckties and vests.

Mrs. Lovett (Helen Bonhm Carter), the lonely owner of a decrepid bug infested bakery, opens her home and heart to Todd, who she always secretly loved.  Her clothes are ragged although you can see they once were fine from the tule edges and beaded decorations.  Her hair is always in a tussled state of disarray.  In the film, Mrs. Lovett’s costumes are far superior to those worn in the original Broadway production.

Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohn) is a magician of sorts, who travels tricking people out of their money.  He is the only one who wears bright colors present day.  When we first meet him, he wears a bright indigo short jacket and pants set with bronze embellishments with a billowy  collar and ruffled cuffs.

Sweeny Todd closed on Broadway but is still playing in London and of course can be seen on DVD.

 (photo from idbm.com)

"Rent": From Stage to Film

“Rent” the musical broke social norms with its taboo subject matter and mixed up musical genres (dance pop, R&B, salsa and rock ‘n roll) when it debuted on Broadway in 1996.  The powerful story encompasses artists’ experience with love, friendship, AIDS, drug addiction and death and is loosely based on the opera “La Boheme.”

The movie version was released in November of 2005. Many of the orignal actors from of the broadway production performed in the movie.  The cast included, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Jessie L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, Tracie Thomas and Taye Diggs.

“Rent” takes place between the years 1989-1990, when the AIDS epidemic was at its height.  All but two characters, except Joann and Benjamin (Tracie Thomas and Taye Diggs) who are a lawyer and a business manager, are bohemians as indicated by their costumes.

Mimi Marquez (Rosario Dawson) dances at the Pussy Cat Club to pay for her drug addiction.  She is bold, in your face and so are her colorful clothes.  Mimi pairs silver shirts with turquoise tights, purple, red and green skirts, a leopard print coat and an endless parade of mini skirts.  All fabrics that look itchy but fun.  She matches perfectly with her rock star boyfriend Roger Davis (Adam Pascal), who grunges it in jeans, tees, and a leather jacket daily.

The caring, supportive Angel Dumott Schunard (Wilson Jermaine Heredia) is a drag queen who looks attractive as either sex.  His most out landish costumes are a furry mini zebra and red Christmas coat and a pink and black plastic new years eve outfit. You’ll never know what wig she’ll be wearing next.  Her costumes provide a solid contrast against her significant other Tom Collins (Jessie L. Martin), fired MIT professor, who boasts a rough male image with baggy jeans, flannel plaid button down shirts, and courdory vests.

Maureen Johnson (Idina Menzel), is the bisexual flirt who leads everyone on.  Her pleather skin tight pants and studded jacket look inexpensive and are accompanied by her ripped logo t-shirts. Judging from here costume alone, she was too much to handle for ex-boyfriend, Mark Cohen (Anthony Rapp), a quiet Jewish boy who wears coudory pants and sweaters.  Maureen opted for the lawyer JoAnn instead who typically wears suits.

All costumes are very late 80s early 90s and as tacky as these costumes sound, the film versions are better than those worn in the Broadway show.

The original show closed on Broadway in September of 2008, but it continues to tour and can be seen on DVD.

 (www.siteforrent.com/)