"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)

"Hairspray": From stage to film

Set in the 1960’s, this musical is filled with poofy skirts, bobby socks and lots and lots and lots of hairspray. The musical starts with Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky), a plump and secure outcast dancing her way through Baltimore, Maryland.  Encouraged by her friend, Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes), Tracy auditions for the Corny Collins Show and surprises every one when she makes it.  Tracy defies social norms by befriending black people and performing their dance moves on the show.  The film climaxes as Tracy hides from the cops after an intergration march turns ugly. She sneaks into the Ms. Teenage Hairspray pagent with the help of her black friends and the show is finally intergrated.

Hairspray was movie, turned Broadway musical, which then returned to the silver screen as a musical.  The cast included John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, and Queen Latifah, and was released mid July in 2007.

The costumes for the film were more toned down in color and contrast in comparison to those designed for the stage.  The costumes for the stage seemed tacky up close but were so bold enough to make an impression to audience members seated in the last row of the    theater.

Many of the most memorable costumes appear in the final scene of the film. For the Ms. Teenage Hairspray competition, lead character Tracy Turnblad transitions form dumpy homemade floral and plaid skirt sets and dawns a sequenced checkerboard baby doll dress, which represents racial integration.

Her mother Edna Turnblad, played by John Travolta, sheds a tan trench coat revealing a red and gold sequenced dress which dances around her ankles until she rips it off showing off a fringe mini skirt displaying her chunky but firm thighs.  It is apparent that dancing runs in the family.

Hairspray closed on Broadway on January 4, 2009 but can be seen on tour or on DVD forever.

 (photo from imdb.com)

Costumes Out Perform Actors at CSC

Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” recently opened at the Classic Stage Company in New York City with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Denis O’Hare and Peter Sarsgaard among the popular cast.  Unfortunately, the show was not complete when it went into previews early February. 

This play, which takes place in turn of the century Russia, was dark and depressing and the actor’s didn’t add many levels.  It was confusing with a foggy plot, characters motives were unclear and blocking seemed to be unmotivated making the production appear to be a rehearsal.

The well known cast, which also included, Cyrilla Baer, Andrew Garman, Mamie Gummer, Delphi Harrington, George Morfogen and Louis Zorich, was practically out shined by the 1900 period costumes they wore.

The floor sweeping dresses for the female characters were more intricate and interesting than the men’s.

Yelena Andreevna (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is the main female character and was the only one who changed costumes during the three act play. Although Yelena is married to Professor Alexander Vladimirovich Serebryakov (George Morfogen), she was also lusted after by Uncle Vanya (Denis O'Hare) and Dr. Mikhail Lvovich Astrov (Peter Sarsgaard) whom she attempts to have an affair with. 

Both of Yelena’s costumes were bright and created an airy feeling about her in opposition to the darker tones worn by other characters who are more grounded than she is.  Her beige and white dresses are also made out of lighter, more delicate fabrics and featured details that were very intricate.

Sofia Alexandrovna or Sonya (Mamie Gummer), who is plain and looks after the country house year round with Uncle Vanya, wears a gray plaid tweed skirt. And a flower decorated cotton button down shirt that is reminiscent of a cowgirl.

Maria Vasilevna Voinitskaya (Delphi Harrington), who also lives at the country house with her son, Uncle Vanya, and Sonya, is glad to have the professor visiting. She is also dressed in brown tweed long skirted suit.  Her tan lace shirt decorated by a golden locket which is very visible to the audience.

Considering the amount of work that went into the costumes, the character development and direction of this production of “Uncle Vanya” have a long way to go.

(photo from Playbill.com)