"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)

"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/)

London Fashions at Syracuse Stage

Although “The Way of the World,” a play written by William Congreve, may not have been a huge success when it was produced in 1700, the costumes may have been as grand as they were then as they are when the show is produced today.

Syracuse University Drama department presented “The Way of the World,” a Restoration Comedy that presents satirical views of aristocratic society, in February as a part of its 2008-2009 season.  

The servants were not shrouded in black and white but in colorful bright colors as their master’s were.  Their place in society was evident by the small bustles and simple head coverings, lack of gloves and make up but all females wore corsets.  Overall they were dressed in a considerable less amount of cloth and accessories.

The higher you were in society the larger the bustle and the higher and more elaborate the headdress and pounds of fabric were. Socialites wore rich silk taffetas with patterns so intricate and detailed that people today would only use them for house dressings such as draperies, bedspreads and pillows.

Makeup was taken very seriously and was worn by both men and women.  Pale faces increased beauty and were accented by fake moles. For added comedic effect and true to their characters, Petulant and Lady Wishfort went overboard with facial powder, paint and large beauty marks.

Petulant goes on overdressed and the mix up of colors is absurd as he is.  Makes a grand entrance in an iridescent purple coat and wearing a gold sash (which no other man wears).  He dares to wear red tights and huge cuffs iridescent cuffs with pink ribbons, and carries a fuschia and gold lace handkerchief. Petulant is not like any other of the male characters.

The most beautifully dressed, perfectly put together character is Mrs. Millamant.  Dressed in Baby Blue and Beige, Mrs. Millamant’s soothing colors and simple beauty set her a part from the other characters in the play.

“The Way of the World” truly offers a fashionable look at London life in 1700.