I recently got the chance to do something I've always wanted to... costume a show. It was MVHS' choir concert, and featured Disney music. Disney doesn't let you use their images or tell their stories (we heard that a high school got sued by them for infringing), so I had to find other things to do to make the stage colorful and interesting. There were 200 kids to costume, and some of them needed more than one costume, so it was quite involved. But it was so much fun to do. We had a source to rent some ethnic costumes economically, which was very helpful, but I made lot of animal and bird costumes. It was such an interesting process to observe with the kids. Their big finale was a medley from Lion King, and that was where I put in most of my efforts. I loved the costuming and staging for the Broadway Lion King. Of course I didn't have the resources to do anything like that, and wouldn't want to be sued anyway! But it helped me envision what I wanted the stage to look like for that number. Lots of texture with animal prints, lots of warm bright color, and the kids to look like models and rock stars with their hair and makeup suggesting various animals.
When I first started working with them, I asked each of them if they would be willing to have their hair, makeup and costume done resembling an animal. I got very few enthusiastic responses. As the performance drew nearer and as they understood what I wanted, more and more of them became supportive and excited, but even the dress rehearsal was quite disappointing to me. The kids had tried to put makeup on each other and ended up looking like a grade school halloween party, and the light techies were struggling with the lighting and it was too dark, cold and gray.
Thankfully, opening night was much better. The mom who was in charge of the hair and makeup had engaged Paul Mitchell students to come and do service hours making up the kids, and they did some amazing things! I was busy most of the night and didn't get to go in and watch until the final number, and when I did, I was blown away. The stage was BEAUTIFUL, with rich warm red and gold light, full of glamourous, cool looking kids in animal prints and bright rich colors, and they were exuding a wonderful energy and singing the walls down. When they finished, the audience popped up all at once and roared for them! And after the show, there were kids everywhere strutting around, showing off, getting their pictures taken, having so much fun with it. I had so many of the kids tell me they never had imagined that doing a show like that could be such a wonderful experience. I knew from helping when Joel and Rachael were in Les Mis how important costume, hair and makeup were to the performers, but doing this concert was an eye opener to me. I see 3 really great benefits to good costuming: The stage looks great; the performers feel wonderful; and they sing, dance and act with energy and enthusiasm that is so engaging. It was a very rewarding experience for me.
