5 Iconic Musical Theatre Costume Items and the Designers Behind Them

Amongst the thousands of garments which have been seen in musicals through the years, there are few which are immediately recognisably iconic. Let's look at the designers who produced five of these and look at their processes in creating the overall look of a production.

Elphaba's Hat

The hat worn by Elphaba in Wicked is based on The Wizard of Oz (1939) which, 'has become a trademark for not only the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, but witches in general popular culture.' [1] For Wicked, the garment was designed by costume designer Susan Hilferty and is pictured below in her sketch. In reference to Elphaba's hat, Hilferty stated that it, 'was following the idea of a traditional witch hat, but also I was trying to solve a lot of problems, which is having the light be able to hit her face...I needed a short brim so that the sound wasn't reflecting too much.' [2] As such, she created something which retained what audiences would expect to see whilst also serving the other elements of a staged production. Regarding her process in creating costumes for any show, Hilferty stated that, 'I'm a storyteller and my medium is clothing. So, what I'm doing is trying to identify specific things about a character in relationship to the story that everybody is trying to tell.' [3] Indeed, Elphaba's hat is integral to how those around her perceive her, from the 'Dancing Through Life' sequence when it enhances her exclusion as an outsider to its significance in the traditional imagery of a wicked witch. As such, the hat is emblematic of the show's message and is even enhanced in the musical's logo.

Sources: West End Theatre / Pinterest

Éponine's Coat

Andreane Neofitou designed the costumes of the original 1985 RSC and West End productions, 1987 original Broadway production, 2006 Broadway revival, 2010 UK and US tours, 2014 Broadway revival, 2017 US tour and 2019 West End productions of the musical. [4] Speaking of her intentions with her costumes in the 2000 Broadway production of the musical Jane Eyre, Neofitou stated that, 'I’m trying to bring a world--with period pieces, specifically, it’s an alien world--to modern audiences, to make that world the present...You have to make that costume so familiar, so real to that character, that the audience doesn’t see the costumes, it sees the character.' [5] This is certainly apparent in regards to Éponine's coat. Below is Neofitou's sketch of her costume design for Éponine, presumably in act two when she is tasked with delivering Marius' letter to Cosette before performing 'On My Own'. The presence of a cap but the lack of this now iconic coat suggests that it was introduced further along in the process. It was perhaps introduced in order to exemplify Éponine's desire to become unrecognisable. This signifies that costumes can help audiences connect to the story through including contemporary elements. The coat certainly would not look out of place in a contemporary wardrobe today, or in the 1980s. In the same interview, Neofitou went onto say that, 'I’m trying to augment what the director is saying or the actor is doing'. Neofitou evidently succeeded in enhancing the work of directors Trevor Nunn and John Caird, and Frances Ruffelle, as the coat has become synonymous with the character and continues to be used in productions today.

Sources: Pinterest / Broadway Box

Frenchy's Wig

Frenchy from Grease's pink hair is widely available in wig form today yet unfortunately I cannot find any interviews with the original Chicago designer or the original Broadway designer Carrie Robbins about how the iconic wig came to be. However, we can deduce information about her process through interviews where she speaks about other costumes in the show. The original production of Grease premiered in Chicago in 1971 before transferring Off-Broadway and then Broadway in 1972. Robbins was nominated for Best Costume Design at the Tonys and won Most Promising Costume Design at the Drama Desk Awards that year. [6] Discussing her work on the production in 2006, Robbins stated that, 'Frenchy had a red wig. We didn't have enough money for a red wig, we found a fairly crappy...blonde one, and we took a bunch of orange magic markers and magic markered the wig to get it red' [7]. Whilst seemingly speaking about the character's act one, pre-dyed hair, this gives an insight into the crafty creativity of Robbins' work. Clearly, Robbins' award winning costume designs were a result of her keen creative eye and her ability to adapt non-traditional materials. Furthermore, speaking to Jonathan Mandell in 2014, Robbins discussed 'making the poodle skirts out of a pink bathmat that was in my bathroom.' [8] These interviews signify that Robbins' design for Grease was led by her creativity and that she would do whatever she could to make her designs came to fruition. From the sketch below of Patti Simcox, the detail which Robbins went into is apparent and conveys her clear vision for these characters.

Sources: Playbill / Carrie Robbins Designage Inc

Prince and Sons' Boots

Gregg Barnes designed the eye-catching red boots which provide the musical's namesake: Kinky Boots. Regarding his process when designing costumes, Barnes stated that, 'You have be a chameleon with every project that comes along'. This chameleon quality is evident when considering that Barnes has been involved in designing both original costumes and costumes for musicals based on existing properties. For Kinky Boots, Barnes evidently had to take inspiration from the 2005 film and translate them for the stage. In an interview about the show, Barnes stated that, 'At the end of the play, there’s what is essentially a fashion show...But it’s not about the fashion, it has to be focused on the boots.' [9] The red boots are the centre of this story and this is exemplified in the fashion show finale. One element which was added, presumably to enhance their theatricality, were the long crossed laces. These cover the length of the red boots and are an accent which were not in the shoes of the film. Below is Barnes' sketch of Lola in the boots, complete with a costume which is also more eye-catching than Chiwetel Ejiofor wears in the film. Nonetheless, Barnes' version of this costume reflects the film's finale look for Lola. As such, Barnes' work on Kinky Boots ultimately captures the film upon which it was based whilst also enhancing its theatricality for the stage.

Sources: The Stage / Pinterest

The Phantom's Mask

Both the set design and costume design for Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera were produced by Maria Björnson. In an interview discussing Björnson's costumes, Associate Costume Designer Sam Fleming revealed that the half mask design was Björnson's idea: 'He should be half monster, half Valentino, which is why the side of his face is so made up. So he looks kind of like a silent movie era actor with all that very stylistic, a little too perfect makeup kind of thing.' [10] Two of her sketches are below, which Fleming states are proof of Björnson as the originator of the concept. This concept of two halves, two sides of the Phantom, seems to reflect the sense of a double throughout the musical: 'Angel or Father, friend or phantom?' Discussing her approach to set design, Björnson stated that, 'I'm not interested in pretty set rendering, I'm interested in emotional scenery and I'm interested in getting across ideas.' [11] Indeed, Björnson's approach to costume design seems to similarly be focused on implying ideas about the characters. Her 'stylistic' approach to the Phantom signifies how he utilises clothing to present himself as such. The mask for the 25th Anniversary Performance at the Royal Albert Hall was updated by Bob Saunders, who discussed Björnson's work in a behind the scenes featurette. He discussed the original concept, claiming that, 'The idea is that the Phantom has tried to make himself look extraordinarily attractive...Because of the period, he'd actually made this in fine porcelain'. [12] As such, the Phantom's mask both conveys aspects of his character whilst remaining accurate to the period, keeping audiences in the musical's world.

Sources: NYCgo / Pinterest

So, what can we learn from these talented creatives? Clearly, a mix of creativity and practicality is essential when designing costumes for the stage. Specifically, for commercial theatre, which each of these musicals is or has become. Interestingly, four of these five costume elements which have become some of the most iconic in musical theatre were a result of adaptation. Whether this be of a novel or a film, these costume designers had to produce costumes based on existing works whilst incorporating the tone of the productions. All five costume designers included in this list have produced costume elements which have become instantly recognisable. Perhaps this is less so for the red boots which may require the context of the musical, however they are iconic nonetheless. Ultimately, exploring these designers' processes can give us an insight into how they see costumes and the importance of creating garments which convey whom the characters are whilst still incorporating the elements necessary for the staging. It is a difficult task, which each of these designers have succeeded in, as evidenced by the legacies of each of these costume pieces.

Sources

[1] Fandom, Elphaba's Hat (2020) <https://wicked.fandom.com/wiki/Elphaba%27s_Hat>

[2] New York University, Backstage at "Wicked" with Costume Designer Susan Hilferty, online video recording, YouTube, 22 September 2015 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Ja2uAOVZo>

[3] Susan Hilferty, Annie on Broadway: Costume Designer Susan Hilferty Talks Process, online video recording, YouTube, 13 October 2012 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz8GjGcAAsE>

[4] BroadwayWorld, Andreane Neofitou Broadway and Theatre Credits (2020) <https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Andreane-Neofitou>

[5] Karin Lipson, ‘Her Costumes Fit the Actors and the Scene’, Los Angeles Times (2001) <https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-06-ca-8896-story.html>

[6] Internet Broadway Database, Grease (2020) <https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/grease-3641>

[7] CunyTV75, Women in Theatre: Carrie Robbins, Costume Designer, online video recording, YouTube, 8 June 2011 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSdZr5ThGJM>

[8] Jonathan Mandell, ‘Carrie Robbins, from Celebrated Broadway Costume Designer to Determined Off-Off Broadway Playwright’, HowlRound (2014) <https://howlround.com/carrie-robbins-celebrated-broadway-costume-designer-determined-broadway-playwright>

[9] Lisa Kennedy, ‘Costume Designer Gregg Barnes’ Kinky Boots were Made for Gawking’ (2014) <https://www.denverpost.com/2014/10/23/costume-designer-gregg-barnes-kinky-boots-were-made-for-gawking/>

[10] Ruthie Fierberg, ‘Inside the Tony-Winning Costume Design of Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera’ (2018) <https://www.playbill.com/article/inside-the-tony-winning-costume-design-of-broadways-the-phantom-of-the-opera>

[11] Benedict Nightingale, 'Conjuring an Eerie World for The Phantom' (1988) <https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/24/theater/conjuring-an-eerie-world-for-the-phantom.html>

[12] The Shows Must Go On!, The Makeup Behind The Mask | Backstage at The Phantom of The Opera, online video recording, YouTube, 20 July 2020 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KDjlfmOT14>