Hair and Makeup Tony’s question

Well, this has a very simple answer. Hair and makeup are designed (meaning specifically chosen and crafted) and usually by the same creative.

Much like a sound designer designs a space but doesn't do any of the day to day work. Or a lighting designing plots and designs a lighting setup but doesn't do any of the day to day work.

Makeup is charted and colors and specific items are chosen for each specific actor that is in a role. The hair's style, cut, color, etc. is decided upon. And, most commonly wigs need to be created.

ALL Broadway shows have make-up and hair/wig designers. Yes, the actors do apply these themselves and hair people put the wigs on them, etc but the make-up and hair style was designed by someone. Obviously, a show that uses the actor’s own hair and everyday make-up wouldn’t be considered for a nomination.

Same as asking why is the composer of a score being nominated and not the musicians playing the music every night in the pit. The musicians are playing music COMPOSED by someone. Same thing with make-up and hair designers. The actors/artists are recreating every performance the make-up and hair designed by a designer.

I think this is one of those cases where it's looped into costume design in judging the overall look of the actors and their appearances as the characters. Obviously they are separate designers, but in the same way props designers aren't included in the scenic design category or dance arrangers aren't included in the orchestrations category, it sort of falls under the umbrella of the costume design category. Perhaps a solution would be to include hair and wig designers as recipients when a show wins Best Costume Design rather than split them into additional categories.

This is apples and oranges when it comes to costume design vs hair design. And the unions would surely have something to say if they were combined for an award.

It’s definitely a more worthy category than Music Direction, Stage Management, or Casting, which are all services that are much tougher to adjudicate.

FashionI think a hair and makeup category for the Tony Awards could work. While it's true that some actors do their own makeup and hair, many productions have dedicated hair and makeup artists who create the looks for the entire cast. These artists work tirelessly to create intricate and detailed hairstyles and makeup looks that help bring the characters to life on stage. In fact, I know a lot of beauty bloggers and stylists who watch the Tony Awards just to see the hairstyles and makeup looks and then recreate them for their own followers. It's amazing how viral these looks can become! And if you're interested in reading more about the intersection of fashion and the Tony Awards, I suggest checking out the Fashion website. They have some great articles and reviews on the latest trends in fashion and beauty.

Updated On: 4/28/23 at 03:30 AM