Honestly, in some ways I kind of prefer that the costumes go to the rental houses over going to museums (with the exception of a truly historic or iconic piece from time to time, such as those in the Smithsonian collection). When you think about it, what's a greater thrill, especially for a young theatre fan: to know that a costume from a show they loved is sitting in a glass case somewhere, or for their high school production to rent those pieces and get to wear and perform in costumes designed by some of the great Broadway designers of the modern era? As someone who once got to wear William Ivey Long's Guys and Dolls costumes, I can tell you I would gladly choose that option again. It offered us the chance to see details that we never would have seen from those tiny photos in the CD liner notes (Adelaide's "Bushel and a Peck" costume had chicken feet incorporated into the headdress!), and also offered our audiences the chance to relish in them as well, many of whom would probably ever see anything on Broadway, or travel anywhere to see a Broadway Costume Museum.
