Quick Costume Changes

[StandingO]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 11:44pm

I was reading a post about someone (green) not making a quick costume change during a recent performance. It made me wonder about other shows and roles with extremely fast costume changes. The change into the finale costumes in A Chorus Line comes to mind, and Bobby in Crazy for You has several really fast changes into Zangler. Any others?

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 11:47pm

During the title song in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Millie has 30 seconds to change from her first outfit to her new modern one.

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 11:49pm

Galinda's change from the bubble dress to her Shiz outfit is rather quick.

Christine's last change in Phantom is ridiculously fast. She has about 20 seconds to get out of the huge pink Don Juan dress into a wedding gown. She just stands up and about 3 people strip and re-dress her in the wings off stage left.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 11:55pm

mina and lucy had many quick changes in dracula.

one particularily quick one was when lucy had to change out of her dress and hat that she wore in "how do you choose?" right to the scene before "the mist". she wore the second costume under the first...but boy. that was a fast change. and she had to get the hat off and everything. but she made it everytime!
Updated On: 9/24/05 at 11:55 PM

[theatrebabe]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 12:04am

When I was in Annie, our Annie had a very fast costume change before the Christmas scene.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 12:05am

i read somewhere glinda's change is 9 seconds, it was more impressive before the "universal changes" made for the tour since even the wig changed originally.

also the recent rocky horror revival had some really fast changes (i'm still baffled as to how daphne got out of the space-suit, down from the rafters, into the usherette costume, and back into place that quick)

in my production of chicago my roxie has the change from hell going into the second half of nowadays. She does the number up until the announcer break in a blue dress sitting on the stairs, then once the curtain closes she has 30 seconds to change her entire costume, and get on the elevator to make her entrance with velma.

[ticenewyorkcity]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 12:31am

sometimes...if done out of originality of the show Annie's change into her red dress is horribly fast

the orphans also change into their "rainbow" dresses really fast for the curtian call

peggy, in the 42nd st. revival had a really quick change into her finale/curtian call dress

also. personally, the change from sailor to sleeping chorus boy in GYPSY has never EVER been easy
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[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 12:33am

Doesn't Meg Giry have half a minute to change sometime in act 1?

[Mythus]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 1:00am

Michael McGrath changes from the Mayor to Patsy in Spamalot in about forty seconds.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 1:10am

I had to do the Bobby/Zangler change...it's all about presetting the clothes and the people who help you.

[Labashier]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 2:09am

I was in a revue a while ago, and I had to do a complete costume change in a single line (two average-length sentences) that I spoke into an off-stage mic.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 2:17am

Smokey joe's cafe, the 4 guys had about 8 seconds in pitch black to change for "On Broadway", that one was fast..

[neocomposer]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 5:02am

Its not a costume change, but its quick! The actor playing Timon in TLK has to go from onstage to an elevator and back to where he "fell" from the waterfall in about 20 seconds.

I learned that from a 7 year old this summer at camp. She read it to me from a book about A day at the New Amsterdam.

Updated On: 9/25/05 at 05:02 AM

[stage_door76]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 5:55am

it is true that the glinda change is only (approx) 9 seconds. a stage miracle!

kristin and idina joke about it on "broadway: the american musical."

[Jon]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 6:31am

The most impressive one I've ever seen was in the Finale of KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN - Molina going from his usual prison garb to complete white tuxedo, shoes, etc. in about 20 seconds.

[Penny4Eyes]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 7:28am

how about baby june in gypsy. she has to change into different costumes for back to back songs. right after baby june and her newsboys, she has to get changed onstage for the whole little "uncle sam" routine

[Fiyero2]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 9:52am

Glinda in WICKED
christine in Phantom
and
Carlotta in Phantom she goes from her notes dress right into her Poor fool dress....

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 10:28am

Radames' change from first scene white Linen to second scene red battle gear in Aida is very quick.

Ryan Link who covered Radames on the Aida tour, told a funny story about being late for his second scene entrance the very first time he played the role because he couldn't get changed in time due to a tangled microphone cord. He had to sing the first two lines of Fortune Favors the Brave offstage. And when he finally got on stage, his boots were still undone. Despite all of the choreography during that song, he managed to avoid tripping over his flapping footwear.

After that little mishap, the cast nicknamed him "Bootsie."

And I attended a regional production of Aida this summer in which the actor playing Radames had the same problem. He too had to sing the first 3 lines of Fortune offstage. When he finally made it onstage, everyone there had to work exceedingly hard not to crack up, including the actor himself. Of course, most audience members never knew that anything had gone wrong. Only people who'd seen other productions of the musical picked up on the missed cue.
Updated On: 9/25/05 at 10:28 AM

[Patronus]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 10:46am

I recall the costume change for Edna and Tracy in Hairspray to be rather fast.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 10:49am

There is a lightning-fast costume change in Dreamgirls. (I think it's during "Heavy.") The trio runs through a silver curtain and runs back out again, giving the appearence of a seamless costume change. (I think they did it in about 5-10 seconds.) I remember the Broadway audience literally gasping and applauding when it happened.

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 10:57am

Tzeitel's change into her wedding dress in Fiddler is quite quick.

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 11:05am

Mmmhmm, I think Dreamgirls might take the cake. The three of them have dresses on for the first part of Heavy (the ABC taping), then a silver curtain comes down in front of them, and when they emerge literally four seconds later, they are wearing completely different-looking dresses (though it's still the same dress).

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 11:23am

re: Dreamgirls...

Yeah, I know it was more of an illusion, involving Velcro, and costumes under costume pieces, etc. It gave the appearance of a complete costume change though.

And I think you're right... it was done in about 4 seconds. It totally blew my mind.

You can actually add in Effie's costume change during the song "I Am Changing" (no pun intended). She does a similar "complete" costume change without ever leaving the stage. For the first part of the scene & song, she is wearing a nice knee-length coat with a skirt hem showing underneath it (also knee-length). A nice sensible outfit for a girl at an audition. The spotlight closes in on her face then opens wide to reveal her singing in a glamorous, floor-length sequined dress. She never leaves the stage for this transformation. Another "Velcro miracle!"

Updated On: 9/25/05 at 11:23 AM

[Elizabeth_DeBris]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 11:25am

Clara has a relatively fast costume change, in Passion- after the first scene, she goes from (virtually) nothing, to full-blown hoop-skirt-ensemble... thing. I'm wonderful at describing things, aren't I?

[hak]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 12:58pm

if you've seen [or done] any of the TUNA Trilogy: Greater Tuna, A Tuna Christmas, or Red Whit And Tuna those costume changes are done in a snap. when my local theatre did ATC there were 5-6 people dressing each actor, so for a 2 man play we had 12 dressers and 3 people to change sets back stage! crazyness