Quick Costume Changes — Page 2

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#26

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 1:01pm

When I did The Sound of Music, as Liesl, I had a ridiculously quick costume change from the end of Do-Re-Mi into the next scene with Rolf. I wore a velvet dress under my "sailor" costume. Ran off stage, ripped of the sailor stuff, changed my shoes, and ran on stage. That was crazy.

"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#27

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 1:07pm

In the Sound of Music, I played Max. During the reprise of Do, Re, Mi at the end, when they sing at the festival, I had to change in some 30 seconds from four-piece suit to a full tux with tails. It was pretty speedy. One night i actually went on wihtout my shoes.

No one noticed.

Gotta love the 50 foot rule.

#28

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 1:25pm

In Lend Me a Tenor, Max has two costume changes: One during the first act, and one during the second. For the first act, he has to be his Othello costume (Which includes black face make up) in about three or four minutes, which is hard...believe me.

The second act has to go quicker. Max has to change into his tuxedo AND get the black face off.

If anyone ever does Lend Me a Tenor, make sure Max has an army to change him. Trust me...

What the puck?!

#29

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 1:42pm

On the same subject SOM, there are many fast changes for all of the children. I was involved in a production of SOM a few years ago (in which the cast included a certain RustyJusty many of us are familian with on this board), and I worked as a dresser backstage for the two boys of the show and there were some ridiculous changes. The one from their playclothes to their uniforms before they sing for the governess springs to mind as possibly the fastest. Also, the change from uniforms to dressy clothes for the party.

"Because what is more like love than the ocean? You can play in it, drown in it. It can be clear and bright enough to hurt your eyes, or covered in fog; hidden behind a curve of road, and then suddenly there in full glory. Its waves come like breaths, in and out, in and out, body stretched to forever in its possibilities, and yet its heart lies deep, not fully knowable, inconceivably majestic."

#30

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 2:01pm

In hairspray, when tracy and edna change during "Welcome to the Sixties".

#31

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 2:07pm

In "Mamma Mia", the character of Donna goes behind a piece of the set (a wall), and changes into a wedding dress, complete with a veil and different shoes, in about 20 seconds. It's insane!

"Years from now, when you talk about this - And you will - Be kind. "

#32

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 2:12pm

In LSOH, if you have the same actor playing all the roles in "The Meek Shall Inherit", that is some massive quick changing!

And, if you have full costumes for R&J, Juliet's change into her wedding outfit is very quick. Especially if any of the Friar and Romeo's dialogue is cut before her entrance!

johnraymondbarker.com

#33

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 3:23pm

Cinderella in Cinderella-- After she runs away in her full ball dress to going back to complete peasant- Pretty quick

#34

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 3:27pm

I now that Norbert has to make one quick change in DRS. Greg told me during my tour that theres no designated quick change area so he does it behind a sheet that somebody will hold up for him, lol.

#35

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 3:30pm

The three characters in "The Meek Shall Inherit" in Little Shop have very quick changes. Two 30 second changes right after each other.

There's also a one act by Michael Faryn called "Chinamen" that has two actors playing 5 parts and they've got about 5 quick changes (all around 30 seconds) each AT LEAST in a 40 minute show.

Eeeeeeyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaannnnnddddd aaaaaaaiiiiiiiiyyyyyyaaaaaammmmmmmm teeeeeeeelllllliiiiiinnngg yyyyooooooouuuuuuuwwwaaaahh...

#36

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 3:30pm

Ugh... the Gypsy change from Silor to sleeping Farm boy always made me angry... luckily, we all just decided to keep the sailor pants on, and put pajama tops over them... and we were wearing robes... so it was all ok...

Joseph has some ridiculous ones for the Brothers though... and Wizard of Oz. If you're playing a winkie and a jitter bug... omg...

The best story I have is I was playing Julian Marsh in 42nd Street, and I was changing from Lullaby of Broadway to the montage scnee. I had half of one suit on under my over coat, and the pants from the one I wore in the previous scene... I jsut had to run offstage, and change pants... bu the lights came up to quick... luckally, I have some improv training... so I pretended I was on the phoen with someone... saying "I know she's late... does SHE realize what time it is? It's 8:02!" And then ran onstage looking for her... and she came on. Luckily I had an amazing sound guy who knew what I was doing, and turned my mic on...

The director still jokes about the look of death I gave him from across the stage when the lights came up. :-p

that's a really big mic...

#37

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 3:41pm

the fastest changes i have ever experienced were

-a chorus line: very very brisk! can't tell you how many times people came out in the line in the wrong order due to costume changes that went awry.

-42nd street: change from 'dames' 4 into 'dames' 12 with canes. that was crazy fast....wouldn't have been so fast if i didn't have to run to the other side of the stage.

our girls in 42nd street had a crazy fast change out of the 'beauty school' section of dames into the rainbow dresses.

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day that says, "I will try again tomorrow."

#38

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 3:43pm

Not only did Douglas Sills have 4 (I believe) rapid costume changes during The Meek Shall Inherit, but he alternated the sides of the stage he walked onto for each time he entered. And he went from being a man to being a woman with stockings, high heels, a wig, a dress with matching top, and a mink shawl. Amazing.

#39

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 3:49pm

I heard the year Kristin won the Tony for YAGMCB she had an unbelievable quick change out of her Sally costume into real clothes. Apparently she peformed right before the annouced teh winner.

I remember reading that Rosie insisted (or at least persuaded the powers that be) after the issue was raised by Kristin, to permit her to have assistance and do a quick change so that if she in fact won that she not be forced to accept the award dressed as her character. I think it was something like 12 seconds, but I could be wrong on the amount of time.

#40

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 3:55pm

There is a very quick costume change in Dreamgirls that is basically done onstage, and when done right, can be quite thrilling.

#41

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 4:01pm

"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."

I believe I saw this performance.

CCM '10!

#42

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 4:03pm

I'm confused... how did the changes work for Dreamgirls?

#43

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 4:06pm

I really do think Chenoweth has everyone beat in costume changes. From going to the Glinda costume in that HUGE blue dress with the curly hair to The school girl uniform and the Straight hair and hat. She changes clothes and wigs! Not to mention has to climb onto that stack of suit cases. That takes some skillz!

*bling bling*

#44

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 4:07pm

parts of a costume can be velcroed up in to the rest of it... making it look smaller. You pull the velcro open, letting the bits of the dress hang lower, and making it all hang out, that was up inside. Did that make any sense? Well thiunk of it like this. You have a dress. It has strips of velcro on it. You take one bit of the dress, and velcro it up on the front of it, and the other half, and velcro that onto the back... so it's shorter, and all the extra fabric is on the inside. When you undo the velcro, the extra fabric falls out, making it look like a totally new dress, because it's longer and fuller.

that's a really big mic...

#45

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 4:09pm

In Dreamgirls, during one of the montages, the girls disapear for a few seconds, and come back on it new costumes. When i saw it, they went behind a curtain, and came back on in a matter of seconds. It got full audience applause.

#46

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 4:27pm

The Dreamgirls change is similar to the Lady of the Lake's regular dress that becomes a wedding dress in Spamalot, but more complicated.

#47

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 5:31pm

I think it would be funny to watch(and not be part of) the scene backstage when a whole bunch of people have a quick change at the same time... I was in 42nd Street and we would all come off and drop our pants/skirts the second we got into the wings... It was mass chaos and then we all walk back on stage like nothing happened... Oh The Illusion that is... THEATER!

#48

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 5:39pm

Dreamgirls beats them all
She's gotta change costumes during the bridge of her 11 o'clock number

#49

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 5:42pm

About five years ago I saw an off Broadway show call the Mystery of Irma Vep. It was a two man show and it was impressive to see a man walk off in a tux and walk back on literally two seconds later in a full Victorian gown. Its one of the most impressive shows I have ever seen. And I think I remember reading that there was some huge amount of costume changes in the opening number of the original production of the La Cage.

#50

re: Quick Costume Changes

Posted: 9/25/05 at 5:56pm

I second the Cinderella costume change.

I already posted this somewhere, I think, but I was Cinderella, and they mushed the second and third acts together, so I had about 15 seconds of music to do a full costume change (ballgown to peasant outfit). The most difficult part was sprinting around the stage and down a spiral staircase with one shoe on. And it was most important that I wasn't wearing a glass slipper while onstage for the Act 3 stuff. We messed up a couple of times...

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