Quick Costume Changes- Page 3

[ShuQ]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 6:04pm

I was a dresser for "A Tuna Christmas" and it was a riot. Probably the most fun I've ever had backstage. I was shocked to hear that one production had TWELVE dressers...I think people would just get in the way. We had two dressers (one for each player) and I was the utility dresser...in charge of things like canes, bracelets, earrings, shoes, etc. The best is at the curtain call...the dressers always took a bow wearing some of the costume pieces.

If you're ever in HONK! and it's done the way it's written in the script, you'll learn a new meaning to the word fast costume change. In the script, there are only about 10 actors that double 2-3 roles. I've never had to change so fast in my life...I was late on MULTIPLE occasions.

[JasonM12480]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 8:35pm

Two words - "Das Barbecu"

Until you've done that show, I don't want to hear about fast costume changes. 5 actors play almost 30 roles. Fastest change I had was finishing a song, and not leaving the stage - lights go down, lights come up and I'm another character. The costumers had to run out on stage and change me - I think it was a total of 6 seconds. It was unbelievable - but so much fun!

[bjivie2]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 8:39pm

The onstage quick change in "I Am Changing" for Dreamgirls is not all that difficult. It requres Effie to take off the huge frock she's wearing and throw it to someone behind her. Not exactly a difficult quick change, but very effective.

[stagegirl21]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 11:02pm

The Edna/Tracy QC in welcom to the 60s is a little crazy since it required so many of us.
Flower Drum Song the begining change was 11 seconds for half the cast, rest of the cast was 27 seconds.

But yes, I am always impressed with the Dreamgirls change....I applaud those involved with that.

[best12bars]

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

The Effie costume change isn't all that difficult, no... unless you're the one performing it and singing the song at the same time you're changing in front of the audience... with a tight follow spot hitting you in the face the whole time!

No, that doesn't sound difficult at all.



...Besides, I thought her coat was Velro'd up to her shoulders. She pulls the Velcro loose, and the coat falls down around her, revealing the evening dress (actually the inside lining of the coat). Something like that.

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

[JulianHookbucks]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 11:24pm

In Millie... has anyone else noticed that not only does she change her costume/shoes, and Sutton changed her Wig... but Susan didn't considering it was her own Bob, and just a fall with a headband that they pulled off... but her make up as well? Becuase as Young Millie... her lips were more pouty, and in the center... drawn that is... and when she comes back out through the revolving doors... she has fuul lips and everything.

I wonder though... since her young Millie dress is so ...loose... did she have the other one on under it? And just took that one off? Even though the Young dress had higher sleeves than the Modern one? Could she have lust rolled up the sleeves? Are they alowed to do that to those amazingly expensive costumes? I mean... granted... 30 seconds is a long time... but...

anyone know?

[Dre2387]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 11:47pm

I read in the Playbill yearbook that one of the ensemble members has 26 seconds to change costume and wig and get onstage. hard stuff.

[RustyJusty830]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 12:07am

My friend Christine, who just went on for the first time as Tracey on the national tour of Hairspray, called me a few days ago and told me about every last detail of her performance, including how during "Welcome to the 60s", she barely made it out of those doors in time for Edna to shout "BABY!". Yikes!- Tracey is required to change her dress, shoes, bow, and everything! However, Chrissy said the fear of not making it out on stage, gave her an adrenaline rush like no other, helping her to perform the hell out of the rest of the number!

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 3:24am

My highschool did Guys and Dolls several years ago, and we had a change form hell. About 3 people had to be onstage for the end of one scene in new York, and then be onstage for the begining of the next scene (Havana) in different costumes. There were probably 4 or 5 other people who had about 20 seconds during the opening of the scene to change. It was a tornado of flesh and fabric in the dressing room, leaving destruction and chaos in its wake.

Ahhh, fun times.

[mrcacou]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 3:26am

In the original version of Sunset Boulevard, I remember Norma going up the stairs, going through the doors dressed in black, and then about 15 seconds later going out dressed in another way. It happened about 5 or 6 times during the show. I remember EP saying it was like a marathon to her climbing the stairs, get dressed, going down the stairs, going up the stairs, get changed .... and so on.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 6:37am

I seem to remember Liza in "The Act" had a change that was so quick it had to be done on stage just by dropping the dress on her from the flys and the chorus did her up.

[mrcacou]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 6:44am

I think my favorite quick change will remain Hugh Jackmann nearly naked changing in front of the audience in The Boy from Oz. mmmm

[TargemQ8]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 10:16am

My Fair Lady has a passel of them for Eliza... In the montage of "tutoring scenes" (the marbles, flame, etc, leading into Rain in Spain), a good/mildly sadistic director will insist on *onstage* changes during quick blackouts in order to show the passage of time. I believe there are 5, and due to clever costume construction, the production I was in actually got applause on a couple of them.
The one from the Embassy Ballgown to the Show Me costume was interesting, too... you can theoretically just put a coat on, but it's rather hard to beat the snot out of Freddie wearing 15 lbs of crystal beads and corset.

[JHartnow]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 10:41am

Belle has some crazy changes in Beauty and the Beast. It takes three of us to change her-with most of her changed being under a minute. Gowns, hoops, wigs, shoes-sheesh!

[WOSQ]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 10:44am

Passionella in The Apple Tree where the character is instantly transformed from a dirty-faced girl into Marilyn Monroe.

A double was onstage as this was going on.

The actress cleaned her face of the 'dirt'. She had the glamour makeup on underneath although eyelashes and lipstick had to go on somehow. This role was done by Barbara Harris, Phyllis Newman and Sue Ann Langdon during the NY run.

A wig person did her hair.
Two dressers, one on either side of her stripped the dirty dress and got her into the form fitting glitter cloth gown.
Another zipped it up while the first two did the shoes.

Another dresser was cleaning the dirt from her arms. I don't know if a sixth dresser was doing the jewelery or if that was sewn to the costume.

The telling of the tale had six dressers involved.

They had at most two seconds. Okay, maybe three.

Talk about the audience going crazy at the re-entrance.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 10:46am

The changes during DREAMGIRLS' "Heavy" and Act I of THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP are the fastest I've ever seen -- both under 5 seconds.

[Playbill9117]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 2:26pm

Tracy and Edna Turnblad each have about 30 seconds to change during "Welcome To the Sixites" in HAIRSPRAY.

[kate2]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 7:24pm

this may sound very stupid, but in ASU, when "lorraine" is standing in the doorway to the bar and chad and other people are singing outside the bar... (it might be during CMON EVERYBODY, but im not exactly sure) how do they rip the sweater and colorless skirt off of lorraine to reveal a bright purple outfit!?

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:29pm

I watched ASU's performance on the Today show very closely to try and figure out how Lorraine's dress changed. I THINK a chord is attatched to the back of her colorless skirt and the front part of her clothes is slit opened (so you can't see it). When the chord is pulled, her colorless clothes are ripped back exposing the bright purple outfit. This is all a theory though.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:49pm

The ones that immediately come to mind are Glinda to Galinda in Wicked, though I'm talking about the original not the new costume. Also, Radames' entrance is a big one as well.

[matthew2]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 10:47pm

there was a musical in london 2 years ago called our house, the main character was shown from 2 different perspectives, a good and bad. the good was in white and the bad was in black. he changes a full costume behind some umbrellas in 4 seconds. i have a clip of it, and dont worry its not a bootleg! this dvd was officially released, ive just recorded a clip.

http://s38.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=17Y60X6DNIX411FDGOOI466QZA

[show2n2]

Posted: 9/28/05 at 12:37am

I did the Max thing in S.O.M. also. Presto, Chango! Why did they do that to such a nice old broad? :)

The Witch in Into The Woods... end of Act I. Wow. Gotta Love Bernadette. :) Hope she's ok.

[Luvz2Sing247]

Posted: 9/22/06 at 7:35am

Our school did The Music Man this year, and Marian (me) had 25 seconds to change from a white, skinny skirt/dress to this pale pink dress, change my wig and earings. I had the pink corset on under the white top, and 2 people pulled off dress and slipped me into the pink one, a girl changed my wig and i put in my earings.

i'll never forget doing this, and i wasn't even late!
Updated On: 9/22/06 at 07:35 AM

[coolphantom919]

Posted: 9/22/06 at 8:11am

In Into The Woods, I think the Witch has the fastest costume change.

[Buscee]

Posted: 9/22/06 at 8:21am

The Witch in INTO THE WOODS, and Cinderella in CINDERELLA are fast, but these changes are done with doubles.