In no particular ranking:
1. Edna's dress during "Welcome to the Sixties" --
Hairspray It's just wild and crazy, and such a break away from the woman's agoraphobia.
2. The chorus girls with beer, pretzels, nazi crows, and wienerschnitzel headdresses during "Springtime for Hitler" --
The Producers When I saw the show, I was with a friend that got really
happy/tipsy after one pre-show drink. (She's a real lightweight when it comes to alcohol) So, the show--though already funny--was all the more funny due to her "state." She tells me, however, that the minute that the woman with the Wienerschnitzel headdress paraded downstage, she LOST IT! I have to admit I love these costumes because they reflect PERFECTLY the excess of Roger DeBris.
3. Captain Hook's entire wardrobe --
Peter Pan @ St. Louis MUNY (2002)
Lee Roy Reams was Captain Hook, and he pulled out all the stops to create the
GAYEST--and probably the most risky--interpretation of Captain Hook I have ever seen. His ensemble consisted of dark black base with splashes of vibrant oranges, yellows and purples. His flashy makeup was in accordance. If that wasn't enough, his headdresses got bigger with every entrance he made onstage. More feathers, more color, more tallness. It was freakin' amazing how that got past the censors.
4. The whole cast of
Sweeney Todd @ Chicago Lyric Opera
The black/white/brown/grey color-pallette of costumes made everyone look like corpses raised from the dead to tell the story of Sweeney. It was chilling...especially when paired with the eery, chalklike makeup jobs done on everyone, including Johanna and Anthony.
5.
Die Zauberflöte -- Opera Theatre St. Louis
The gown for the Queen of the Night was stunning. Plus, I absolutely adored the gowns/hats for the Three Ladies. They all wore dark-dark-blue gowns with tri-corner hats (modeled after the famous hat from the film
Amadeus) with veils streaming down. When I saw the three women assume a pose straight out of
Dreamgirls, I thanked God for modern opera stagings!
-SuperSchubert
Updated On: 8/7/04 at 01:13 AM