Stage Designs 

Most  stage designs are versatile and may be redesigned to produce unique backdrops for parties and events, tailored to any theme. For me, each scene indicated by an author should be considered correctly, just as each note in his orchestral score and in each sentence of his poetry,” he wrote of his approach to staging Wagner in his book The Stage — My Life” (1996). He did pioneering work with lighting, projections and holography, paving the way for some of the technical stage wizardry that is common today. In The Stage — My Life,” which takes the form of a conversation with the music scholar Kurt Pahlen, the designer discussed his approach.

Mr. Schneider-Siemssen had a special ability to translate the visions of directors into stage imagery, Mr. Schenk said in a telephone interview, praising his versatility, especially in returning to works he had designed before. One famous play has an elaborate set that shows the stage from the front in one-act and from the back side in the second act. In a stage play the sets just have to suggest the location and maybe the mood of the scene. 
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Although we weren’t speaking of costumes in this article….It’s not uncommon to see some of Shakespeare’s plays performed with only the actors wearing period costumes. For instance, fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel make good use of stage enhancements. That is exactly what they did on the Miner Family Stage and they set the bar pretty high. They easily pumped out one of the tightest, most energetic sets of the day – mark my word, these guys are destined for greatness.

How Important a Great Stage Is

 If you are in the theatre business, you know just how important a great stage is for your production. Maintaining the illusion on the stage is half the battle when it comes to a play. Islander hit the ReverbNation stage at noon following short sets from side stage opening bands Lola Black and NeverWake. Exodus, Starset, Testament and Hatebreed had flown through their opening sets on the ReverbNation and Jager stages by 1:30 P.M. and it was time for Young Guns to get the main stages rolling.

Graves, the stage name of Alejandro Rose-Garcia, showed that just because the stage might be called Bluegrass Situation, it was far from being an exclusively bluegrass tent. The show was just the kind of high energy adrenaline shot needed at what is the Bonnaroo equivalent of dawn and threw down the gauntlet for every performer to take the stage for the remainder of the day. Anytime Washburn, Giddens, and Jarosz were on stage together, there was a noticable electricity. 

However, for productions that have a sizable budget, obtaining a professionally designed and created stage background is a preferable option. They are placed in a way that allows the stage crew to swap other scenery and props. In some cases, more than one backdrop may appear on stage during certain scenes. Another instance in which stage backdrops are often used is for group photographs.

Costuming a Broadway Show

Once upon a time in the village of Bergen-Lafayette, there lived a man named James Crochet, Jim for short. Welcome to the entryway of Barbara Matera, Ltd…..Through this doorway, dozens of employees are working diligently to finish select costumes for the upcoming Broadway national tour of Beauty and the Beast On the walls, autographed theatrical production posters hang alongside photographs of Barbara Matera with legendary figures like the Duchess of York, Barbra Streisand, Angela Lansbury and Mikhail Baryshnikov.  This is how one begins to costuming a broadway show.

As far back as the ’50s and ’60s, when the burgeoning Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway movements were spawning a generation of playwrights, directors and actors who would dominate the next generation of American theater, as well as film and television, the seeds of the future have been planted in storefronts, basements and church halls where actors not only perform, but build sets, sew costumes and staff the box office.

These Lion King objects join a rich collection of artifacts with Broadway origins, including costumes from the Broadway productions of Hello, Dolly!,” Fiddler on the Roof,” This Is the Army,” Kiss of the Spider Woman,” Mame” and Lorelei”; theater awards, including three Tony Awards; props from the musical The Fantasticks”; Rose Marie’s copy of the musical score of Top Banana”; and numerous Broadway playbills and posters.

He was a member of the Broadway company of Mary Poppins, where he was a dancing statue, dancing chimney sweep, dancing bunny and understudy for Bert and Robertson Ay. Other credits include the title character in Tarzan (Arvada), Zach in A Chorus Line (Maltz Jupiter), Eddie in Funny Girl (Vero Beach Riverside), Buzz in South Pacific (Paper Mill) and regional productions of Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone, Thoroughly Modern Millie and 42nd Street.

The creative team is comprised of Tony Award-winners Bob Crowley (sets and costumes), Natasha Katz (lighting), Jon Weston (sound), 59 Productions (projections) with the musical score adapted, arranged and supervised by Rob Fisher, orchestrations by Christopher Austin, dance arrangements by Sam Davis, musical supervision by Todd Ellison, and additional orchestrations by Don Sebesky and Bill Elliott.

Broadway projects include: South Pacific (2008 Tony Award), Movin’ Out (Tony® and Drama Desk nominations), Thoroughly Modern Millie, A Streetcar Named Desire (Tony nomination), Les Liasons Dangereuses (Tony nomination), The Little Dog Laughed, Gem of The Ocean (Tony nomination), Hughie, Juan Darién (Tony® and Drama Desk nominations), Eastern Standard, Little Shop of Horrors, The Boy From Oz, many others.

Her regional work includes M. Butterfly and On the Verge, for director Tazewell Thompson (Arena Stage) and the Gershwin musical American in Paris by Ken Ludwig for director Gregory Boyd (Alley Theatre, Houston) as well as The Tempest (Anthony Hopkins as Prospero) & Flea in Her Ear (director Tom Moore at Mark Taper Forum), many productions for the Guthrie (MN), Williamstown, and many others from Alaska to Buffalo.

Even as a feminist who advocates for female-driven stories to be told more universally, my initial reaction was, ‘can you actually do this?’ It was telling to me that watching a female-dominated storyline that is so honest and upfront about this most basic female condition – and finds it important to talk and teach about, and worthy enough to raise up into song on the Broadway stage – took some adjusting to accept.

Costuming Broadway Shows

It’s all about costuming Broadway shows. This isn’t a fairy tale, by the way, it’s the real-life story of a Jersey City resident and owner of Leading Lady Costumes , a local company that rents and creates original pieces for shows on and off Broadway. For about 20 years, Crochet has been building” costumes (that’s apparently the lingo in the biz). He has designed for more than 50 productions in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area, including 12 operas and 20 musicals. In one semester, I ended up building costumes and designing for my first opera in 1991,” he says.

He’s also an avid collector of Broadway costumes and will share some of his favorite pieces at the Landmark Loew’s Theater Festival for STAGEfest , a three-day festival with 18 music, dance and theater acts. Last year, Crochet started Leading Lady Costumes, which specializes in Broadway-quality period and historical costumes. Check out these current Broadway shows, two of the most popular shows on Broadway!

Depending on whether or not clients are ordering costumes they intend to keep or use and then leave in his stock, Crochet says he can have quite a bit of say in how the costumes are designed. It’s everything I’ve collected over the years and a lot of them are from specific Broadway shows. Some ran longer than others, a lot were worn by famous people, some by chorus members or by chorus members who later became Broadway stars. I have dresses worn by Angela Lansbury and costumes worn by Mandy Patinkin — it’s an oddball assortment!” he says.

The exhibit, which will be on display throughout the many halls and corridors of the Loew’s Theater movie palace, will feature costumes from Titanic on Broadway, The Secret Garden, finale costumes from the original 1975 production of A Chorus Line, the recent Broadway production of The Addams Family, revivals of The Music Man and My Fair Lady and more. Large scrim of the nine Muses, a hard flying XANADU sign, disco balls, lavish costumes for cast of 39.

One of Crochet’s favorites is an original costume for legendary actress Lillian Gish (often called the First Lady of American Cinema”) from the short-lived Broadway show Anya, which ran for only 16 performances. Another highlight of the exhibit are several costumes from the original production of the Tony-award nominated musical Side Show, a cult classic among musical theater geeks based on the lives of Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who became famous stage performers in the 30’s. The show’s costumes were designed by famed glitz and glamor costumer Gregg Barnes. Broadway First National Tour sets, props and costumes – complete and in excellent condition.

Some of the costumes were worn by stars Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, who were nominated for a Tony as Best Actress in a Musical as a team for their work in Side Show — the first and only time such a thing has happened. Costumes: Complete, colorful, imaginative, designed for large cast including children’s undersea ensemble; inspired by film but wholly original Spectacular overall package, critically acclaimed and well-reviewed by the few companies who have used it. See dozens of color photos of sets, props, and costumes at Magical transformations are accomplished with video, which is included.

Broadway Costumes

Many of the current shows on Broadway are so popular that they’ve been running continuously for years. Below you’ll find a list of all NYC Broadway shows appearing or scheduled to appear on Broadway in New York City. This famous Broadway show features outstanding performances, elaborate  Broadway costumes, and an unmistakable score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, and Richard Stilgoe. For longtime theatergoers and Broadway initiates, this popular Broadway musical is a must-see. If you’re looking for dazzling choreography and catchy cabaret tunes, check out Chicago the Musical , one of the best shows on Broadway. The Lion King : One of the best kid-friendly Broadway musicals, The Lion King on Broadway is a musical spectacle like nothing you’ve ever seen.

If you’re looking for awe-inspiring, adrenaline-pumping choreography and special effects, catch a performance of Spider-man Turn Off the Dark , a brand-new Broadway show featuring music by U2’s Bono and The Edge. This family friendly Broadway show is full of the catchiest songs and a great story to pair! Tickets for all the Broadway shows are fairly easy to come by, but the biggest mistake you could make would be waiting until the last minute to get your tickets to any of the current Broadway shows!

While these are all great choices, if you’re looking for a laugh out loud comedy to lift your spirits and make your NYC trip that much more enjoyable, the Book of Mormon Musical will open your mind as you’re crying your eyes out (in the best possible way.) We offer discount Broadway tickets to many of the best shows in New York City. This outstanding Broadway production features elaborate costumes, gorgeous sets, and a memorable soundtrack by Elton John and Hans Zimmer. This popular Broadway musical features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman.

Tickets sell faster than any item on the clearance rack at Barney’s, especially the discounted tickets to current Broadway shows ! Book your tickets in advance and get ready for an unforgettable experience no matter which of the current Broadway shows you decide to see! The plan for the renamed Wick Theatre is to mount a six-show season of classic Broadway musicals with some straight plays, staffed with both Equity and non-Equity performers. In a synergy that Wick feels is crucial to fiscal success, she will move her popular Broadway Collection Museum of authentic costumes from Broadway shows to the site, with an opening in October. It was to be one of the largest collections of Broadway costumes in the country.

Wick has acknowledged that neither she nor her staff has much experience producing shows or managing a theater. Evans is the former CEO of Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment and president of its Broadway China Ventures. But that deal fell apart early in 2012 when the two parties argued about the size of the debt that Wick would be taking on. Stage Door has since become more financially stable thanks to several successful shows.

It solidified its clout when it acquired Dodger Costumes in 2005, giving it an inventory of 1.2 million pieces including the original costumes from 35 Broadway shows. Its two locations in Broward County, on-line operation, plus stores in Austin, Pittsburgh and Dallas service 100 shows a month, not to mention special events and Halloween parties. While the Caldwell presented musicals, some patrons complained that it was not sonically adequate for musicals. So … hmmm … they are going to produce 6 plays and musicals in a year, with Equity and Non Equity performers.

It will take some creative thinking,” Evans said, citing the solutions used by the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut which stages lavish musicals with virtually no wing or fly space. I realize the economy is not great.” Neither Wick nor her staff has much experience producing shows or managing a theater. A six-show season of classic Broadway musicals with some straight plays, staffed with both Equity and non-Equity performers.

Costumes for Hollywood Musicals

Broward-based Costume World plans to open a producing theater company along with its museum at the former Caldwell Theater building in Boca Raton around September, CEO and President Marilynn Wick confirmed Thursday. She has worked with the biggest names in the industry and provided theatrical costumes to producing organizations all over the world. But let me assure those of you who are more optimistic folk, most of the neighbors of the nationally renowned Goodspeed Opera House have very little regard for the theater company that has brought great revenue to their little hamlet of East Haddam, CT. Musicals including ANNIE, SHENANDOAH and MAN OF LA MANCHA began there. All the costumes are displayed under the gleaming light from of the original chandelier from Tavern on the Green restaurant, of course.  Theater, of course, but also the huge demand for costumes for Hollywood musicals as well.

There were more than 500 boxes in all, newly purchased by Marilynn Wick to add to her multi-million dollar collection of costumes at Costume World which she rents to professional theaters and high school productions. The mother-daughter duo opened a museum in 2011, showcasing more than one million costumes from nearly 50 shows, guiding daily tours through a non-descript South Florida warehouse against a backdrop of hand painted sets and a marquee replica from storied Broadway theatres like the Winter Garden. In 1990, she made a deal to provide all the clown costumes to the legendary Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

The single mother said she fell in love with the theater decades ago when she saw her first Broadway play at age 7. Little by little, she purchased costumes and Broadway trinkets from auctions. She now runs four costume stores around the country, a division that rents costumes to theaters and the museum. They also receive frequent phone calls from the White House press secretary and handle costumes for shows at army bases around the world, as well as national historic libraries.

For many of the shows, the Wicks own multiple sets: the original Broadway costumes, the Broadway revivals and two or three that their own wardrobe company has recreated to rent out for school productions. The first real musicals were born under MGM with Broadway Melody later to be followed by The Wizard of Oz and Little Caesar. In the beginning, musicals featured similar themes, revamped versions of stage plays, and backstage tales.

When the song from The Wizard of Oz won an Academy Award, it opened the doors to other more spectacular musicals with extravagant, artistic sets and expensive costumes. Among those who followed the way to stardom in the musicals were Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson, and Gordon MacRae. One of the most popular musicals of all time is highly praised for its music, sets, and costumes. Often there were 12 to 16 dancers to clothe, along with the principals’ costumes.

Some of the earlier musicals of note are: Show Boat, Singing in the Rain, For Me and My Gal, Ziegfeld Follies, Brigadoon, Oklahoma, The King and I, Carousel, South Pacific, Gigi, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and The Music Man. The most stunning costumes often include bright colors and fabulous sparkles and it’s not surprising that Priscilla won the Tony Award for Best Costuming in a Musical because the amount of color and glitter is astounding. There is so much glitter; the costumes used about two to three pounds of glitter a month!

The costumes are so detailed, there are incredible details you couldn’t even see if you wanted to unless you were half a foot away from the costume. It just goes to show how much work the costumes put in to make costumes look realistic and accurate. Fifties clothes, in particular 1950’s dresses, persist to serve as the impetus for a sizable number of 1950s costumes for Halloween night and all year long.

Ballet Costumes

For New York City Ballet’s collaboration with Swarovski on costumes for George Balanchine’s Symphony in C, Marc Happel, the company’s director of  ballet costumes, stayed true to the original color palette while adding a new kind of sparkle, a new kind of flash.” On opening night at the New York City Ballet gala on May 10, male dancers will wear black velvet tunics embellished with jet crystals, and the women, white tutus and a top layer detailed with a spray of stones.

Uniquely, the cameras are given the freedom to follow Peck as he liaises with everyone involved in the process as it unfolds – from the musicians, under the direction of Andrews Sill , to the Resident Lighting Designer, Mark Stanley , and Costume Designers, Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung – under the direction of Marc Happel – to his 18 highly skilled fellow dancers, which include Principal Dancers Tiler Peck, Sterling Hyltin and Amar Ramasar.

Ballet 422 is directed by cinematographer and documentarian Jody Lee Lipes , one of the two directors of NY Export: Opus Jazz , a film of Jerome Robbins’ ballet in sneakers” – the first ballet conceived, created, produced and performed by dancers of New York City Ballet , and the first to return the choreography of Jerome Robbins to the streets of New York since the movie version of West Side Story.

By the 2000s however, Velasquez notes that dresses had changed considerably from their modest origins, now covered in geometric shapes, crazy colors, sequins and glitterdot fabrics … even resembling Toddlers in Tiaras costumes, with fluffy skirts and structured bodices.” Now, continues Velasquez, the costumes have transformed yet again, becoming less flashy and returning to traditional Celtic symbols.

Frequently an audition takes place before dancers are chosen for these programs, and you want to be sure your child has the ability and knowledge base to audition successfully The instructor or studio director may recommend extra classes (typically, ballet or other technique class), that the child enroll in another recreational session for more experience, or he or she may be confident that your dancer is ready.

Ballet Costumes

The drama, the music, the theatrical setting and the audience’s anticipation all come together at a ballet recital. Having the most striking ballet costumes will turn a great performance into an extraordinary one.

For those who cherish the dance form not just as performers but also as spectators, ballet is a religion. The dominant presence of French words in ballet vocabulary is often misinterpreted as the underlying evidence of the origin. He was a dance master famous for his proficiency in various Italian folk dances. Although these parties were arranged with an aim of informal politics, they did in fact have a huge influence on ballet as we know today.

Ballet Dance Costume

The main purpose of a ballet dance costume is to harmonize with the themes explored by the dance. Catherine, being an art connoisseur, promoted ballet in her parties and also provided financial support. In 1573, when Charles IX was King of France, Ballet des Polonais was performed for the Polish Ambassador. In 1581, another of Balthasar’s choreographed ballet was performed in the court of Catherine de’ Medici. Over twenty-four dancers performed the five-hour long ballet based on the story of mythological Greek goddess, Circe. It was the first ballet to have a printed account and was published in 1582 as The Ballet Comique de la Reine by Balthasar.

It is well-known in the history of ballet for its dramatic enactment and elaborate costumes. The art of ballet began to be considered as worthy for every aristocratic celebration across the continent. As a young prince, he was attracted to ballet and debuted at the age of 14 as Apollo, the Sun God, in a ballets de cour – Le Ballet de la Nuit (The Ballet of the Night). Impressed by her talent, Louis XIV started training in formal ballet under her. The King’s interest in ballet popularized the art form, and it became part of everyday life in the country.

Louis Hesselin choreographed the twelve-hour ballet and parts of Louis XIV performance to flaunt his shoes, which laid the foundation for the first five positions of ballet as documented by Pierre Beauchamp. Aristocracy in Europe was largely impressed and began active participation in ballet. During King Louis XIV’s reign, ballet flourished in France and the neighboring countries. Professional dance troupes were formed, which traveled to increase awareness and entertain people. Soon enough, men, who once ruled the dance form, became supporters and were included in the ballets to aid the ballerinas.

The advent of 18th century brought some changes in the age-old ballet and set the wheels in motion to completely revolutionize the dance form. Until the late seventeenth century, male dancers performed the feminine roles, as the ballet costumes were heavy and required strength. Raoul Auger Feuillet wrote Chorégraphie, ou l’art de décrire la danse which described in detail, the steps, positions, and techniques of ballet as prevalent at that time and are still followed. Petipa together with composer Tchaikovsky choreographed The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty.

Lettres sur la danse, et sur les ballets, one of the greatest works of Jean-Georges Noverre, emphasized that ballet was a dance of expressions and therefore must be performed by the dancer with absolute use of the entire body. Because of the lean and light bodies of ballerinas, choreographers expanded on the ideas of the dancers floating in air like a feather and landing perfectly on the toes. Although France was considered home to ballet, Venice became the dance center of Europe, largely due to the Venice Carnival. Perhaps the most important element of your ballet dance costume are your ballet shoes.

Many dancers from around the world came to participate in the carnival, and thus several ballet performances took place in the carnival, making Italian ballet techniques a favorite among most of southern Europe. The boxed toe shoe that every ballerina wears today was invented to support the leg movements as a result of development of new techniques in ballet. Ballet Russes, a ballet company founded in 1909 by Sergei Diaghilev, brought back ballet to Paris.

During the same time, ballet was becoming popular in Russia and Denmark due to talented and dedicated dance masters, like August Bournonville, Jules Perrot, Arthur Saint-Léon, and Enrico Cecchetti. He fused the French and Russian ballet in Russian folklore-the Firebird and the Petrushka. Meanwhile, back in Russia, ballet was developing under the Soviet rule, but at a very slow pace. He broke the age-old dance and narrative style of ballet, as he thought that any dance form must be the result of free thinking.