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L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O
16
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February 8 - March 13, 2016
fixed.” Reilly also recalls the 2007-08 production of
Die Frau ohne
Schatten
when Robert Dean Smith, playing the Emperor, wore
an electric coat equipped with fiber-optics. Another memorable
favorite was designer Robert Perdziola’s costume for Escamillo
in
Carmen
, seen at Lyric most recently in the 2010-011 revival:
“It was a traditional Spanish piece that was really beautiful. The
costumes from that
Carmen
were just great overall – it was a
fun show to work on from beginning to end.” Marr struggles to
choose a favorite costumes, but includes those designed by John
MacFarlane (
Elektra
and
Hansel and Gretel
, 2012) as especially
memorable: “His designs are amazingly artistic. John’s renderings
are works of art in themselves, and that translates as the costumes
are being built.”
The magic of the theater applies to costuming, especially
when it comes to making fast changes offstage. Specifically for
that purpose, many costumes are often rigged or faked. Velcro
and snap closures (in place of buttons) become a designer’s best
friend when the dressers backstage have mere moments to switch
a cast member’s look. At other times, performers may wear one
costume on top of another (referred to as an “under-dress”).
“What goes into a quick change is something the audience never
knows,” says Reilly. “I’m always thinking, ‘Oh, my God, if only
people saw what’s going on back here, they would be amazed!’”
Costume changes usually happen during a scene change, so often
chorus members and principals are changing simultaneously. At
the same time, so much else is going on: the chorus master is
generally setting up for offstage singing, stagehands are changing
scenery, the prop department is swapping props or adding new
ones, and the stage manager is backstage keeping everyone on
track with timing and cues. There are normally 12-14 dressers
for each production, and as many as 22 for especially large casts.
Female performers can be particularly challenging during
quick changes because there are usually multiple components to
their costumes. Reilly says, “Take Heidi Stober as Valencienne
in
The Merry Widow
this season. A quick-change [from formal
gown to dancing girl in Act Three] might include switching out
a hat, a wig, shoes, a long dress for a short dress, and adding
fishnet stockings.” Stober required two dressers, a make-up
artist, and a wig staffer, who all convened in a small space to
execute her costume change. “But luckily, all of that is actually
choreographed. The same person does the exact same thing every
performance, so no one is bumping in to each other,” Reilly says.
Things are so choreographed backstage that if a dresser is out sick
and has to be replaced, the new dresser is usually given a tutorial
on what to do at what time.
Most costume changes happen in about two minutes. But
many occur in much less time. The fastest changes at Lyric for
the full company of a show have been for
Show Boat
(2011-12)
and
Porgy and Bess
(2014-15)
,
which lasted
45 and 30 seconds
respectively. Many of those cast members had an under-dressing,
so they changed costumes in the wings. Marr adds, “The costumes
in
Show Boat
and
Porgy and Bess
really gave the viewers a sense of
ease and naturalism.”
The current season has seen three new productions,
including the world premiere of
Bel Canto
. “Being brand new and
contemporary,
Bel Canto
was compelling to work on,” notes Reilly.
“You might be surprised but older, period pieces are a piece of cake.
It’s the contemporary designs that are much more difficult, because
we all have our own opinions of what they should look like.”
Looking ahead to the rest of this season’s productions,
Romeo and
Juliet
will see the principals in mostly new costumes (due to sizing
issues and the designer requesting new looks) and
Der Rosenkavalier
will feature traditional costumes with updated elements.
Before it opens, each Lyric production has a final dress
rehearsal. Reilly, along with Lyric wardrobe supervisor Lucy
Lindquist, always attends the rehearsal to make sure everything is
aesthetically pleasing, costume-wise. But there’s also a sentimental
reason behind the act. “Especially in those times that a show has
been really challenging,” says Maureen Reilly, “when you finally
see the end product of your hard work, it’s very fulfilling and it
makes everything worth it.” Lyric’s wardrobe team invariably
has an extremely challenging job, but it’s the intangible elements
that keep them excited about what they do. Marr adds, “It’s all
about seeing the design -- the research -- listening to a designer's
excitement - seeing the fabric chosen - the details selected - the
twinkle in the eye of a performer when they look in the mirror.
Those moments are sublime.”
Kamaria Morris is the public relations specialist at Lyric Opera,
where she joined the staff last year. She was previously the marketing
coordinator at WCIU TV (“The U”) and is an alumna of
Northern Illinois University (master’s degree in public relations)
and the University of Missouri-Columbia (bachelor’s degree in
communication).
TODD ROSENBERG
Clorinda (Diana Newman) and Tisbe (Annie Rosen),
the heroine’s stepsisters in this season’s
Cinderella
.