CLOTHES HORSE CHICKEN

Yesterday, our principals were fitted for their costumes. While I was eager to learn more about costuming, my adroit sense of propriety kept me out of the wardrobe room while there were scantily clad singers in there. (Okay, or maybe they threatened me with the N-word--as in, nuggets.) So I visited wardrobe later in the day.


And our Costume Coordinator Janet Bolick and Wardrobe Supervisor Bill Byron Smith, here, decided they needed to measure me up. (Bill, I was NOT kidding when I said I wanted something in gold spandex.)


I am but a pawn for their amusement. Nonetheless, it gave me some insight into what the singers have to endure with each production they do. While they send their measurements prior to their arrival, they still need to be re-measured in the midst of rehearsals.


We rented our costumes from Banff Centre for the Arts. Patsy Thomas, a costume technician for Banff, knows this wardrobe, so she is there to make sure everything is kosher. (Even the chicken.)


Just catching up on my Bible reading. Seriously. Our wardrobe crew says every production has a costume Bible; in it are photos of past performances, so they can refer to what the costumes should look like on the singers.



People don't understand how costumes can cost so much. This is not your high school production of "Guys and Dolls," where you buy a bunch of old man suits at Goodwill. Beside the fact that the costumes are elaborate and beautiful, for the principal roles, there are 3 versions of the same costume. So when a singer does her fitting, the wardrobers find the version that fits best--but, likely, they still have to do any number of alterations: taking it in, hemming, adding length, etc.

Oh, what we do for fashion!