Playbill: Broadway fans know that donning theatre-inspired looks is a year-round activity, but Halloween is a great excuse to do it even more.
Women of Color on Broadway Inc. (who you got to know earlier this year) and MAC Cosmetics teamed up to showcase four up-and-coming makeup artists of color showing off looks inspired by notable Broadway characters, in efforts to amplify diversity within the next generation of behind-the-scenes theatre professionals.
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I thought these makeup designs were really cool, and I am so impressed with people’s talent and very jealous. But I am so glad this article was published showing these make-up artists Halloween designs. And I really appreciate Women of Color on Broadway Inc. deciding to showcase up and coming makeup artists of color because the makeup industry in theatre and television and film is largely occupied by white people, so I think their efforts to amplify diversity in the behind the scenes theatre community are really important and the producers and those who make hiring decisions on Broadway should be taking note of the talented artists that are featured in this article, as well as the other people that Women of Color on Broadway Inc. have been showcasing. I really liked the Lady of the Underground makeup by Allie J. I thought it drew just enough inspiration from the original makeup look for the character but it was so unique and creative.
I love when people dress up as Broadway characters for Halloween! There are so many characters that have graced Broadway stages or live on through musical recordings, so there are certainly a large variety of character to chose to dress up as! I think the makeup done by these incredible artists is spectacular, and it’s so cool to be able to recreate the looks with the tutorials they have provided. Many makeup artists these days get the basis of their education through watching tutorials on YouTube, and its so beautiful to watch these artists share their work and inspire a new generation of people to become artists as well. I understand that it’s a stereotype in the world of theatre that we are all competitive with one another and are only focused about looking out for ourselves, but videos like these remind me that this is absolutely not always the truth. So many artists, technicians, and managers are always sharing tips and tricks of the trade and this is so wonderful and important when we are trying to create community and foster young artists’ work and opportunities.
Needless to say, I think their techniques with makeups and cosplays are wonderful, but what is more wonderful is the meaning and message that they each tried to embed in their appearances. I liked how they were using Halloween not only as a day to dress up in costumes and have some fun, but also as a day to express their opinions through special costumes. I think it was a great decision to set the theme with relatively well-known musicals such as Wicked, since that would make it easier for people to recognize which musical that the character is from. I was so surprised because I have already seen one of the makeup videos (The Phantom of the Opera one) before reading the article! It was also interesting to read through how various productions in Broadway is trying to add diversity into their casts by trying to cast more various people for more significant characters.
This article was so fun to read and to scroll through, and the talent of these makeup artists is so remarkable to me. I never wear makeup and honestly would have no idea where to begin even with something simple, therefore it is so impressive to me to see such complicated and intricate makeup designs. I think fun, creative, and well done makeup can be the key to making a Halloween costume even more exciting and I think all of these women did that. In particular, I really liked the makeup look inspired by Hadestown. While obviously it was very eye catching, with the flower attached to the eye, there was also a level of simplicity to it that I found to be exceptionally striking. It is so impressive when simplicity and complexity can be balanced perfectly and I felt like that look certainly achieved that. I do not think I would be able to try any of these, but they are definitely awesome to look at!
I love watching makeup videos. They’re so mesmerizing. Of these four, my favorite is by Allie J, who did her own take on “Our Lady of The Underground” from Hadestown. “Our Lady of The Underground” is one of my favorite songs on the soundtrack, and this makeup look is gorgeous and captures the energy of the song so well. I never got to see Hadestown on broadway, which is a shame, but I still love to indulge in other works like artwork and makeup looks like these. They really get you inspired. I love the understated look as well. It’s not “full glam,” which is super hard for a novice to execute in their bedroom, but this is something really beautiful to derive inspiration from for perhaps a halloween look this year.
I’m consistently impressed with makeup artists and how they are able to work with their medium. I took the ‘Makeup for Designers’ class last semester, so I have a very slight understanding of what it takes to pull off looks like these, but nowhere near the amount of experience or talent these artists have. I think my favorite look was the ‘Lady of the Underground’ by Allie J. I really enjoy how clean and pretty it is, and the flower petals around the eye blend in incredibly well. I think it really embodies the character/feel of what she’s portraying but in a more metaphorical and less direct way. I also like how they highlighted women of color, since all too often do they get overshadowed by white counterparts in both the beauty/makeup industry and on Broadway. I hope that we can continue to uplift WoC in these spaces.
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