Playbill: It’s a challenging feat for any one production, but for many Broadway designers, a life in the theatre involves re-inventing the wheel again and again, remaining inspired through a vast career. Playbill caught up with Tony Award-winning costume designer Catherine Zuber, currently Tony nominated for her work on Moulin Rouge!, to unpack her approach to design, her creative process, and to explore her favorite theatrical creations.
9 comments:
These sketches and realized designs are stunning. Satine’s was probably my favorite. I am in awe of the design and the drawing quality that the wings can look transparent on the page. The detail work in each image is so impeccable, and each design successfully contributes to the characters’ stories they are sharing with the audience. Nothing is left behind and even the ensemble drawings are frivolous and intentional. The color choices and fabrics are stunning to see up close in these images, and the designs are still successful from afar for audience members, regardless of their seat section. It is interesting that “Moulin Rouge!” has such a wide color palette in the costumes at times, but it is still cohesive and successful. The costumes also work so well with the light, allowing for the variety of colors and textures to truly be appreciated. This segment definitely peaked my interest into seeing more designs up close than solely from afar.
This article, and the images in particular, were really enjoyable to look through and are such a display of talent. As someone who is not especially facile with drawing and illustrating to see an idea go from a beautiful drawing to a realized creation is absolutely amazing to me. All of these drawings were so stunning and it felt as if each little detail were considered even in the drawings, which is so impressive. As much as set design informs the audience about the world they are watching, costume design informs the audience about the people they are watching. I was able to see Moulin Rouge! when it was in Boston and the costume design was absolutely breathtaking and it was so cohesive with the set design, which was quite the feat considering how much each of them had going on. It was great to see in this article some of the costume renderings and to match them up with what I remembered seeing during the show.
Would it really be a week of reading news articles if I didn’t comment on one about costume designs? (The answer is no; I absolutely love reading about this, as I have undoubtedly expressed more than a few times.) The sketches included in this article are breathtaking; and seeing the difference from show to show was unmistakable. The ensemble ball gowns for My Fair Lady were probably my favorite, but I loved scrolling through them all. The amount of detail that goes into creating those costumes is mind boggling to me, truly. Even if you're in the very last row all the way in the back, having that much detail and care put into costumes makes all the difference in a show, I think. As others have said, the breadth of color and design is astounding but Cathrine Zuber made it all fit together into each show. I highly recommend taking a look at this if you haven’t!
As other comments have already said, these designs are beautiful and very well done. Each show had its own completely distinct feel that was entirely unlike any of the others around it. The time periods were very clear, and very clearly researched. The way that Cathrine Zuber managed to make the costumes in Moulin Rouge so modern and interesting while also keeping them rooted in the time period of the show is impressive to say the least. Also her use of color in Moulin, as well as the other shows, is extraordinary and keeps things bright and interesting yet still appropriate for the aesthetic of the show. My favorite would have to be the costumes for The King and I. Zuber worked with two completely different styles and somehow managed to make them very cohesive and seem to go together perfectly. The way she used the two distinct silhouettes of the styles to her advantage is beautiful. The way the two play together and off of one and other is also very fun.
I love the quote, “Even before an actor says a word of dialogue or sings a note, their costume gives us visual information.” I have always appreciated the subtle and wordless storytelling power of design and it is one of the most compelling things about being a designer for me. A costume, or any type of design really can convey so much about a character, a plot, or a time period and gives the audience much more to think about than what is being directly told to them. As an audience member, I truly enjoy thoughtful design that is engineered to help one understand the show they are seeing more deeply, and I am excited to try my hand at this careful work as a designer. Coming back to this article, it is fascinating to see the sketches from Catherine Zuber come to life in the slideshow. She is a truly talented artist and the portion of her portfolio displayed in the article is undoubtedly impressive.
I think this has probably been my favorite article so far. Catherine Zuber is one of the greatest and my favorite designers of the modern stage. Something that is exemplified in the article is her sense of elegance, I find that no matter what she is working on her designs are so clever and very detail is so deliberately placed. I have had the pleasure of seeing her work up close in The King and I as well as My Fair Lady. I remember so vividly when the ascot scene began everyone in that audience was gobsmacked by her incredible work. Although most of the times the costume designer is supposed to blend in with the production as a whole, in that moment the costumes, her artistry, and the work of the fabulous costume shops that built the costume were on display.the Costume Coalition Industry recently released a video about the making of Satine’s diamond costume and it really emphasizes how many people and hours of work are required to make a Broadway show come to fruition. - Evan Riley
Looking through these designs was truly a delight. I never really think about it that much, but I can only imagine the challenge that comes with being a career designer. Not only does every show have a unique and diverse look, feel, and situation, but each production of a show is expected to have its own unique factor. Those kinds of expectations must be a challenge to contend with over a long career, on top of the already enormous challenge of just creating a look that meshes together with the many other components of a show. Of the pictures that were shown in this article, I definitely like Moulin Rouge! and The King and I the best. I love the almost steampunk feel of Moulin Rouge! and the intricacy of the costumes in The King and I. Creating costumes, or lighting, sets, sound, and props for that matter, that are able to create such strong impressions and fit their stories so well every time must truly be a challenge, and I have a deep respect and admiration for the amazing artists that commit their lives to doing so.
These are so gorgeous. The detailing on the lapels of the suits from Moulin Rouge and My Fair Lady is jaw-dropping, I couldn't even imagine the time and effort that went into it. I'm also so so happy that War Paint was included in this! The use of color in those costumes is so stunning and I love any costume soaking in glamour. I'm pretty sure I read in the Playbill that the colors that Rubenstein and Arden were wearing reflected their mood and feelings in relation to one another. For example, in a song where they're both singing about the troubles of being a woman in business, they are wearing similar colors. It's the thought put into this kind of thing that makes me so happy. I also think it's cool to see the similarities between a designer's designs, like it's pretty clear that Catherine Zuber is strong in brightly-colored period-type costumes. It's almost like a visual artists style.
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