{"id":52,"date":"2012-03-20T14:49:02","date_gmt":"2012-03-20T18:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/?p=52"},"modified":"2014-07-30T10:52:10","modified_gmt":"2014-07-30T14:52:10","slug":"dressing-broadway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/2012\/03\/20\/dressing-broadway\/","title":{"rendered":"Dressing Broadway"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><a id=\"top\" name=\"top\"><\/a>Tony Award\u2013winning costume designer Jess Goldstein looks back on a career spanning English petticoats and Hollywood glam.<\/h2>\n<h4>By Andrew Thurston; Sketches by Jess Goldstein<\/h4>\n<div class=\"sidebar-story-box\">\n<div class=\"pillarNews\">\n<h3>IN THIS STORY<span> <\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#video\"><strong>Video:<\/strong> A Fitting for Mr. Pacino<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>With well-placed stitches and carefully chosen swatches, Jess Goldstein (\u201972) ensures the stars on Broadway do more than act the part\u2014he makes sure they look it, too. When it comes to costume design, Goldstein is A-list. He\u2019s outfitted dozens of movies and smash Broadway shows, including the long-running <em>Jersey Boys<\/em> and the critically acclaimed 2011 Disney production, <em>Newsies<\/em>. A three-time Tony Award nominee (and winner for period comedy <em>The Rivals<\/em>), Goldstein has worked with such stars as Al Pacino, Kevin Kline, and Kristin Chenoweth. Here, he shares some of his favorite designs and the stories behind them.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment140\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment140\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-140\" title=\"Dressing Broadway 1\" src=\"\/cfa-magazine\/files\/2012\/03\/DressingBroadway_1.jpg\" alt=\"Dressing Broadway 1\" width=\"550\" height=\"420\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment140\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mrs. Malaprop, played by Dana Ivey, <em> The Rivals<\/em>, Lincoln Center Theater, New York City, 2005. Photo by Joan Marcus<\/p><\/div>\n<p>1 ] <strong>Breeches to Bikinis<\/strong> \u2022\u00a0 From petticoats to Speedos, sometimes in the same night; fortunately, not on the same stage. In 2005, Jess Goldstein was working on two very different plays: <em>The Rivals<\/em>, a comedy of manners written in the 1770s, and <em>Good Vibrations<\/em>, the Beach Boys musical. \u201cI was constantly running between fittings of the glorious petticoats and breeches of late-eighteenth-century England,\u201d says Goldstein, \u201cto the wet suits and\u00a0bikinis of an indeterminate period in Southern Californian culture. I even had to miss <em>The Rivals<\/em>\u2019 opening night because of dress rehearsals on the other show.\u201d Goldstein\u2019s versatility would be rewarded: he scooped a Tony for his work on <em>The Rivals<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment141\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment141\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-141\" title=\"Dressing Broadway 2\" src=\"\/cfa-magazine\/files\/2012\/03\/DressingBroadway_2.jpg\" alt=\"Dressing Broadway 2\" width=\"550\" height=\"420\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment141\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sir John Falstaff, played by Kevin Kline, <em>Henry IV<\/em>, Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center, New York City, 2004. Photo by Paul Kolnik<\/p><\/div>\n<p>2 ] <strong>Costume as Storytelling<\/strong> \u2022 A well-chosen costume can make the difference between an actor playing a character and becoming him. Despite decades of screen and stage success, Kevin Kline needed Goldstein\u2019s help in 2004 to inhabit Falstaff, the bloated, errant knight of Shakespeare\u2019s <em>Henry IV<\/em> plays. \u201cKevin was incredible as Falstaff,\u201d says Goldstein, \u201cbut needed constant encouragement that he could make the physical transformation.\u201d Goldstein adds that the production \u201creally allowed me to show off the power of costume design as storytelling. The play shows\u00a0a cross section of medieval life, from royalty to soldiers to peasants,\u00a0and I felt I was particularly successful in making what is sometimes thought to be a rather\u00a0primitive and clumsy period look attractive and sexy to\u00a0modern eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment143\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment143\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-143\" title=\"Dressing Broadway 3\" src=\"\/cfa-magazine\/files\/2012\/03\/DressingBroadway_3.jpg\" alt=\"Dressing Broadway 3\" width=\"550\" height=\"420\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment143\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Newsies<\/em>, Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey, 2011. Photo by T. Charles Erickson, courtesy of the Paper Mill Playhouse<\/p><\/div>\n<p>3 ] <strong>Extra! Extra<\/strong>! \u2022 A so-so movie in the 1990s, <em>Newsies<\/em> is proving a star performer on the contemporary stage. Goldstein suspects the Disney-backed musical, which tells of newsboys striking in 1899, could be in line for a long Broadway run. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever had as much fun on a show,\u201d he says. \u201cI didn\u2019t really know what to expect of the young actors in fittings, but they all seemed to love their costumes and often remarked how much they wished people still dressed in those styles.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment146\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment146\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-146\" title=\"Dressing Broadway 4\" src=\"\/cfa-magazine\/files\/2012\/03\/DressingBroadway_4.jpg\" alt=\"Dressing Broadway 4\" width=\"550\" height=\"420\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment146\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Puck (bottom), played by Daniel Tamm, and Oberon, played by Bradley Whitford, <em>A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/em>, Hartford Stage, Hartford, Connecticut, 1988. Photo by Jennifer W. Lester<\/p><\/div>\n<p>4 ] <strong>Yuppie Shakespeare<\/strong> \u2022 This isn\u2019t the cheeky Puck of history. For a 1988 production of <em>A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/em>, Goldstein was charged with spinning the sprite of Shakespeare\u2019s forests into a character for a \u201cpostmodern yuppie world.\u201d In the creative team\u2019s vision of an industrial landscape, the mechanics\u2014the gadgets that drive stage effects, such as putting winged characters into flight\u2014also became part of the wardrobe. \u201cThe flying harnesses were difficult to conceal under the skimpy costumes, so they actually became a part of the look,\u201d says Goldstein. \u201cThis is an early sketch of Puck that incorporates football pants, dunce cap, and a frankly theatrical hunchback pad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-147\" title=\"Dressing Broadway 5\" src=\"\/cfa-magazine\/files\/2012\/03\/DressingBroadway_5.jpg\" alt=\"Dressing Broadway 5\" width=\"550\" height=\"420\" \/><\/p>\n<p>5 ] <strong>The Silver Screen<\/strong> \u2022 Sometimes stage leaps to screen and Goldstein\u2019s designs follow\u2014albeit with some tweaks. When comedic drama <em>Love! Valour! Compassion! <\/em>became a movie in the mid-1990s, Goldstein was asked to re-create and update his designs from an earlier Broadway production. In both adaptations, the all-male cast rehearses a ballet for an AIDS fundraiser: \u201cThe stage version did not allow the men the time offstage to make a full change into real ballet tutus,\u201d says Goldstein. \u201cThey could only add tulle skirts and feathered headpieces to the white boxer shorts and tank tops of their previous costume. For the film, we went all out with the traditional classical ballet look. [I wonder if] the original concept wasn\u2019t more interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment149\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment149\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-149\" title=\"Dressing Broadway 6\" src=\"\/cfa-magazine\/files\/2012\/03\/DressingBroadway_6.jpg\" alt=\"Dressing Broadway 6\" width=\"550\" height=\"420\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment149\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lotty, played by Jayne Atkinson, <em>Enchanted April<\/em>, Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 2003. Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Richards Associates<\/p><\/div>\n<p>6 ] <strong>Tricky Twenties<\/strong> \u2022 Some eras are easier to re-create than others. The 1920s\u2014the decade in which <em>Enchanted April<\/em> is set\u2014is considered one of the most challenging, says Goldstein, with frills replaced by unappealing sharp edges. \u201cI feel most historical periods need to be filtered somewhat for modern audiences who may not appreciate a need for museum-quality accuracy,\u201d he says. \u201cFor <em>Enchanted April<\/em>, we tried to give the women\u2019s boxy 1920s shape a little more curve and grace, and we used softer, lighter-weight\u00a0fabrics for the men\u2019s suits.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment151\" style=\"width: 560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment151\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-151\" title=\"Dressing Broadway 7\" src=\"\/cfa-magazine\/files\/2012\/03\/DressingBroadway_7.jpg\" alt=\"Dressing Broadway 7\" width=\"550\" height=\"420\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment151\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Jersey Boys<\/em>, August Wilson Theater, New York City, 2011. Photo by Joan Marcus<\/p><\/div>\n<p>7 ] <strong>Big Man in Town<\/strong> \u2022 Wondering if you\u2019ve ever seen a play outfitted by Jess Goldstein? There\u2019s a good chance of it being this one. \u201c<em>Jersey Boys<\/em> was that rare show that I knew was going to be an enormous hit just from reading the first draft of the original pre-Broadway production script,\u201d says Goldstein. Of all the shows he\u2019s worked on, <em>Jersey Boys<\/em>, now in its sixth year on Broadway, is one of the best known. Among Goldstein\u2019s favorite <em>Jersey Boys<\/em> outfits are those worn by the show\u2019s female actors. \u201cThere are only three women in the cast, but each plays about twelve different roles. This is my favorite set of their costumes, when they form the Angels to sing \u2018My Boyfriend\u2019s Back.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-152\" title=\"Dressing Broadway 8\" src=\"\/cfa-magazine\/files\/2012\/03\/DressingBroadway_8.jpg\" alt=\"Dressing Broadway 8\" width=\"550\" height=\"420\" \/><\/p>\n<p>8 ] <strong>Rags to Riches<\/strong> \u2022 A quick-change conundrum: how to turn an actress from smudge-covered chimney sweep to a gold-glimmering star. \u201cQuick changes can be tricky because when they\u2019re really fast\u2014under a minute\u2014they inevitably lead to some sort of a compromise,\u201d says Goldstein. \u201cIn <em>The Apple Tree<\/em>, Kristin [Chenoweth] had a matter of seconds to change from Ella the Manhattan chimney sweep to Passionella, the Monroe\/Mansfield Hollywood star and icon; it meant really simplifying her makeup for both looks. Like a true Broadway star, Kristin\u00a0was fearless!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebar-story\">\n<h3 class=\"video\"><a id=\"video\" name=\"video\"><\/a>Video<\/h3>\n<h2>A Fitting for Mr. Pacino<\/h2>\n<p>In June 2011, Jess Goldstein spoke with <em>BU Today<\/em> about \u201cturning the least vain actor I have ever worked with\u201d into Shylock. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/today\/2011\/cfa-alum-receives-tony-nomination\/\">Read the full article.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><object id=\"buniverseplayer\" width=\"550\" height=\"355\" data=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/buniverse\/interface\/swf\/player.swf\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/buniverse\/interface\/swf\/player.swf\" \/><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"viralbu.videoid=iS6FieJ&amp;viralbu.loc=3\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/buniverse\/youtube\/?v=iS6FieJ\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/buniverse\/data\/thumbs\/2499\/979d511388048c3661b8e2610d0f7aa0d3768962_1669998358\/thumb_l.jpeg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"550\" height=\"310\" \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/object><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#top\">Back to top<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tony Award\u2013winning costume designer Jess Goldstein looks back on a career spanning English petticoats and Hollywood glam. By Andrew Thurston; Sketches by Jess Goldstein IN THIS STORY Video: A Fitting for Mr. Pacino With well-placed stitches and carefully chosen swatches, Jess Goldstein (\u201972) ensures the stars on Broadway do more than act the part\u2014he makes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6143,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9,3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":529,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions\/529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa-magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}