#6 Crazy Costumes!

Dear Hal,

I'm currently watching 'The Visitor' on Netflix so if my thoughts seem a little disjointed it's cuz I'm going back and forth writing and watching.

Anyway... Since last writing we've had several dress and tech rehearsals. I remember the first Dress rehearsal. Going through past rehearsals, it never occurred to me how the costume changes were going to happen, I never gave them any thought. The first costume rehearsal was a disaster. I was not at all prepared for the amount of work, concentration and speed I needed in order to pull off such changes. The three quick changes I have in 'The Producers' are the three quickest changes I have had in my entire theater career. The first quick change I have is changing from a first nighter into a bum. It's the first quick change in the show so fortunately I get a lot of costume help from our costumers for that change. My first nighter costume is tux pants, tux shirt, tux jacket and bow tie. Fortunately I have large tux pants because I'm able to make the change quicker by underdressing my bum pants underneath the tux pants. My tux shirt is also quick rigged with velcro so I can rip it off in a matter of seconds. So what I do for the my first quick change is to pull off my tux pants over my shoes (often turning them inside out). I rip off my tux shirt. Ellen (one of the costumers) throws on my bum shirt over my head. I put my arms through and then shes there with my vest for me to put my arms into and while I'm putting in my other arm she puts on my hat and scarf and hands me my bum bottle and then I'm right back onstage. I have been able to be do this change with around 10-15 seconds extra. Although it's not an absolute problem for me to be late, I don't want to be a problem in not showing up when I'm suppose to.

My next quick changes happens towards the middle of Act 2 when I change from a Worker into Bavarian Dancer. Now during intermission I preset all my stuff. I don't really have any time once Act 2 starts to set all my stuff. I have the audition scene to worker scene and little responsibilities between them. After I do my cross for the mirrored worker (and Cat screech) I basically strip down to my black spandex and throw everything else on. I throw off my suspenders and pants, shoes, rip off my quick rigged workers shirt, and throw on my short Bavarian shorts with leiderhosen and my bavarian shirt, pull up the long blue socks, and throw on my boots. It's actually a tricky costume to get on. Because I'm on good terms with the costumers, I'm almost always well helped.

The next quick change is literally 60 seconds after I go onstage as Bavarian dancer. I change from being Bavarian dancer to Stormtrooper. Now this costume change isn't the most difficult, but it's the fact that there is 5 people around me trying to get stuff on and there are costumes all over the place that makes it difficult. Also, this change is extremely important to be on time with. Because we come in on a music cue to start dancing it's important that we be on time. The trickiest part of this change is the leiderhosen. It is buttoned on to my shorts and is tricky to unbutton without someones help and frankly there are a lot of people that need help and not a lot of helpers for this change. Anyway, I take off all the bavarian stuff and go back down to the spandex so I can put on an entirely different storm trooper costume. That consists of a quick rigged shirt, black tie (pretied for quickness), black pants, and tap shoes.

Anyway... Those three costume changes are crazy and by far the quickest changes I've ever had. It's not like I'm the only one with a quick change though. Although, I have among the most quick changes, I believe almost everyone of the 20 person cast has at least one quick change and a few have two or three. It has been a lot of fun though. I remember the first rehearsal with costumes. Afterwards I was smiling ear to ear because of the fun it was to try all those changes for the first time. We were allowed to be a little sloppy the first time because it was our first time and we weren't expected to be perfect off the bat. There were little things like the someone coming on in boxers because he couldn't get his boots off for a quick change. It was quite an entertaining night. I really should go and get some sleep. Maybe later I'll put down some of those crazy things that happened.

Until Next Time,

Ben Barlow