Costumes for Phantom have to be just right. Photos / Supplied
Costumes for Phantom have to be just right. Photos / Supplied
Work is well under way for AMDRAM's upcoming production of The Phantom of the Opera.
The chandelier is being made; the Royal Wanganui Opera House is booked; auditions are set; and the costume team has already begun their epic task of creating the many fantastic garments that will be in the show.
Phantom is widely regarded as one of the most aesthetically elaborate productions on Broadway. The original show by Andrew Lloyd Webber included enough cast members to cover the principal parts, an opera company, plus extras, each of which has to change outfits several times, resulting in over 230 costumes!
As well as telling the story of the Phantom, the show incorporates two opera performances which have their own costumes, a number of characters also wear everyday clothes, plus there are coats and capes for the outdoor scenes, spectacular outfits for a fancy dress ball, and a nightgown.
The original costumes and set were designed by Maria Björnson, who won Tony Awards for Best Scenic Design and Best Costume Design for her efforts.
She read the original book for clues on what each character wore, and researched 1850s clothing in the Paris opera so she could capture the lavishness of the era. She also took inspiration from garments held in museum collections before presenting her design sketches.
Current theory is if her sketches were to be presented today, the show would never go ahead due to the cost. But her designs have resulted in a show well known for its iconic extravagance.
Costumes for Phantom have to be just right. Photos / Supplied
Each character has their own style. The Phantom is the most elegant with well tailored garments of silk. They are designed to show his toned physique, but also need to be made to accommodate his range of motion, from sweeping arm gestures to crawling on the floor.
He has a significant costume change during the fancy dress ball, where his outfit is described in the original book as "all in scarlet, with a huge hat and feathers on top of a wonderful death's head. From his shoulders hung an immense velvet cloak, which trailed along the floor, which was embroidered with gold letters, which everyone red and repeated aloud: Don't touch me! I am Red Death stalking abroad."
By contrast Raoul has the most boring costume. He wears a standard military jacket and tailored trousers. Not uncommon for the time, but certainly bland when compared to the other visual treats on stage.
The theatre owners Andre and Firmin play off each other. The artistic Andre dresses in velvet with brocade lapels and a fancy vest, while the financially-minded Firmin wears wool with little decoration.
Prima donna Carlotta wears costumes designed to get her noticed, from sweeping skirts making her the centre of attention during the operas, to a fantastic garb of spiderwebs and bats during the ball. Ingenue Christine is more often seen in light, flowing fabrics decorated with innocent flowers and stars.
As previously mentioned the show incorporates two other operas which have their own costume design. Hannibal has a colour palette of red, green, and gold. Il Muto is more muted with pastel shades of lavender, pink, yellow, and blue.
And then there's the fancy dress masquerade ball where the costumes are only limited by the imagination.
Each costume has to be custom made for the cast member, so the sewing team certainly have their hands full prepping what they can in advance. It will be a feast for your eyes!
For further information on AMDRAM check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/amdram/wanganui/ And to follow the Phantom journey follows us at: https://www.facebook.com/WhanganuiPhantom/
