'Death becomes her' costume designer at Helens Loch in the stomach

It was a little more than eight weeks since Paul Tazewell wrote history by being the first black man to win an Oscar for the best costume design for “Wicked”.

When asked if he had a moment to let everything immerse yourself, Tazewell replies: “I don't know that I had the opportunity to simply sit back and think.” It is full of steam. Tazewell has landed his 10th Tony Award nomination for the Broadway adaptation of “Death will be her”, and he is still in production with Steven Spielberg in the next Untitled film by the director. “Wicked: For Good” will be released later this year. “I'm only after the trip and so grateful for everything,” says Tazewell. “With the Tony and Death, she will sweep everything into everything Paul Tazewell is, which is somehow exciting.”

Speaking of “death becomes”, Tazewell recalls when he saw Robert Zemecki's film in the cinema when he first came out in 1992. Tazewell was impressed by the comedy tone, but also his line -up. “Meryl Streep leads the pack and in a form for which she was not necessarily known. I thought that was, that was pretty wonderful. I think it did it so absurd. And I was always a fan of Goldie Hawn.

But it was not just Hollywood's A-listener who brought the best into the comedy, but the film was up to date with the latest technology and special effects make-up. It was one thing that saw it on the big screen. It was different to reproduce these aspects on stage. Tazewell says: “I knew it would be a big challenge, because if the rest of the audience loved it as if I was doing it, there would be many expectations.”

Tazewell worked closely with the director and choreographer of the show, Christopher Gattelli, to meet these expectations.

The show landed 10 Tony Award nominations, including the best musical, the best direction of a musical, best picturesque design and the best choreography. The show follows the film act of Madeline Ashton (Megan Hilty), the most beautiful actress who ever adorns the stage and the screen. Helen Sharp (Jennifer Simard) is the long -term author who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best Frenemia … until Madeline Helens bumped away fiance. When Helen Revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, her world is suddenly turned away by viola van Horn (Michelle Williams), a mysterious woman with a secret for which you should die. After a sip of Viola's magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and their beauty, which are restored … and a grudge to make eternity.

How can you navigate to bring death to life and put your creative stamp on it, such as with the immortal?

It includes the culture from which it comes from, and the material comes from the film and then also understood the place where it will be retired.

Music theater and live performance open up a different way of telling history. In a way, it enables me to expand my inspiration for how we want to tell the story. Purple's idea was inspired by the Trankfland, the youth serum. I thought: “How did I align the youth serum and the viola as a goddess of youth and then understand that everyone who touches this file or absorbs the potion somehow matches a group.

With Viola, all of her clothes show how they are played by Michelle Williams, their silhouette and they feel like you can see this naked figure underneath. It appears in this Amethyst-Geode, which is reinterpreted as this amazing, glamorous Hollywood coat. And her face is framed with all these amethyst crystals, and so she drives the idea of ​​the plastic, and then I wear this idea of ​​sparkling and crystallization into the ensemble.

How do you reflect with Madeline and Helen, who are in your costume history and how does that develop in the course of history?

Madeline is a working actress and a very well -known actress on Broadway, and she also made film and a little television, but is largely known for her film work. There is this classic narcissistic idea of ​​the Hollywood actress, and I disguised her to align myself with it, and that was very important. It is a style based on this exaggerated Hollywood glamor. We see it in your lounge paths and in your day's clothing. We can fit them a mile away. They know what their style is and what their priorities are as far as they see themselves and how she wants others to see them. Helen is actually the opposite of the way she presented. It is very mouseing. It has a one-note quality. It remains reserved, and this is underlined by the neutral palette that we use for you. It is always in beige shadow until it decides to take the potion. And then she arrives in this red, glamorous dress. It is like Rita Hayworth and becomes this icon of Hollywood glamor that Madeline has exceeded. This transformation was fun to create with Jennifer and contrast it with Madeline. You can see how I borrowed from the film. And there are moments in the film that are very unforgettable, like the stairs. The silhouette that I gave Madeline for the stairs reflects what was in the film. It is slightly moved and it is theatrical, but it is a shipping of this moment in the film that is already sending, and it's about having fun with the pictures that are already out there.

When Goldie Hawn ends with a hole in the stomach in the film, it is also red. So I wanted to lean into this palette. There are visual similarities in the moments, but they are also completely different because it fulfills a different purpose. The structure of the musical differs from the film.

Speaking of Helen, and at this moment, how to navigate to pull it because film agency and theater magic are so different? Will you reveal your secrets?

I would say it is the old school. When we started, we examined several ways to move out, to see this theater and the illusion of the audience that there is a hole in the stomach. That is the payment. We landed in a place where it is very simple. So we will hide … I don't want to give it away because it is the hand loop. It is very ahead of them and because there is smoke, we tried to have mirrors, but there are no mirrors. There is definitely smoke. It gives them this theatrical sense and the illusion that it was shot in the stomach. And I think that it is supported by all the activities that swirling around them. There is a wrong fight, a body twice and a game with umbrellas. It is silly and fun and is the most fun for the audience.

Can you talk a little about the fast change aspect of the theater and how you worked on this show?

I have so much experience with productions in which we make several quick changes. There is about 15 seconds and it is a parliament for the course with musicals. There will always be a quick change because musicals are structured. When we approached, “for the gays”, the large number at the beginning of the show, Chris decided to get involved as an idea. We have Madeline, who carries out at least seven quick changes in front of her eyes, and there are some in which she runs back, and then she is replaced twice with a body, and then it comes out in something else. I think that is fun about what it has become. I think what we do with it and a statement about the community and culture of the musicals, those who love musicals, and how they also focus on the LGBTQ community, both on stage and as a spectator. I think that's what this moment recognized. We nod the LGBTQ flag, Dorothy of “The Wizard of Oz” and the Ruby slipper. We have Liza Minnelli, and that is what the show gets up to run because it is different from what you see in the film. And I think that's important because you are freshly dealing with it.

What about the fabrics you have chosen, even while you record the ability to fill and ensure ensembles?

I just wanted to show her body. So everything is body -conscious and therefore chooses the right type of network that is translucent enough so that we can actually see skin. Overall, the costumes must correspond to your body and enable them to move as Chris needs to move.

For the twisted neck we had to build the coat, keep the structure, but still moved slightly, so that it was somehow fluffy and airy and very feminine. And then we have a structure that is built for this illusion because your head falls over your neck. The coat itself is part of the illusion. It hides a certain element so that we get this meaning for you and your neck fall.

This interview was processed and compressed.