1 00:00:05,365 --> 00:00:07,285 Hi, I'm Sean McCourt, and I'm Lindsay 2 00:00:07,285 --> 00:00:08,835 Northen, welcome to another costume 3 00:00:08,835 --> 00:00:11,435 edition of "Behind the Emerald Curtain." 4 00:00:11,435 --> 00:00:14,395 There are over 400 custom-made costumes in 5 00:00:14,395 --> 00:00:16,815 'Wicked,' and it takes an expert team to 6 00:00:16,815 --> 00:00:18,935 maintain them in the midst of eight 7 00:00:18,935 --> 00:00:21,425 performances a week. Join us, as we meet 8 00:00:21,425 --> 00:00:23,305 the folks in the wardrobe room, and they 9 00:00:23,305 --> 00:00:25,095 take us through a day in the life of a 10 00:00:25,095 --> 00:00:27,675 costumer. Alice Gilbert is an amazing 11 00:00:27,675 --> 00:00:29,625 wardrobe supervisor. I've worked with 12 00:00:29,625 --> 00:00:32,875 her before, I had to have her on 'Wicked' 13 00:00:32,875 --> 00:00:35,395 because I thought "She's the only person 14 00:00:35,395 --> 00:00:37,925 who can understand the complexities of 15 00:00:37,925 --> 00:00:40,705 a monkey costume, and a mask, all the way 16 00:00:40,705 --> 00:00:43,435 to the most delicate, beaded piece of 17 00:00:43,435 --> 00:00:46,115 Chiffon." I think, in many ways, Susan 18 00:00:46,115 --> 00:00:48,475 was happy because I had done a lot of 19 00:00:48,475 --> 00:00:51,105 shows over a long period of time, and so 20 00:00:51,105 --> 00:00:53,075 there were things that I could have input 21 00:00:53,075 --> 00:00:55,385 about and choices that you might want to 22 00:00:55,385 --> 00:00:57,695 make to make it easier to maintain the 23 00:00:57,695 --> 00:01:00,255 show over a long period of time. What the 24 00:01:00,255 --> 00:01:01,905 fabric is, what the texture is going to be 25 00:01:01,905 --> 00:01:04,425 Alice takes every single piece of fabric 26 00:01:04,425 --> 00:01:06,415 that I choose, and in something like 27 00:01:06,415 --> 00:01:09,265 'Wicked,' is over 2000 pieces of fabric, 28 00:01:09,265 --> 00:01:12,225 she takes her nail and she digs into it 29 00:01:12,225 --> 00:01:15,015 to make sure that it is going to survive. 30 00:01:15,015 --> 00:01:18,815 For her, survival is the key. I call it 31 00:01:18,815 --> 00:01:21,355 'The Alice Test'— These clothes do eight 32 00:01:21,355 --> 00:01:23,875 performances a week, they live through 33 00:01:23,875 --> 00:01:27,305 sweat, water, fire, performance after 34 00:01:27,305 --> 00:01:29,955 performance, and they have to stay as 35 00:01:29,955 --> 00:01:32,865 beautiful from the very first day to the 36 00:01:32,865 --> 00:01:35,305 last day that they have on stage. It's an 37 00:01:35,305 --> 00:01:38,425 unbelievably difficult life for this costume. 38 00:01:38,425 --> 00:01:40,825 For wardrobe to do the show there are 12 39 00:01:40,825 --> 00:01:43,725 dressers, plus myself and the assistant, 40 00:01:43,725 --> 00:01:47,725 and we have 4-8 people doing daywork, 41 00:01:47,725 --> 00:01:50,045 depending on the day of the week. They are 42 00:01:50,045 --> 00:01:53,725 there before, during, and after every 43 00:01:53,725 --> 00:01:56,865 performance doing a kind of triage, 44 00:01:56,865 --> 00:01:59,575 whether or not it's a tear, or a dropped 45 00:01:59,575 --> 00:02:03,935 bead, or a loose connection, the whole 46 00:02:03,935 --> 00:02:06,905 team of people are prepared at any moment 47 00:02:06,905 --> 00:02:09,625 to jump in, to fix something. 48 00:02:09,625 --> 00:02:12,085 Who the costume would see through the day, 49 00:02:12,085 --> 00:02:14,985 if it were a single costume: There'll be 50 00:02:14,985 --> 00:02:17,025 four or five people dealing in the world 51 00:02:17,025 --> 00:02:19,965 of any individual costume, over a day's 52 00:02:19,965 --> 00:02:23,105 period. In the morning, early would come 53 00:02:23,105 --> 00:02:24,765 the dayworkers, if there had been 54 00:02:24,765 --> 00:02:26,555 something that had happened to it the 55 00:02:26,555 --> 00:02:28,315 night before, we have some dayworkers who 56 00:02:28,315 --> 00:02:30,755 would like, burrow into the costume, as 57 00:02:30,755 --> 00:02:33,145 some of these things are like 16 layers. 58 00:02:33,145 --> 00:02:35,805 When it's time to appear in the show, 59 00:02:35,805 --> 00:02:38,225 the dresser would put it onto the actor, 60 00:02:38,225 --> 00:02:39,635 the actor will wear it, and the dresser 61 00:02:39,635 --> 00:02:42,175 would pull it off the actor, and it will 62 00:02:42,175 --> 00:02:43,755 go back on the rack and the dresser will 63 00:02:43,755 --> 00:02:45,945 bring it back downstairs. Everything will 64 00:02:45,945 --> 00:02:48,345 be looked at everyday, and of course 65 00:02:48,345 --> 00:02:50,865 everything will be worn everyday, so it's 66 00:02:50,865 --> 00:02:53,925 the constant wearing of the clothes, plus 67 00:02:53,925 --> 00:02:55,585 even the handling of the clothes, so like 68 00:02:55,585 --> 00:02:57,505 they go on and off the hangers, they go 69 00:02:57,505 --> 00:02:59,535 up and down the racks, the racks go on 70 00:02:59,535 --> 00:03:02,255 the elevator, racks go back and forth, 71 00:03:02,255 --> 00:03:03,935 you have constant opportunities for 72 00:03:03,935 --> 00:03:06,835 abrasion. The craft of doing wardrobe is 73 00:03:06,835 --> 00:03:09,245 indeed dealing with something that has 74 00:03:09,245 --> 00:03:11,805 originally been made totally by hand. 75 00:03:11,805 --> 00:03:14,215 10-12 people have their hands on a dress, 76 00:03:14,215 --> 00:03:16,565 there's no mass-production here, it is 77 00:03:16,565 --> 00:03:18,705 something that can only be done in a one 78 00:03:18,705 --> 00:03:20,975 on one basis; you and the costume, 79 00:03:20,975 --> 00:03:22,195 right there. 80 00:03:23,270 --> 00:03:26,400 I know, that Alice Gilbert will always be 81 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,550 there for every second of every show, so 82 00:03:29,391 --> 00:03:33,391 I know they're always going to look good.