since we are on the topic of musicals and the fashion of these theatrical productions, the three musicals and costumes that i'll feature today will be the three earliest shows that i came in touch with. my very first musical memory was of cats. i heard 'memory' over the radio airwaves and i was deeply captured by the music and the lyrics. as i grew older and found out about t.s.eliot, i developed a deep seated appreciation for the song and the musical.
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| CATS |
anyway, let's take a closer look at the enchanting world of cats.
cats first opened in the west end in 1981 and then on broadway in 1982, each time directed by trevor nunn and choreographed by gillian lynne; it won numerous awards, including both the laurence olivier award and the tony award for best musical. in 1983, john napier won the tony award for best costume design. the london production ran for twenty-one years and the broadway production ran for eighteen years, both setting long-run records. the show tells the story of a tribe of cats called the jellicles and the night they make what is known as 'the jellicle choice' and decide which cat will ascend to the heaviside layer and come back to a new life.
i particularly like how each cat is different from the other. like humans, no two cats are truly alike. looking at the details on the makeup and costumes, one can only imagine the amount of time and effort spent. though these costumes do not bear the 'haute couture' label, i think that every piece of fashion worn on the cats' stage should be valued the same. anyway, the show is no longer running if not, we can probably take a closer look at the fabrics and the production process.
here are some clips of a musical that i grew up with.
fash'on... BAM!
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