Carbon Costume

Mimi Marquez is a character in the musical RENT, written by Jonathan Larson to depict bohemian life in Lower Manhattan’s East Village during the HIV/AIDS crisis. She is a nineteen year old exotic dancer at a club called the Cat Scratch. She struggles with a drug addiction, and she is HIV positive like Angel. Mimi falls in love with Roger, and her growth throughout their romance is an important part of the story.

Angel Dumott Schunard is a character in the musical RENT, written by Jonathan Larson to depict bohemian life in Lower Manhattan’s East Village during the HIV/AIDS crisis. Angel is a street drummer who finds Collins beaten up and left on the street. The two blossom into lovers and move in together. Both of them are HIV positive, and Angel eventually succumbs to the disease. Her funeral is a pivotal point in the musical, and changes the relationships between the characters. She is very caring, giving, and kind. Fans speculate whether she is a drag queen or a transgender woman, or perhaps even genderfluid.

For the Super Bowl LVI half-time show, Snoop Dogg took the stage alongside other hip-hop icons like Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. The all-time rapper’s delivery was smooth as ever, performing “Drop It Like It’s Hot”. Snoop dressed in a blue and yellow tracksuit — a nod to his Los Angeles allegiance — accessorized with gold frames, gold chains, and a gold mic.

Much like his movie counterpart, the musical’s Christian is driven by love and by a sense of wonder in the world that many around him no longer share. His outcome is no less tragic and his loss no less heartbreaking than his movie counterpart, but he brings a different energy to the dynamic of Moulin Rouge that is unforgettable.

Christian’s writing may be hard to reproduce but his style is a wonderful closet cosplay. Button front slacks and a linen button down under a dark vest make up the majority of the costume. Finish off the look with a neck scarf and Oxford-style ankle boots. You’ll be the toast of the Moulin Rouge and all of the pieces can transfer easily to other costumes.

In the “Wuthering Heights” music video, English singer-songwriter Kate Bush is seen dancing out in the wild windy moors, adorned with flowers and a flowy red dress. This look has been recreated countless times for pop culture and holidays, including Halloween and The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever, held annually around the world.

“Come sit with us tomorrow, it’ll be fetch!” Gretchen Wieners is a character in the Mean Girls musical. She is a part of the Plastics as the right-hand woman to Regina George. In “Meet The Plastics,”  Gretchen sings about how she will do anything to maintain Regina’s popularity. She loves to gossip, but she’s actually quite sweet. When Cady joins the Plastics, she doesn’t have ulterior motives. In the musical, Gretchen confides in Cady that because of the crumbling friendship with Regina, she’s lost all confidence in herself. This leads to her solo song “What Is Wrong With Me?” Ashley Park originated the role of Regina on Broadway until Krystina Alabado took her place.

Nina Rosario (Leslie Grace) is a character in the movie musical, In The Heights. An adventurous and intelligent girl, she is the first in her family to attend college, namely Stanford University. Everyone in the barrio cheers her on, as she “made it out.” But when Nina returns for the summer, she announces she dropped out. Her solo, “Breathe,” is about her struggle to tell the truth, because she feels like a failure. She becomes frustrated with her father’s overprotective nature and his refusal to accept Benny as her lover.

Piragua Guy or Piragüero is a character in the movie musical, In The Heights. He sells colorful shaved ice (piragua) to children in the barrio. He’s portrayed by none other than Lin Manuel-Miranda, who both wrote the musical and originated the role of Usnavi on Broadway. The song “Piragua” was going to be cut from the movie adaptation until Lin stepped in to play the role. His competition is the Mister Softee truck, where Christopher Jackson, who originated the role of Benny, as well as George Washington in Hamilton, portrays the ice cream man.