Carbon Costume

Orpheus (originated on Broadway by Reeve Carney) is one half of the tragic love story at the heart of the musical Hadestown.  The son of a muse, Orpheus is cared for by Hermes while he tries to finish a song to bring back spring.  He falls in love with Eurydice before she is tempted into the underworld by Hades, and he travels to hell to save her.  Orpheus is sensitive and sometimes a little oblivous.  He wears an off white shirt, grey pants, and brown leather suspenders, with black boots and a rust-red handkerchief.  Early in the musical, he also wears an apron.

Persephone (originated on Broadway by Amber Grey) is the wife of Hades in the musical Hadestown.  Persephone is meant to spend half the year in the human realm, and half in the underworld with her husband.  During the musical, this balance is thrown off and Persephone spends less and less time above ground with Hermes, Orpheus, and Eurydice, which results in harsher and harsher weather.  Persephone’s costume is meant to evoke the hopeful green of springtime.  It’s difficult to find an exact replica of her bright green dress, so don’t be afraid to play with layers and textures to build your silhouette.  Try layering a lace long top beneath a buff sleeve blouse and then pairing them with a green asymmetrical skirt.  You’ll need a flower crown for your hair, black tights and booties, and a floral detailed tote bag.  Finish the look with a luxuious faux fur coat.

Hades (played Patrick Page in the original Braodway production) is king of the underworld and a character in the musical Hadestown.  Hades is madly in love with his wife Persephone, though a rift forms between them when he bends the rule of their agreement which allowed her to live in the human realm for half the year.  In his anger, Hades tempts Eurydice into the afterlife.  Hades is a powerful and imposing figure.  He wears a three piece pinstriped suit, long leather trench coat and matching gloves, as well as white snakeskin boots and sunglasses.  Choose a tie in shades of white, black, and grey to match your suit.  If you want to recreate the brick pattern Hades wears on his left forearm, use waterproof makeup so it doesn’t rub off on your clothes.

Hermes (originated by André De Shields on Broadway and later played by Stephanie Mills) is the narrator of the musical Hadestown.  Hermes weaves the tragic tale of  Orpheus and Eurydice through song, even knowing how it ends.  Hermes has been played by men and women on stage, making the costume flexible to meet your needs.  Focus on shades of silver and grey, and choose a suit and vest or corset that makes you feel like a god.

Eurydice (played on Broadway by Eva Noblezada in the original cast) is the lover of Orpheus in the musical Hadestown.  A destitute human, Eurydice often finds herself at the whims of the Fates is no stranger to the harsh realities of the world.  Despite their differences, she falls for sensitive, optimistic Orpheus.  Eventually, Eurydice follows Hades into the underworld to escape hunger and poverty, only to discover that what awaits her there is even worse.  Eurydice wears an oversized coat against the harsh wind, tattered tights, and a threadbare slip dress.  She also wears a brown vest unbuttoned and a yellow scarf tied around her throat.  When Orpheus performs his unfinished song for her, he conjures a red flower which she carries with her until she departs for the underworld.

Emcee is a character from the current 2024 Broadway adaptation of Cabaret, and is played by Eddie Redmayne. Emcee is the sort of narrator in the story, and is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Club, set in 1930s Berlin.

To dress like Emcee, start with a cream or white crochet sleeveless top. Tuck this into maroon wide leg pants that you can cut off and hem if possible at the knee. Over this, wear a maroon waist belt to give it a more high-waisted look like the original costume. If the bow portion of both the pants and belt get in the way, cut off the excess on the pants and tuck the rest into the waist band. Cover the edge with the waist belt and tuck the ribbons into itself or under the belt to create a more flat look. At the neck, wear a maroon scarf tied into a bow. Pair with black elbow-black gloves, maroon lace-up boots, and a teal green/ blue party hat. For hair, you can use a temporary spray orange color.

Sally Bowles is a character from the 1972 musical film, Cabaret and is played by Liza Minnelli. Sally is a 19 year old cabaret singer at the Kit Kat Club set in 1931 Berlin.

To dress like Sally in one of her most recognizable costumes, wear a black vest, black shorts, black vintage-style stockings, black lace-up heeled boots, and a black and purple necklace. For the hat, take a black bowler hat and add a wide purple ribbon.

Musical and Broadway fans are reeling after the release of the new trailer for the film Wicked. The film is a screen adaptation of the broadway musical Wicked, which tells the story of the witches of Oz. This film will be in two parts and release separately, at different dates. As we await the first release, we get to analyze and enjoy the trailer and all of it’s impressive actors and of course, the costumes.

In this I’ll be covering how you can dress like or recreate the different looks of Glinda that we get glimpses of throughout the wicked trailers out now. For the look pictured, wear a delicate pink sheer blouse that is sleeveless and ruffled along with a pink midi skirt, vintage-style pink heels, and a pink crossbody purse. Another look is one that resembles a ballet outfit where she seems to be practicing some kind of jousting or fighting in a class with Elphaba. To dress like that wear a pink ballet leotard, a pink wrap ballet skirt, and tie your hair up with two pink bows. Another thing to add could be a pink coat dress over top. Lastly, we get to see bits and pieces of what seems to be her iconic ‘Popular’ number where she gives us kicks and dance, even hanging from a chandelier in a sheer tulle pink robe that is all the drama, just like herself.