Carbon Costume hades
Hades from Hadestown
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 from Hadestown
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.
Hades from Disney’s Hercules
Hades (voiced by James Woods) is the villain of Disney’s classic take on Hercules. While he doesn’t have that much in common with the actual Hades from mythology he is one of the most entertaining villains in Disney’s gallery.
Hades’ costume is pretty simple but does require some DIY. Most costume tunics don’t come in black or dark grey so you’ll have to dye a white one. The tunic linked above has a belt that you should remove before dying the tunic. Once it’s done, however, you can use the belt to keep the garment snug under the sash you fashion out of a sheet large enough to wrap around your waist and then go up over your shoulder. Although it might seem silly to use a sheet, togas in Ancient Greece were largely made of fabric squares that were belted, pinned, and folded into various designs. In this case you can use safety pins in spots nobody will see and a skull-shaped pin at the shoulder, just like hades.
A little hair gel will spike up a blue wig to look like flames while a purple-grey body paint should give your skin the same pallor Hades’ has. Finally, some sandals keep your feet safe while you put your plans in motion to rule the world!
