Musical by George C. Wolfe and Michael John LaChiusa
Director, Gary Grant
Choreography, Dustyn Martincich
Assistant Costume Design, Jessica Napoli ’12
For this production of Wild Party, a musical based on a 1928 poem by Joseph Moncure March of the same name, we wanted to thoroughly explore the seedy underbelly of Broadway of the 1920s. We looked at the transition from vaudeville, the use of drugs and alcohol, sex, and flapper fashions. I really wanted to include beaded gowns and found a lot of beaded garments from the 80s in local thrift stores, which we were then able to adapt into 20s dresses by cutting away sleeves and shoulders, dropping the torsos and adding skirts to the bottom. it was an economical and creative way to have lovely beaded 20s gowns that were both sturdy for the demands of the musical and also somewhat easier and more affordable to achieve.
Link to PDF of Wild Party Costume Research 2012
