DIANA ROSS CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK, 1983!

I recently did an interview with journalist Dustin Fitzharris (for The Huffington Post and The Village Voice) about my memories of the famed Diana Ross Concert in Central Park in 1983  that got seriously interrupted by a sudden storm. Those words barely cover the strength of the storm - I think of it as an almighty near-mythical "tempest"!!

The extraordinary thing, besides the concert itself, is the fact that some 30 years later people are seeking me and others out for our recollections of that night. The concert aired on PBS a few weeks ago, and   the DVD will be released for sale in May. Watching the PBS special I was taken right back to that first night.

July 21st, 1983 started out a hot and sunny day. I had been in New York for several days (from LA) to help with the wardrobe prep. Miss Ross (as we all called her) had a lot riding on this concert and had been working toward it for months. On the day of the concert we got to the staging area early and had rehearsals with the dancers, musicians and all departments. The show finally started on time, but a very strong wind came up and Miss Ross had a hard time keeping her hair out of her eyes. At first it was only annoying. No big deal. Except..... in the distance to the north east we saw a very dark cloud approaching fast and knew that something BIG was about to happen.

Diana was onstage in her skimpy orange lace body suit and as she battled the wind I thought how dramatic it would be if I could get her to put on the orange chiffon cape. The quick change room was right under the stage by the exit stairs, so I grabbed the cape, climbed up the stairs and crouched at the edge of the stage. Finally I got her attention and she beckoned to me to bring the cape to her. It was a struggle to get it on as the wind was so fierce. But before long she started "working it" and became like some magical spirit facing down the almighty storm. The cape streamed out behind her and was captured by the cameras, both video and still, and the amazing images would appear on the front page of newspapers and magazines all over the world.

Then the rain came. We were all drenched! I mean, really drenched. I lost my sandals and was ankle deep in mud. Water ran down the stage and into the quick change room and into my surge strip where I had appliances plugged in! But, soaking wet or not, Miss Ross went on singing and interacting with her adoring fans. She kept the audience calm and kept singing, though absolutely drenched. Eventually I brought her a white designer blazer (Versace I think) that covered her a little better. Park officials, the mayor, the fire department, and the president of Paramount Pictures all were trying to get her to stop the concert out of concern for safety, and eventually, once Miss Ross felt the crowds were calm enough, she finally and reluctantly the stage.

She went into the warmth of her trailer, and eventually into the limo that whisked her away. The director  Steve Binder and video people emerged from the warm dark video truck into the cold rain and almost seemed surprised that it was actually wet outside! The musicians left in their vans, and one by one the crew could do no more and also left.

But the wardrobe crew, me plus about 3 others, as I remember, were still there, gathering up Miss Ross' things when suddenly, ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT! There we were in the pitch-black wet muddy Central Park! I told my crew to find black garbage bags and make themselves ponchos, take a sip of some brandy we found, and get their sewing scissors out which they were to hold in their hands as weapons. Thus we walked out of a dangerous Central Park in the pitch black. Eventually we made it to Central Park South, and then to the upscale Parker Meridian Hotel  on 56th st. They had been told to give anyone a room who needed one, and they never looked down their noses at our bizarrely attired group!

The next day, when I saw Diana's photo on the front page of the New York Times I was thrilled! I called her, and she asked me to drive out to her house in Connecticut and gather up some new costumes and gowns as the show would go on again!

And it did! Another lovely sunny day, but this time no storm. Everyone was elated at the return of the thousands and thousands of fans,  and the concert was brilliant. We all felt we had been a part of history. Who knew, after thirty years, that maybe we were.

ONE OF THE GREAT JOBS: The Smith Center Opening Gala

Not all jobs are fun. Sometimes the pay is poor,a the budget low, and the actors demanding. So it’s important to savor the great jobs!

Last night was one of those!  I was a part of Las Vegas history, doing the costume coordination for the Opening Gala show of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. The magnificent center, ten years in the planning and three years in building, comprises a large La Scala type opera house for Broadway shows, ballet, and concerts; a smaller theater; and an intimate cabaret theatre. In addition, still to come are the Discovery Children’s Museum, a state of the art rehearsal space, restaurants, and beautiful parks and public spaces. It is a testament to the belief in the future of Las Vegas as a great place to live as well as to visit as a tourist.

It was a star studded night, with the Nevada dignitaries and benefactors in black tie and formal gowns in the audience, and an A-list of bedazzled performers on stage from classical artists like Joshua Bell and Arturo Sandoval, to rock, country, pop, dance and Broadway artists of the highest caliber.

I had the honor of costuming the Broadway dancers and the Rob Mathes Band, Arturo Sandoval, and putting together a wardrobe team to take care of the needs of any or all of the stars performing last night. I loved every minute of it!

In addition to the regular responsibilities, I always love taking care of those last minute backstage crises! For instance, Broadway singer Laura Osnes got black tulle on the back of her gown caught in her zipper a few minutes before she was due to go onstage. It took three of us to work on it and get the fabric free and the zipper up in time! Arturo Sandoval discovered that his tux shirt no longer fit his neck so I had two minutes to put the top button on a piece of elastic so it would close. He could not find his bow tie, but at the last minute I had thrown an extra black bow tie in my purse, so that took care of it. (Though he later found his tie). Smith Center Board Chairman Don Snyder discovered he had left his studs at home a few minutes before he was due onstage to make the opening presentation with CEO Myron Martin and Fred Smith (as in The SMITH Center) and I was called by a frantic stage manager to come with double stick tape. However, I had an extra set of studs on hand. One of the dancers broke her dress straps while doing a lift, so we quickly sewed on new straps made of elastic.  And so it goes. Never a dull moment! (Thanks to my team Brunie, Emma, Ron, and Yo-yo!)

It was a joy to see how an experienced team of producers, stage managers, talent escorts, stage crew, and hundreds of others, can work together seamlessly to put on a show of this size with well over a hundred performers (choir of 55, orchestra about 40 members, 2 dozen stars, 8 dancers) with only 2 days rehearsal and have it all come off so beautifully. 

So, if there are a few difficult jobs now and then so what, when you can be part of a joyful experience such as this one!

BROADWAY AND DANCERS, I LOVE THEM ALL!

Last night I watched “SMASH” on TV and it reminded me how much I love Broadway performers, singers and dancers. Well yes, I was one once, and I treasure every moment I spent performing on several Broadway stages.

I remember those auditions - terrifying! If I got to audition first as a dancer, even in those huge cattle calls (as they were called) on stage where 400 dancers got whittled down to 30 or so for callbacks, I knew I had a very good chance. If then I got to audition as an actress, I knew I had a good chance.  But as a singer? No, no, no. 

I would have worked on a song or two with my coach in preparation, it would go somewhat OK, but the moment I was standing in front of that table of producers and directors, I knew I really sucked. And I knew it after the first few lines of the song, knew the directors wanted to cut me off and were being polite. I would feel so humiliated, and would usually hail a cab and cry in the back seat all the way home to my fourth floor walk-up apaprtment just down the street from Lincoln Center!

But dancing, yes, I usually made it to call-backs, and made it into four different Broadway Shows!

In fact, it was my experience as a dancer that got me my first costuming job. I met one of the producers of Ann-Margret’s lavish Las Vegas act who was looking for someone to co-ordinate the 12 dancers’ and 6 singers’ costumes for her show. I thought I didn’t know anything about costumes, only having worn them, never made them, but the man said I must know what dancers need, and so gave me the job. That was what started it all!

I certainly made some mistakes along the way, especially in the beginning. In one of my early jobs actually creating costumes, I asked to be allowed to make the dancers jumpsuits for a dance number to “Car Wash”. Believe it or not, two way stretch material was not yet on the market, but I was able to find a ski pant fabric that did stretch one way. Thinking the guys would need it to stretch sidesways to allow for their chest expansion, I cut the jumpsuits in the wrong direction. I got that call from Roger Smith that no-one just starting their career wants to get....”your costumes are all ripping at the waist when the boys do the dance number”. A good friend gave me some excellent advice. He said, the best way to deal with a big error like this is to offer several choices of solutions, so I got up my courage to call Roger back and suggest that I come to Las Vegas, and spend the day inserting a stretchy band at the waist so the guys could move. It was a LONG day, as I had 8 jumpsuits to fix in time for them to be worn that night in the show, but there seemed to be no hard feelings. And I NEVER cut stretchy costumes the wrong way again!

1% LUCK, 1% TIMING, 98% PERSISTENCE!

This morning I got a call from "Kenny" (fictitious name), a fellow I have never met, but who calls me about every 6 weeks to see if I have any assistant work for him or have any leads on production. I hope to meet this guy or at least find out from others that he is really good, because I am so impressed with his persistence, persistence in a good way.

A dear friend of mine recently landed a really good job doing what she loves and is so thankful for her good luck. But as I point out to her, only a fraction of it is luck. She works hard at sending out resumes, knowing that 99% of them will end up in the circular file. She does designs for charity events so her work will be seen, and she puts in serious time honing her talents, networking, and expanding her range of contacts. When the job came, she was ready for it, and the company is lucky to have her.

Man oh man, it is never easy. I wish it was. But in the world of entertainment (film, TV theater) the looking-for-a-job part never gets better. That’s the worst news that you are going to hear in this blog. The good news is that with the right tools, and with that old word persistence, all things are possible.

But you also need some personal discipline, and some organization. Anyone looking for a job, be it full time or per production, needs to keep a log of people they have met (anywhere, on set, at a mixer, even virtually). In this log shold be their contact information, where you met them, some basics about them, and when you last called or emailed them. Here is an example:

DIANA EDEN     

diana.eden@yahoo.com   

costume designer and wardrobe stylist    

met at Women in Entertainment mixer 12/21/10.  

Notes: encouraged me to stay in touch with her.     

Last contacted:    Jan 25th.  Got vm.   Will try again tomorrow.

People tend to remember the LAST person who contacted them when looking for an assistant, not someone who gave them a card six months ago.

Another tip: I have always HATED making “cold calls”. HATED the idea that someone would 

1. not remember who I was;  or  

b) be cool or abrupt with me and make me feel like a fool! 

So I do a little exercise before I make a call. I go through the reasons why that person might WANT to hear from me:

1. as it happens, they are just starting to think about crewing a new project
2. it makes them feel important to be a potential employer
3. they were really bored, and like having someone get in touch
4. they really really like you!

Also, be consistent. If someone invites you to stay in touch with them, then do so. Often I invite people to do just that, or to “call me in a month”, and then I never hear from them again.

Another tip: if someone is really encouraging or helpful on a phone call, do a very quick (and to the point) follow up and thank you by email. “That lead you gave me was really helpful, thank you so much for giving me his/her name”.

Lastly, remember when you are “pitching” yourself, find the thing that makes you not only special, but employable. Perhaps its just your personality! That’s OK, its good to have people who are fun on board. Perhaps it is your research skills. Perhaps its your connections - you might know exactly the right people to get locations for a certain type of scene. Perhaps its your experience in a particular area that you know the film is going to be dealing with: “I just finished a three year course on Japanese Samurai Warriors and I hear you might be filming a few scenes with samurais....” You get the drift.

And now, because MY phone hasn’t rung in a few weeks, I must get up my courage and go call a few people!

BRIDES: ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

A fan asked me today what my favorite moments were on “Santa Barbara” and who my favorite stars were. Though there were many, the actress who came to mind immediately was Sidney Penny. She was so easy to design for! Not only did she have a lovely body to clothe, but she was so down to earth and adventurous and open about ideas that I had. That is always such a treat! Sometimes I want to design something a little different from the norm, especially when it comes to wedding gowns, and though the producer always has final approval on designs, it always helps when an actor is willing to go along with some crazy ideas.

I have found that bridal gowns tend to always look the same (strapless, full skirts right now) and on both “Santa Barbara” and “Passions”, I wanted my wedding gowns to be unique. I didn't always succeed - sometimes the fans hated what I did, but more about that later!

“BJ” and “Warren” were to wed on the final show of “Santa Barbara” and we were to shoot on location at the gorgeous Ritz Carlton Hotel at Laguna Niguel on the California coast. We filmed in December, and though all the actors were in formal wear, the icy ocean breeze was whipping up the bluff, and we were all freezing! I had wanted to do a 1930's themed gown for Sidney and I had actually found an authentic 1930's dress that I liked in a costume rental house. But I wanted to add my own unique touch, so I designed a white velvet coat to go over the gown, and a "juliet" cap with silk flowers for her hair. Sidney's face and bone structure allow her to wear things close to her head, and she just wasn't a big fluffy veil type! Needless to say, she looked amazing. As she approached her groom, a small breeze picked up the train of the coat and gave the whole outfit some movement. I was standing just off camera going yes! yes! 

Another actress who was a dream to design for is MacKenzie Westmore on “Passions”! Not only is she gorgeous, tall, incredibly shapely, but she also went along with my wild ideas. When "Sheridan" was to wed "Luis" I also went once more to a 1930's theme, basing her gown on my mother's 1930's wedding gown, though I added some sexiness by creating a very bare back, and a keyhole opening in the front. The dress had a stand up lace color, and to me she looked every bit like an amazing Carole Lombard or Marlene Dietrich. However, the young fans didn't get it (who is Carole Lombard to them??) and blogged about what a horrible choice it was!

Another successful wedding gown on Santa Barbara was the 1940's inspired gown for "Julia" when she married "Mason" for the umpteenth time. Nancy (Grahn) told me she liked the 1940's silhouette, and since in the 1990's, when this was being filmed, wide shoulders were still in style, this wasn't too much of a stretch. But to make the somewhat masculine silhouette more feminine, I made it of silk chiffon, with a long sheer cape attached at the shoulders that I hoped would billow in the breeze. I've never been big on tulle veils, at least on camera, as sometimes I think they overwhelm the actress' face, which is important to see.

At least my fictional brides don’t have the wedding day nerves of a real bride! For them, it’s all in a day’s work.


PS I had two great photos posted along with this, but they keep disappearing. Not sure why.

GOD BLESS MODERN TECHNOLOGY, SKYPE, AND MENTORS!

I just hung up the phone (no, actually, I was on the computer on skype) with Joe I Tompkins, a very successful, Oscar nominated, Emmy winning costume designer. He is now retired and living  happily in Merida, Mexico, and I was "on assignment" for the Costume Designers Guild to write about some of our best retired designers. What an amazing career Joe has had, and what a wealth of great advice he had.

As a mentor myself, naturally I am biased toward mentors! But I think back to when I was just starting out in a career in costumes and how much it meant to me when a more seasoned designer gave of their time to help me.

Had someone told me back then that I should seek out someone I admired as a mentor and contact them, I would have shrunk in fear from the idea! Who, after all, that was successful and whose work I admired would have the time to give advice to lowly me? Would I have had the courage to ask for help? Could I have made that call?

But actually  I got lucky when I was hired by Bob Mackie to work as his assitant for the Oscar Awards in 1980, and then the original Jubilee production for the MGM Grand. I consider Bob and the designers I worked with at his company Elizabeth Courtney Costumes my mentors. I didn't actually call them that, but everything that I know now about costume design I learned from working with them - watching them, listening to them, asking questions, and following their examples. They were all generous with suggestions or information when asked for, and to this day I feel I could call on any of them if I got "stuck" on a design. One time I asked Bob Mackie whether a white pique vest should show below the point at the waist of a man's black formal tailcoat. He said that Fred Astaire had told him directly that no, it should not, as a clean black line from head to toe elongated a man, and the vest should only show when the arms were raised, perhaps to dance? Astaire also said that he had learned that from the Duke of Windsor, fashion arbiter and innovator. So my simple question to Bob elicited an answer that went all the way back to the 1930's for authenticity! I have never forgotten that moment.

I would suggest to any young designer, writer, film-maker, or creative being, not to be afraid to reach out to those whose careers they admire. Sometimes, yes, they are too busy or not interested, but as often as not, especially in their later years, they are very mellow, very understanding, and actually love the fact that their experience and wisdom might be appreciated by someone.

START OF A NEW YEAR - onward and upward!

Its been a few weeks since I've posted a blog. I've not thought much about costumes over the last few weeks as my days have been occupied with the usual holiday activities of parties, family, and friends. All of which have been great.

But here it is January, and I am feeling eager to get started working again in my chosen profession of costume design. The pursuit of work and its rewards never ends, no matter what stage you are at.

I heard recently from a young art director /costumer whom I had recommended for a possible job with a film  coming to Las Vegas from Los Angeles. She was discouraged as she did not get the job, and wondered what she might have done better. It reminded me of how difficult this career can be when you love the work but feel powerless when others hold the strings.

There are a number of reasons why you DON'T get the job, and a lot of the time you don't even know why. Perhaps the producer decided to cut the budget and not hire anyone in that position, or perhaps it was between you and one other person and they just edged you out. Perhaps the hiring person had a friend, or owed a favor to someone who requested their candidate be considered.  Or (and this is not the case of the young woman I refer to in the paragraph above), maybe you did not give a good interview or appear prepared.

Practicing you interview style is as important as knowing your craft,  having a good resume and portfolio. Its all part of the package. Having been the one in the position of hiring, I do know that I usually hire the costumers that impress me with how they can make MY job easier! I know that may sound selfish, but, after all, when  you are looking for a job on any rung of the ladder, you are looking to make the person directly above you look good! As a costume designer, my employers want to make sure that I can stay within the budget, keep the actors happy, get everyone dressed and to the set on time, as well as make the right artistic choices.

I in turn want assistants who love the work, show up on time, work well with other crew members, deliver what they say they can deliver, and in general help make my department run smoothly.

Believe me, having spent many years earning my living as a costumer and costume designer, I had my heart broken more than a few times. I did not get all the jobs I wanted or thought I deserved. Its a tough competitive world out there, and if you don't have drive, persistence, and a love for the work, you'll lose heart and become discouraged.

But don't be.  Stay true to what you believe about your abilities, strive continually to improve your knowledge, your talents, and your presentation, and next time it will be someone else feeling sad because you got the job instead of them!