AMNA NAWAZ: Well, as the saying goes,
there's no business like show business.
But for 18 months during the
pandemic, there was basically no
business in Broadway theaters.
Jeffrey Brown recently visited the theater
districts artisans, who are playing a key
role in Broadway's return.
It's all part of our arts
and culture series, Canvas.
JEFFREY BROWN: The green suit,
worn by Lin-Manuel Miranda in
the musical "Hamilton." Miranda
told the costume designer it should
be -- quote - - "the color of money."
Crystals and mirrors on Elsa's
ice dress from Disney's "Frozen."
From "Phantom of the Opera,"
what else? The mask. They are
defining images of contemporary
Broadway. But even live in
the theater, you don't
get to see them like this.
BRIAN BLYTHE, The Costume
Industry Coalition: What I think
is so great about this is that
when you're sitting in the
fifth row or the 10th row or in
the balcony, you're never this
close...
JEFFREY BROWN: Yes, that's for sure.
BRIAN BLYTHE: ... to the costumes,
to the point where you can see
the amount of craftsmanship,
the workmanship and the details
that go into each one of these.
JEFFREY BROWN: Brian Blythe helped
put together this exhibition
called Showstoppers!. He's
a founder of The Costume Industry
Coalition, a group of more
than 50 small businesses that
make these amazing garments,
like this dress from "Wicked."
Can I touch it?
BRIAN BLYTHE: I will
let you touch it, yes.
(LAUGHTER)
JEFFREY BROWN: Why do you do all of this
underneath in such exquisite detail?
BRIAN BLYTHE: Because they're
living in this fantasy world.
You know, they're in Emerald
City. And when an actor puts
this on, they become the
character. That's how they realize
their character, is through their costume.
JEFFREY BROWN: But starting in
March of 2020, no characters,
no costumes, no shows. Now,
gradually, tentatively, the
spectacle is coming back.
The musical "Six" was supposed
to open the same day Broadway
shut down in 2020. The six,
by the way, are the wives killed by Henry
VIII. Now they have come to life onstage.
And opening night recently was sold out.
GIANNA VAN ROUENDAL, Theatergoer: This is
my first Broadway show back, which is very
exciting. And I think
it will be so inspiring.
JACK NIX, Theatergoer: We are
just thrilled for Broadway, and
we cannot wait to see "Six."
And we will be back to
see a bunch of shows.
JEFFREY BROWN: "Six" is one
of 15 Broadway shows reopening
throughout September. Twenty
more are set to open before the end of the
year, with patrons masked and required to
have proof of vaccination or negative test
results to enter theaters.
Charlotte St. Martin is president
of The Broadway League, a trade
group representing theater
owners.
CHARLOTTE ST. MARTIN, President,
The Broadway League: We said
from day one we will not open
unless we feel we can keep the
audience, the cast and crew safe.
They might be a little bit
sensitive about the Delta variant,
but we're trying to spread
the message that we're safe,
we're secure, and all of the
magic they loved about Broadway
is still there.
JEFFREY BROWN: Magic and money.
Broadway is a business with
a large behind-the-scenes
ecosystem fed by ticket sales,
with every production employing
scores of workers crucial
to making the show go on. And then there's
its wider impact on the city.
CHARLOTTE ST. MARTIN: We're
responsible for 97,000 jobs in
this city, and 80 percent of
the tourists that are coming
here for pleasure give Broadway
as their number one, two or
three reason for coming to the
city. So we need to be open
not just for us, but to bring
New York back.
BRIAN BLYTHE: We lost over
$26.6 million in gross revenue
in 2020. And we have incurred
an immense amount of
debt during the pandemic.
JEFFREY BROWN: Showstoppers!,
occupying an out-of-business
sporting goods store on 42nd
Street, was conceived as a
fund-raiser, with ticket sales
benefiting costume workers.
According to Blythe, they
face a collective debt of $3.5
million. In an industry where
nothing but the best will do,
some of the people who make
these costumes took part in
the exhibition.
Camilla Chuvarsky is a theatrical milliner
she makes hats.
CAMILLA CHUVARSKY, Lynne Mackey Studio: I
think there's a bit of a false perception
with costumes that they're not as
well-made as everyday garments.
And, in fact, the opposite
is true. They have to hold up
through eight shows a week and
still look beautiful the entire
time, because, when you're going
to Broadway, more than regional
theater, what you're paying
for is the production value.
JEFFREY BROWN: The pandemic,
she says, forced some to leave
the industry or retire early,
revealing just how fragile some
of the costuming trades are.
CAMILLA CHUVARSKY: There are a
lot of techniques and skills that
really are passed down through
training on the job and that
a lot of people don't know
and would honestly be lost. If
some of these shops closed,
there's knowledge that would just
vanish, because it is so particular
to the industry.
JEFFREY BROWN: Another behind-the-scenes
art form, fabric painter.
Hochi Asiatico has worked on
Broadway for 25 years, painting
everything from the most
detailed patterns to a character's sweat.
A painter for a Broadway show, most people
probably don't know there is such a thing.
HOCHI ASIATICO, Owner, Hochi Asiatico
Studio: No, people don't know.
And they just get the feeling
of something. And I think they
get into the character. But,
really, the painting is very important for
the development of the character.
JEFFREY BROWN: Asiatico hand-painted these
robes, set in the early 19th century, for
the play "Golden Child."
HOCHI ASIATICO: So, we had to research the
colors that were available at the time and
the style of the time. Also,
we wanted them to look a little
bit embroidered. So we have
to consider the distance on stage, how the
lighting works.
JEFFREY BROWN: The people we
met are now back at work making
costumes for productions.
But will the audience return? With tourism
still down in New York City...
OPRAH WINFREY, Producer/Philanthropist:
This is Broadway.
JEFFREY BROWN: ... Broadway
League has a new $1.5 million
ad campaign narrated by Oprah.
OPRAH WINFREY: This is the return
of something truly spectacular.
JEFFREY BROWN: Strategically
targeting those within a car drive.
And, as we saw recently, those
who are coming are glad to
be back, even amid continuing
uncertainty.
AUDRIANNE SPEIDEL, Theatergoer: I'm loving
the fact that the shows are back and being
able to come and see as many
shows as possible. So, yes.
WOMAN: And please let
Broadway open, please.
AUDRIANNE SPEIDEL: Right.
JEFFREY BROWN: For now, at least, it is.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Jeffrey Brown
in New York.