Are the members of warpaint gay
If I might have preferred they be given a rivalry as grand as the talents of these extraordinary performers — say, Queen Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots, whom she beheaded — they do much to help make this new musical both entertaining and fabulous. They and the rest of the member cast are costumed by Catherine Zuber, likely to snag her ninth Tony Award for designs that are to die for, especially her literally over-the-top hats, offered like a tour of twentieth century fashion.
There are some lovely, funny little scenes, such as one in which Helena tries her new secret formula face cream on her assistant.
June 20th, 2022
As she vigorously slaps her face with it:. There are no ugly women; only lazy ones. Every day you must apply. Always with the up motion. To rub this cream into the skin is to swim in the Fountain of Youth! How you feel now, Magda? Dziekuja, Magda. The musical, inspired by a book of the same name and a subsequent documentary, The Powder and the Glory, must grapple with the fact that the two women apparently never met.
Most of the songs they sing are solos; their duets are not with one another, but side by side. We hear them disparage one another, but not face-to-face. They also apparently sacrificed most of their personal life to build their respective empires. There is a subplot involving the husband of Arden and the gay business manager of Rubinstein, each of whom feels taken for granted, which leads to a remarkable development; they both switch sides.
But this is the only thing that one can call personal in the show. Some of the tidbits are fascinating. So what did I do? During World War II, they both cleverly innovate products that will appeal to women newly enlisted in the armed forces and the workforce, and that work around the material shortages.
Their rise is far less interesting in this musical than their fall. Then there is a final scene in which they meet at last — with hilarious digs, and affecting reconciliation — followed by a rousing finale. If only that had actually happened. Christine Ebersole as Elizabeth Arden.
John Dossett as Tommy Lewis. Douglas Sills as Harry Fleming. Mary Ernster as Society Doyenne, Mrs. Paley, Mr. Chris Hoch as Mr. Simms, Hal March, Mr. Email Address. Excerpts and links to the content may be used. Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.