Last week, we had the exclusive opportunity to go backstage with CBS4’s Greg Moody to see Donna Vivino, who plays Elphaba in WICKED, get painted green before the show.  Makeup artist Christina Knapp told us they use a green paint that’s very simple – green coloring with cream, powder and water.  They paint it on with very soft, broad calligraphy brushes – one wet with paint and one dry to buff it into a sheer green skintone.  The actress’ face, shoulders and hands are all that’s painted green – her bodysuit and costumes cover the rest.  After the paint is applied, making an all over green skin tone, the beauty makeup is applied, including highlighting eye shadow and purple blush.  It’s an amazing transformation.  As Christina noted, Elphaba is supposed to be a beautiful girl who happens to be green.  So the beauty makeup really helps bring out that effect – she begins to really look like a gorgeous – yet green – girl.

Popularity: 15% [?]

By Kurt Van Raden, Assistant Stage Manager, Denver Center Theatre Company

The set for A RAISIN IN THE SUN

PROPS, PROPS, PROPS! My role on this show is all about the props…. Some shows I work with moving scenery and coordinating when it moves and who moves it. This show demands different talents. Welcome to A RAISIN IN THE SUN. Set in a cramped apartment with hundreds of little props (doilies, pictures, knickknacks, papers, rugs, silverware, etc.)

Look around your apartment/home/office and imagine if everything was packed away would you know the exact placement of each of those items? What angle was the phone at? Where was the red pencil? What drawer had the postcards in it? How many stamps are in there too?

These are the questions that I record and know the answers to.  So many times on a ‘set’ we have items that never move. In those cases we attached the items to the set so they never have the possibility of falling over or getting moved. In A RAISIN IN THE SUN the family begins to pack all their items and eventually the entire apartment is packed and put away.  We as stage managers have to know where each item goes back to at the end of the night and where each item is during the scene.  Where the tea cup got placed on the sink, who set it there and when it happened.

I hope that if you come see us that you won’t have any idea how much work goes into setting the stage each night.  If so, we did it right.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Starting Monday, the WICKED trucks – 14 in all – rolled into Denver to begin loading in for the six-week run that begins tonight.  We caught a few photos of the proscenium being hung in The Buell Theatre today and the trucks unloading out front.

Popularity: 11% [?]