If there’s a perfect Halloween to dress up as Elphaba or Glinda, the witches from “Wicked,” the blockbuster Broadway musical based on Gregory Maguire’s “The Wizard of Oz”-inspired novel, it’s this one.
The musical is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Oct. 30 and, thanks to Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, Concertus Manila, David Atkins Enterprises and 105.9 Radio High, and presenters Visa and Smart Infinity, the show will be coming to Manila in January 2014 for a limited season. Tickets went on sale in August and “Wicked” has already broken box office records, leading producers to extend the show until Feb. 23.
If, like us, you already bought your tickets and have been listening to the soundtrack nonstop, you might want to dress up as your favorite “Wicked” witch this Halloween (Can’t decide if you’re more of a Glinda or an Elphaba? Take our quiz.) It would even be better if you can find another “Wicked”-loving friend and you can transform yourselves into Glinda and Elphaba.
Super was recently in Auckland, New Zealand, to watch “Wicked” and to meet the cast and crew who will be coming to Manila. We asked them to give tips to people who would like to get “wicked” this Halloween.
Glitter for Glinda
Paul Flanagan, the show’s head of wardrobe, said, “For Glinda, lots of layers, lots of frills, lightweight but sparkly, obviously, obviously sparkly.”
Suzie Mathers, the actress who plays Glinda, agrees. “Wear as much glitter as you want. Glitter galore. I’ve always got glitter on me everywhere. Anything bright and bubbly, anything pink. Glinda loves anything pink, she loves anything floaty.” Suzie uses MAC products to get her sparkle on.
We searched our favorite malls for Broadway-worthy outfits and discovered with joy that SM Department Store is a Glinda goldmine. Look for the Viola brand in the formal wear section of Ladies’ Wear. There we found different dresses that Glinda would totally rock—a short dress with a super glittery silver top and a layered, sparkly seafoam blue chiffon skirt; a soft pink dress with an embellished top, a satin belt and a frilly skirt with a lot of sparkle; and an even paler sparkly pink dress with delicate layers. Each dress costs P1,995.
The toy section we visited had run out of fairy wands, but that was OK because we thought bubbles would be a more appropriate Glinda prop. Glinda travels by bubble and when she makes her entrance in the musical, the stage is flooded with bubbles. Buy a bubble maker—we found a lot at Toy Kingdom for P99.75 each.
Go green for Elphaba
“For Elphaba, the dress is fitted and the skirt is big,” says Paul. “Don’t just go for plain black. Get strips of color running through it.”
It’s true—Elphaba’s dress isn’t pure black, it has colorful pieces of fabric woven through it. If that sounds too complicated, just pick up a long black dress. We found some at Forever 21: one with lace, P765; one without, P1,025; and a halter dress for P1,275.
You can make Elphaba’s hat out of paper but if you’d rather buy one, there are a lot at Toy Kingdom, with some as affordable as P65. Our favorite is the pricier P499.75 hat though; it’s big and velvety and makes a bold statement.
You can find Elphaba’s broom at Toy Kingdom, it’s just P99.75. You might want to pick up a long black wig, too. We found one at Toy Kingdom for P299.75.
The most important part of your Elphaba costume is the green makeup. Suzie says, “Get a good green makeup because bad green makeup will take a long time to get off. A good green makeup will make a solid Elphaba.”
Elphabas in “Wicked” productions use MAC makeup—the Chromacake in Landscape Green, a MAC Pro product, to turn their skin into a perfect shade of green. MAC brand manager Gay Lao tells Super that Landscape Green is also part of Rick Baker’s Halloween 2013 collection but in acrylic paint form.
You might want to try Snazaroo, a water-based face paint brand available at National Book Store for P319 each. Try the Lime Green or Grass Green shades because Snazaroo users claim Classic Green is too dark to use for Elphaba’s skin. Don’t forget to do a patch test before using it to make sure you aren’t allergic.
Don’t forget to play the soundtrack while you’re getting dressed. Have a wicked good time!
Visit www.wickedthemusical.com.ph. Tickets are available at
Ticketworld, tel. 8919999; or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.
