#costume nerding

Five favourite LND!Christine costumes

1. The hotel/balcony attire in the original West End production. The costume feature a white dressing gown worn over an ornate corset. I think this is both a nice nod to the original POTO design, as well as being a beautiful piece in its own right. Also a lot of structure for an all-white costume. Design: Bob Crowley.
   
2. The hotel/balcony attire in the original Australian production*. A lovely Art Nouveau piece with bell shaped skirt with train, and a fitted bodice with long sleeves. I like the play between the embroidered dotty sheer fabric and the heavy lace, both featuring a scrolly botanical motif. Looks like a period piece, as well as looking like a mature version of the Christine we once knew. Design: Gabriela Tylesova.
   
3. The hotel/balcony attire in the Copenhagen production. Now, they went a totally different route, emulating the Edwardian splendour. The dress consists of a corseted bodice and a bell shaped skirt. It is made of beaded and embroidered metallic lace over rich blue silk, creating a shimmering purple dress. It looked spectacular on stage. Design: Paul Farnsworth.
   
4. The Peacock dress, used for the title song in the original Australian production*. A corseted bodice, bell shaped skirt and a looooong detachable train, all made of bold blue silk decorated with beaded appliquées, bead fringe and pleated chiffon pieces. The front skirt has blue/black chiffon pieces, while the train also has a hint of black and green to give a sense of peacock feathers. An absolute statement piece! Design: Gabriela Tylesova.
   
5. The rust dress, used in Dear Old Friend in the original Australian production*. Another convincing period piece, showing the Edwardian love for tailor-mades; dress suits featuring impeccable tailoring in fitted bodices and smart skirts. This one is made of rust silk with dark rust scrolly embroidery, and with a black collar and a double row of buttons in front. Add a smart hat, and you’re rocking the scene. Design: Gabriela Tylesova.
   

*Costumes also used in Hamburg, Tokyo and the US Tour

Star Princess tiara: From humongous to non existant

1. Sierra Boggess, Paris: Gotta give it to Paris: They modeled this after the actual moon, scale and all… Interestingly, it doesn’t have a visible fundament. It’s all about the moon!
2. Sarah Brightman, Broadway: Also a huge moon and little fundament. This did alas not last long on stage.
3. Viktoria Krantz Tocca, Copenhagen: The Swedish/Danish original tiara had a big silvery star and a visible fundament AND big stars, making it an impressive construction.
   
4. Rebecca Caine, Toronto: Back to less fundament, but ONE GIANT BLUE MOON. Epic look.
   
5. Harriet Jones, West End: A modest blue moon as such, but one helluva star studded fundament. SO MUCH TIARA.
   
6. Emilie Kouatchou, Broadway: Fairly small faceted mirror star, backed with small stars, and a modest fundament.
   
7. Claire Lyon, World Tour: The original Aussie and World Tour tiaras had tiny silvery star, but a big “starburst” fundament. In all fairness they’re totally not reflecting on the costume design, but they’re cool.
   
8. Celinde Schoenmaker, West End: Being a tall Christine, they composed a brand new tiara for her, with an askew moon attached to a silver cluster on a tiny fundament. As far as I know, only Celinde wore this.
   
9. Lucy St Louis, West End Revival: OK, so the tiaras are quite regular sized blue moons. But when you wear it as a hairclasp at the back of your head it’s no longer a tiara.
   
10. Colleen Besett, Vienna: Since original Viennese Christine Luzia Nistler was considered very tall they changed her tiaras to just glittering diadems. For mysterious reasons this was also done for all the other Christines, whatever height.
    

As a reference, Maria Bjørnson’s design DO feature a gigantic tiara with no fundament. The silvery tiara is star studded and placed down the forehead of the wearer, a bit askew. Thus, the two first might seem overwhelming on the actresses, but they do in their own way reflect on the costume design. 

Closing the jacket: The Hussar costume

• ROW 1: Hamburg and Oberhausen (zipper)
• ROW 2: Broadway and Restaged Tour (zipper)
  
• ROW 3: Copenhagen (hooks and eyes, snap button)
• ROW 4: Moscow / Paris (snap buttons)
• ROW 5: West End (hooks and eyes)
  

Same role, new hairdo! Principals returning to the role in replica productions, but with a slightly different hairdo than the previous run.

1. Claire Lyon, World Tour: For her 2015-2015 run she had the Aussie styling with no forehead curls, generous drapes over the temples, and large lush curls in the back. For the revival in 2019-2020 she got a more West End inspired wig with small forehead curls, and longer, sleeker curls in the back.
   
2. Tim Howar, West End: For his first run in September 2018 he was fitted with a wig with slightly more length than usual - apparently to underline his rock’n’roll flair. For his return to the role in May 2019 the wig had become even longer. No explanation as to why.
   
3. Emmi Christensson, West End / Stockholm: For her West End run in 2014-2016 she was fitted with a blonde wig, with sleek long curls. For the Stockholm revival in 2016-2017 she donned a fairly dark brown wig, with tighter, bigger curls.
   
4. Jordan Donica, Broadway: For his initial Broadway run in 2016 he sported his own hair, as far as I can tell, short in the back and a big height on top. He also did sideburns. For his return in 2022 he now has long hair, worn combed back in a ponytail.
   
5. Sierra Boggess, Las Vegas / RAH: Having done four different (well, almost) productions I could have gone for several combos. But at her debut in the Las Vegas production in 2006 she was featured with tight ringlets, and quite a bit of height over the temples. It’s an interesting contrast both to later Vegas styling, and to Sierra’s look in the 2011 RAH version. There they went for an all natural look, with long sleek curls in the upper tresses and hardly any curls underneath. The small curls over the forehead and ears were also very full and soft looking.
   

Bodice closure: The Wedding bodice

1. Las Vegas (back-closed with zipper)
2. Restaged US Tour (back-closed with zipper)
3. Broadway (back-closed with zipper)
4. Paris/World Tour (back-closed with zipper)
5. West End (back-closed with hooks and bars)
6. West End revival (back-closed with hooks and bars)
7. Copenhagen (back-closed with hooks and bars)
8. Original West End (front-closed with hooks and eyes)
9. Tokyo (back-closed with hooks and bars, plus snap buttons)
   
10. Sao Paulo/Hamburg (back-closed with hooks and bars)
    

(note: many also do an additional hook and eye in the neck, as seen in photo 4. The bow usually close with velcro or snap buttons)

Bodice closure: The Wishing bodice

1. Broadway (back-closed with zipper)
2. US Tour (back-closed with zipper)
3. US Tour (back-closed with zipper)
4. Restaged US Tour, UK dress (back-closed with zipper)
5. World Tour (back-closed with hooks and bars, and snap buttons)
6. World Tour (back-closed with hooks and bars)
7. West End (back-closed with hooks and bars, and velcro)
8. West End (back-closed with hooks and bars, and velcro)
9. Copenhagen (back-closed with hooks and bars, and velcro)
   
10. West End (back-closed with hooks and bars, and velcro)

Bodice closure: The Wishing bodice

1. Broadway (back-closed with zipper)
2. Las Vegas (back-closed with zipper)
   
3. US Tour (back-closed with zipper)
4. Restaged US Tour / UK dress (back-closed with zipper)
   
5. Newer West End (back-closed with hooks and bars)
6. Newer West End (same)
7. Hamburg (front-closed with hooks and bars, plus snap buttons)
   
8. Original West End (front-closed with hooks and eyes)
9. World Tour (front-closed with hooks and bars, plus snap buttons)
10. World Tour (front-closed with hooks and bars, plus snap buttons)

Bodice closure: The Star Princess

1. World Tour (hooks and eyes)
2. Broadway (zipper)
3. Broadway (zipper)
   
4. Tokyo (hooks and bars)
5. Hamburg (hooks and eyes)
6. Oberhausen (hooks and eyes) (same as 5)
   
7. Hamburg (hooks and eyes + bars)
8. West End (hooks and bars)
9. West End (hooks and bars)
   
10. Copenhagen (hooks and bars + thread loops)
    

Bodice closure: The Rooftop costume

1. Las Vegas (zipper)
2. West End (hooks and bars, velcro)
3. Broadway (zipper)
   
4. Restaged US Tour (zipper)
5. Broadway (zipper)
   
6. West End (hooks and bars)
   
7. West End (hooks and bars)
   
8. Oberhausen (hooks and bars)
   
9. Stockholm/Copenhagen (hooks and bars)
10. World Tour (hooks and bars)
    

Bodice closure: The Serafimo Pageboy/Maid shirt

1. Australian Tour (looks like snap buttons)
2. Broadway (snap buttons)
3. Broadway (snap buttons)
4. Broadway (snap buttons)
5. Stockholm (snap buttons plus hooks and bars)
6. Stockholm (snap buttons)
7. Tokyo (not sure, just added it for the bow reference)
8. Moscow (snap button)
9. West End (snap buttons)
10. Copenhagen (snap buttons)

Bodice closure: The dressing gown

1. Hamburg (a total of hook and bar, tied belt and velcro)
2. Hamburg (same)
3. Hamburg (same)
   
4. West End (tie, sometimes also hook and bar or snap button)
   
5. World Tour (snap button and tie)
6. World Tour (same)
   
7. US (hook and bar, with pre-tied belt)
8. US (same)
9. Copenhagen (tied belt)
10. Original West End (tied belt)

(note: many do a combination of 2-3 different closing methods, usually ties, velcro, snap buttons, and/or hook and bar/thread loop. It’s pretty much impossible to document all three in one garment - exception being the Hamburg one from my personal collection)

Bodice closure: The Hannibal Slavegirl

• ROW 1: US(zipper in front as well as…)
• ROW 2: US(lacing in the back)
• ROW 3: Germany(hooks and eyes) / Germany (hooks and bars)
• ROW 4: World Tour (hooks and eyes)
  
• ROW 5: Elder and newer UK (hooks and eyes)