War Paint tells the remarkable story of cosmetics titans Helena Rubinstein (Patti LuPone) and Elizabeth Arden (Christine Ebersole), who defined beauty standards for the first half of the 20th Century.
Brilliant innovators with humble roots, both women were masters of self-invention who sacrificed everything to become the country's first major female entrepreneurs. They were also fierce competitors, whose 50-year tug-of-war would give birth to an industry that would forever change the face of America. From Fifth Avenue society to the halls of Congress, their intense rivalry was ruthless, relentless and legendary- pushing both women to build international empires in a world dominated by men.
One of the best scenes is the finale: an invention of the authors, in which Rubinstein and Arden finally meet for the first time ever while in a green room before a speaking engagement. Years have passed - both women walk a bit slower; Arden carries a cane - and after huffs and puffs, in their own way, the moguls come to an understanding. They compare lipstick application tips, admit to - gasp! - admiring each other's products, and finally sing in unison, questioning whether they helped to free or enslave women.
At first blush, the new Broadway musical War Paint looks like a face-off between rival 20th-century cosmetics magnates Helena Rubinstein (Patti LuPone) and Elizabeth Arden (Christine Ebersole). In fact, it's more about putting faces on. Titans of the beauty industry, Rubinstein and Arden made their names in makeup and put their names on it, but they never actually met-a serious challenge for War Paint's authors. As the show contrasts their personas and careers, it does what it can to keep them in the same frame-sitting, for example, in adjacent booths at a hotel bar-as it cuts back and forth between their stories. (It's like a conjoined-twins relative of Coco, the 1969 Coco Chanel biomusical: Co-Coco.) With two narratives to track, and a lot of time soaked up by musical numbers about customers and sales pitches, the show is heavy on primer and contours but light on blending and shading.
2016 | Chicago |
Goodman Theatre World Premiere Production Chicago |
2017 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Christine Ebersole |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Patti LuPone |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical | Catherine Zuber |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Michael Korie |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Bruce Coughlin |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Brian Ronan |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | David Brian Brown |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway of Off-Broadway Musical | War Paint |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Christine Ebersole |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Patti LuPone |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Catherine Zuber |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) | Kenneth Posner |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Catherine Zuber |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Christine Ebersole |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Patti LuPone |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | David Korins |
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