RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Designer Edwin Vicente examines fabric that will be used to cover the massive frame of the Mother Ginger costume next to him. Eight children hide under the skirt in "Nutcracker."
Two designers rework Mother
Ginger's gigantic costume for
Ballet Hawaii's production
of the popular "Nutcracker"
You think making your way around the shopping malls this time of year is tough? Try walking around with dancing bonbons under your skirt.
Holiday tradition
Ballet Hawaii's "Nutcracker"Where: Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall
When: 8 p.m. tomorrow, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Dec. 21
Admission: $25, $40 and $55
Call: 1-877-750-4400
It's costume designers Edwin Vicente and Anne Namba's job to see that this tricky maneuver goes on without a hitch when Ballet Hawaii's "Nutcracker" opens tomorrow.
Three wardrobe assistants will be needed to help Mother Ginger into her gigantic costume with an 11-foot flaring skirt, big enough to accommodate eight children, who eventually emerge and dance as the Bonbons.
"It's the biggest dress I've ever made," said Vicente, who grew up here and moved to New York to pursue costume design. He was recruited by pal Namba to complete the project.
"It's like building a puzzle," he added. "It takes a long time to piece everything together."
Namba and Vicente met in New York 27 years ago at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Namba's father was the advisor for Vicente's fraternity. The two worked on several stage ventures together, including "Porgy and Bess," "42nd Street" and "Chicago."
Namba returned home to pursue the start-up of her own line, but Vicente, who grew up in Aiea, continued to work in New York. He left his job at a theatrical drape shop this summer. "It was too technical ... not creative enough," he said. So when he was called upon to create the new Mother Ginger costume, it was perfect timing. He had already created elaborate works for a variety of Broadway shows such as "Will Rogers Follies," "Phantom of the Opera," "M. Butterfly," "My Fair Lady" and "The Little Foxes." He also has done work for the Ringling Bros. Circus.
Incidentally, because the dress would likely devour any ballerina, the part of Mother Ginger will be played by Ben Moffatt, who stands 6 feet 4. In addition to carrying the costume, he'll be maneuvering around the stage on 2 1/2-foot stilts.
Getting dressed is a matter of entering the costume on stilts through the back of the dress. A drawstring pulls in the waist at the sides. Faux pantaloons made of satin panels were incorporated to hide the stilts.
The side panels of the gown are expandable so anyone can wear the costume, provided that their waist size does not exceed 60 inches. Color-coded zippers were also used to simplify the dressing process, Vicente explained. Rhinestones and jewels add a bit of stage glitter.
"I wanted the costume to resemble a Christmas ornament, all trimmed in gold," Vicente said.
He started his researching by leafing through a Fabergé egg book and came up with five drafts. One of the five was chosen by Ballet Hawaii.
"I'm just the helper," said Namba, who drove Vicente from Waipahu to Waimanalo in search of foam and supplies. The bodice sports a pair of gargantuan foam breasts covered in the harlequin-style fabric.
"You couldn't touch a dress like this for under $15,000," Vicente said. But due to budgetary constraints, he had to search for affordable fabrics and supplies.
Vicente not only had to worry about fabrics, materials and embellishments. He took on engineering duties to ensure that the costume would work efficiently. He altered the original metal structure that was named "the igloo" once it was covered with the giant foam. The feat was described as "tag-team foam wrestling." Screws and corners needed to be padded in foam and duct tape to prevent injuries during the performance.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
"I wanted the costume to resemble a Christmas ornament, all trimmed in gold." --Edwin Vicente, Costume designer
The costume needs to be elaborate but also functional, the pair explained. "It's gotta work," Namba said. "The dancers need to be able to move around, and they sweat profusely."
Mother Ginger's new dress will be a highlight at this year's performance, replacing the old shoe that was badly termite-eaten, Namba said. Another highlight will be the new sets designed by Peter Dean Beck. The old sets had been used for more than two decades.
Some of the costumes in the show are more than 20 years old, and this hasn't gone unnoticed. "My daughter and her friends asked if they were supposed to be really poor (in the party scene)," said Namba, who explained that some of the costumes are tattered and in need of replacement.
She tries to contribute new costumes each year, and the company is hoping this latest will hold up for at least 10 years.
Everything is detachable on the new gown to make it easy for storage and transport. "We are hoping to take the show to the neighbor islands," Namba said. "'Nutcracker' is a wonderful Christmas tradition for families."
Vicente said, "The idea is to make it a celebration for everyone who is watching."
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