Theatre and hallowe'en: a match made in heaven

It goes with out saying that costumes and theatre go hand in hand. I have to admit that Hallowe'en has been heavily  influenced by my love of theatre. At my work dressing up is a really big thing, we even have a costume contest. For three out of the five years that I participated I dressed up as characters from a musical.

The first time was going as Tracey Turnblad from Hairspray, this was before I lost the weight, As bigger woman I really found Tracey an inspiration. No one really understood who I was, I think they just thought I was a school girl. Doing the hair was a really bitch, my grandma Betty who had been  hairdresser in the 60's helped me tease it.  Here's a pic of me getting ready:

 
The next year I was Scaramouche from We Will Rock You. This was the first time I actually made a costume from scratch. My short skirt helped me flirt with my future boyfriend, and we got together a few months later. Again no one really got who I was until I showed them a pic from my WWRY programme. I am not sure what they thought I was, but DEFINATELY out of the orindary, plus my hair was purple, boy was that fun washing out... I had borrowed my mom's Eddie Bauer jacket and there was a purple ring around the neck that I got out without her ever knowing about it lol.. Here's a pic of me in costume, and a snap of the from the programme.

 
The next year I went as Velma Kelly from Chicago. I didn't recreate the Catherine Zeta-Jones movie version. Most people just thought I was a flapper, but I did have a little toy gun with me. That red dress I made got a lot of mileage. That fall I knew I was volunteering for a theatre fundraiser where we had to dress up from the 20's so it was kind of a no brainer what I was going to do for Hallowe'en. I also wore it to a Hallowe'en party the boyfriend and I had, plus a year later I wore it to another work event where we dressed up from the 20's to go a party for the Boardwalk Season 2 premiere. I placed in the top ten with this costume.

 
 Last year I placed again, but my costume wasn't from a musical this time. It was definitely more conceptual.I was a garden. I just saw the wings and knew I had to do something with them, aside from being a butterfly. Again I don't know if people quite got what I was at first, but once I said garden they got it.



 This year was more influenced my interest in women's history. I went as Rosie the Riveter/Bomb girls from the 1940's. For those who don't know they were the women who worked the factories while the men were off at war. People thought I was a mechanic or a cleaning woman, not everyone got it, however the word adorable was bandied about quite a bit and I placed 8th. I will leave you witha pic of this years costume.