Chicago

Act 1: The Crimes, Trials, and Rise to Fame

Main Characters:

• Roxie Hart:

  • Initial Outfit (Before Fame):

    • Roxie’s costumes in Act 1 reflect her modest, working-class background before she becomes a star. She typically wears a simple, yet stylish 1920s outfit, such as a fitted dress with a dropped waistline in muted colors like brown, beige, or navy.
    • Accessories: Simple hats, gloves, and shoes reflecting the era, with her hair in soft curls or waves.

  • Costume Transition (Post Crime):

    • After her crime, Roxie’s outfits become more daring as she enters the public eye. She wears more glamorous costumes, including flapper-inspired dresses adorned with sequins, feathers, and fringe.
    • Accessories: Statement earrings, bold red lipstick, and sparkly accessories to match her rise to fame.

• Velma Kelly:

  • Outfit:
    • Velma’s costumes reflect her more polished, confident, and established status as a vaudeville star. She typically wears more glamorous, eye-catching outfits in dark colors like black or deep red. Her dresses are adorned with sequins or beads to catch the stage lights during her performances.
    • Accessories: Feather boas, long gloves, and dramatic makeup to emphasize her sultry, confident persona.
  • Costume for "All That Jazz" Number:
    • Velma’s costume in this number is one of her most iconic: a sparkling, figure-hugging flapper dress covered in sequins, feathers, and fringe that enhances the dramatic movement in her performance.
    • Accessories: A feathered headpiece, bold jewelry, and stockings to add to her jazz-era glamour.

• Billy Flynn:

  • Outfit:
    • Billy, the slick lawyer, wears sharp, tailored suits to reflect his professional, smooth-talking nature. His costumes are often in dark tones like charcoal or navy, emphasizing his polished, high-status persona.
    • Accessories: A tie, pocket square, and polished shoes, as well as a confident and smooth demeanor.

• Amos Hart:

  • Outfit:
    • Amos’ costumes reflect his modest, somewhat naive character. He typically wears a simple suit or shirt and trousers in muted colors, highlighting his “everyman” status.
    • Accessories: A simple tie, glasses (if applicable), and worn shoes to emphasize his background as an ordinary, hardworking man.

• Matron Mama Morton:

  • Outfit:
    • Mama Morton’s costumes are bold, with an emphasis on power and authority. She wears glamorous, slightly exaggerated dresses in rich colors like deep purple or gold to reflect her role as the matron of the prison.
    • Accessories: A large, ornate necklace, bold earrings, and possibly a fur stole to emphasize her larger-than-life personality and power.

Ensemble (Prisoners, Guards, and Audience):

• Prisoners:

  • The prison uniforms are simple, often made of striped fabric to reflect the 1920s-era prison setting. The costumes are functional, highlighting the rough environment of the prison.
  • Accessories: Simple, practical shoes, and headscarves or caps.

• Guards:

  • Guards wear formal, military-inspired uniforms that reflect their authoritative position. The costumes are typically dark and practical, often with polished boots and hats to maintain an air of authority.

• Audience (Club Scene):

  • The costumes for the audience in the club scenes are inspired by the glamorous, party-centric fashion of the 1920s. Men wear tuxedos or suits with skinny ties, and women wear glamorous flapper-style dresses in bold colors, with sequins, beads, and fringe.

Act 2: The Showdown and Roxie’s Final Triumph

Main Characters (Continued):

• Roxie Hart:

  • Costume Change (The Final Triumph):
    • As Roxie’s fame peaks, her costumes become even more glamorous, reflecting her newfound celebrity status. She wears extravagant, sparkly gowns, often in silver, gold, or bold jewel tones like emerald or ruby.
    • Accessories: Large, statement-making jewelry, high heels, and a more mature yet confident hairstyle.

• Velma Kelly:

  • Costume Change:
    • Velma’s costume becomes more refined, reflecting her role as a Broadway star. She may wear a dress that is equally bold, featuring larger embellishments like rhinestones, sequins, or velvet.
    • Accessories: A feathered boa or other extravagant accessories to emphasize her showbiz background.

• Billy Flynn:

  • Outfit Change:
    • Billy’s costume remains polished, with a more sophisticated, formal suit for the final courtroom scenes. His suit becomes sharper and more elegant to reflect his increasing control over the courtroom drama.
    • Accessories: A pocket watch, sleek shoes, and a confident attitude.

• Amos Hart:

  • Outfit Change:
    • Amos’ costumes remain simple, but in Act 2, they become slightly more refined to show his growing recognition of Roxie’s fame. He may wear a slightly more stylish version of his original costume, such as a neater suit or jacket.
    • Accessories: A tie and simple shoes to reflect his basic, straightforward character.

• Matron Mama Morton:

  • Outfit Change:
    • Mama Morton’s costumes may become even more luxurious in Act 2 as her power grows. She continues to wear bold, flamboyant outfits, often with feathers, beads, and extravagant jewelry.
    • Accessories: A fur stole, large earrings, and bold rings to add to her dominating presence.

Ensemble (Final Dance and Celebration):

• Final Celebration Costumes:
  • The final ensemble costumes reflect the celebratory, high-energy ending of Chicago. The dancers and singers wear costumes that include glitzy dresses, fringe, and sequins, with a focus on glamorous 1920s fashion.
  • Accessories: Feathered boas, elegant gloves, and sparkling jewelry to complete the celebratory look.

Special Notes:

• Color Palette:

  • Act 1: Bold, glamorous colors like deep red, black, and gold for the more energetic and vibrant numbers. Velma’s and Roxie’s costumes are designed to reflect their larger-than-life personalities with lots of sparkles and glitz.
  • Act 2: More sophisticated, polished colors such as gold, silver, emerald, and ruby for the final courtroom scenes and celebrations, emphasizing the growing fame and authority of the characters.

• Fabric Choices:

  • Act 1: Sequins, feathers, and fringe for the glitzy, glamorous look of the cabaret scenes, with velvet or satin used for the more formal gowns and suits.
  • Act 2: Richer fabrics like satin, velvet, and silk to reflect the heightened sophistication and success of the characters.