Beauty Barre
For April, a little something, a little of everything, all dedicated to bringing your Broadway beauty to the forefront.
There’s Something About Mary
;Mary Birdsong’s beauty is evident in everything from her sparkling blue eyes to her spectacular singing voice but also in a performance energy akin to a tornado that sends off sparks into the audience from the nether reaches of a big Broadway stage. Rather fitting since one of the many characters she played in her first foray on the Great White Way—Martin Short’s Fame Becomes Me—was Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz (which netted her a Theater World Award). She’s recently stepped into the shoes of Velma Von Tussle in the Broadway hit Hairspray, and has a few insights she’s willing to share:
I wear white eyeliner on the inside of my lower lid to give the illusion that the whites of my eyes are bigger than they actually are, so audiences can see my eyes better. I think everyone uses that trick.
A touch of a much lighter shade of lipstick (or gloss) right in the center of the lip adds depth and shape to the mouth from a distance.
Organizing my mixed-up messy piles of various sizes/types of bobby pins into specific little containers in my dressing room is calming for pre-show jitters and helps me focus. Although that can make the woman who does your wigs think you’re nuts. Just ask Stephanie at the Neil Simon theatre—she knows.
If they would just let me make up my OWN dance steps in a Broadway show, I’d be amazing! (Okay, maybe not amazing, but at least I wouldn’t get all tense). Learning choreography seems to bring out my inner dyslexic. I can also get defensive (not an attractive quality) when I’m scared of looking foolish. So I’ve learned to confess this fact to the choreographer up front. I beg their patience and ask lots of questions. The dance captain and assistant choreographer in Hairspray (Brooke Leigh Engen and Robbie Roby) both had the patience of saints and a great sense of humor. I find that if I can laugh at my mistakes during rehearsal, it makes the whole process so much better, and even faster!
I’m not someone who writes down a lot of notes or anything when learning steps. I’ve found it works much better for me to trust that I’m soaking it all in. the more I can stay out of my head, the better. My body is smarter than my brain when it comes to dancing.
The one thing I’ve found to be very handy is to always have lots of band-aids on hand, and a good massage place with reflexology on my speed dial! I cannot stress enough how important good foot massage is.
And of course water. Lots and lots of water. And lots and lots of sleep. If I could sleep underwater—now THAT would be ideal.
Pix coming: Mary beauty shot, Mary in Martin (in/sent), Mary in Hairspray.
Implement Mary’s beauty secrets: The Pro Make Up Kit from Stagelites has exactly what Mary’s taking about: a Hi-Lite Eye Pencil to makes eyes really stand out and be seen. This comprehensive professional kit also includes foundation, blush, loose powder, an eye shadow quad, lip pencil in Spice, True Red lipstick, lip gloss, liquid eyeliner, mascara, plus facial sponges all for $85! Augment it with their special On Broadway kit which features Red Apple glitter which will help create that pout Mary was talking about, plus gold shimmer, rhinestone lashes & glue, and Glitz Fix. $30; www.stagelitesmakeup.com
A Place for Everything… Take a tip from Mary and put everything in its place. Getting in the organizational habit early on will pay off in the long run. Trish McEvoy’s Ultimate Beauty Organizer can makes an ideal travel companion or backstage buddy. Pretty and chic in quilted white satin with a sleek blue satin interior, the kit comes with 2 removable beauty bags and 3 refillable bottles for your must-haves, a portable travel brush case with Velcro closure, mirror, and Ms. McEvoy’s Eye Base Essentials and a sexy lip gloss, along with her signature skincare regime (including facial cleanser and beta hydroxy pads) in travel-size portions. Plus, a sampling of her succulent Blackberry and Vanilla Musk fragrance. It’s a splurge at $135, but you’ll save money on aspirin. At Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and their online component or call: 800-431-4306.
Raindrops keep fallin’ … April is known for its copious showers but best to enjoy yours indoors with Aubrey Organic’s Rosa Mosqueta body wash. Its base is the highly emollient rose hip seed oil, rich in essential fatty acids and linolenic and Retinoic acid all of which work to kick start cell regeneration, replenish lost lipids and restore softness. Aided by added aloe vera, almond and macadamia oils and a nutrient cocktail of horsetail and coltsfoot to encourage elasticity. This luxuriously slippery cross between an oil and a gel soothes stressed skin (great in the bath or as a foot soak!) and is a great transition treatment to slough off winter scales and make your spring more supple. $9.50 for 8 oz.; find Aubrey Organics in health food stores nationwide, including Whole Foods and Wild Oats.
Feet treat: Shoes Made for Walkin’ Give those toes a rest after workout or rehearsal with Sugar Shoes, a colorful line of fun and funky flip-flops, flats and wedges. Those squishy “Floatie” flip flops are renowned for their cool comfort but this month we’re opting for something a little stylin’: April Showers, in a choice of two fanciful flowery fabrics, with a slight wedge heel to take the pressure off for a bit. (Off the wallet too, at only $49.99. ’ course those cute Woodstock wellies look just right for this weather too, $69.99.) Check out Sugar Shoes at www.sugarshoes.com for stores in your area or online retailers.
On the Road Again Bunheads’ own Blake Latin is now hitting the road herself, offering makeup tips and demonstrations for professional stage makeup. Her Stage Beauty seminars featuring Bunheads Backstage Beauty™ products highlight her adept approach and unique perspective, which makes them loads of fun as well as enormously informative. You’ll leave with a wealth of knowledge about beauty for the stage. Contact 800-311-6563 or beauty@bunheads.com to see who’s hosting a seminar near you—or to set one up!