Adding to the spectacle of The Prince of Egypt–The Musical, now playing at Casa 0101 Theater, along with the parting of the Red Sea and an innovative staging of the burning bush, are the sumptuous and diverse costumes by Tony Iniguez.
The Boyle Heights theater company will close out its 25th anniversary season with the LA premiere of the work, a stage version of the 1998 DreamWorks Animation film of the same name, at its Gloria Molina Auditorium through Sunday, Dec. 21. (For details see below.)
Based on the Book of Exodus, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Philip LaZebnik, the musical follows the life of Moses, from being prince of Egypt to leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt. It’s the story of two young men, raised as brothers in a world of privilege, who find themselves divided by a secret past. One must rule as Pharaoh, the other must rise up and free his true people. Both face a destiny that will change history forever.
The song When You Believe became a commercially successful single in a pop version by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
Schwartz said on an online interview: “The thing that happens, obviously, in The Prince of Egypt, is that these two brothers who love each other come into conflict because they represent these two different peoples. They ultimately find a way of reconciling, and that is the goal, especially given things that are happening in our country and the world right now.”
From Screen To Stage
The musical expands on the animated film adding 10 songs and characters who are not in the movie at all, including Ramses’s wife, Nefertari, and their relationship. Other character’s roles were enlarged with more depth including Moses’ eventual wife, Tzipporah, and her father, Jethro; the Pharaoh and his wife, Queen Tuya, and Miriam, Moses’s older sister, and Aaron, Moses’s older brother. The roles of the Egyptian priests, Hotep and Hoy, have been combined, and Hoy has been left behind.
The Prince of Egypt debuted at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley in 2017 and played in London’s West End in 2020.
Helping A Friend
Iniguez was brought into the project by his “since the ‘90’s” friend Abel Alvarado, Casa 0101’s resident costume designer. “There are close to 100 costumes in this new production designed and/or assembled by Tony,” says Alvarado.
“I work mostly in film and TV,” says Iniguez. He’s the costume designer for RuPaul’s Drag Race, winner of 27 Primetime Emmy Awards and his creations have appeared on Bravo’s Botched, Dancing with the Stars, America’s Next Top Model and Saturday Night Live. He’s dressed stars like Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain and Beyonce.
Now he’s excited to be with Casa 0101. “It’s important, because rarely do I work on productions with a full Latino cast. And often, even in LA, sometimes I’m the only Latino on the crew.
“I’ve never done a full theatrical production before, so I was excited,” says Iniguez. “I didn’t know the show, and I hadn’t seen the musical.”
Doing His Homework
Once he’d signed onto the project, Iniguez immersed himself in research. He watched the film of the UK production of the musical and documentaries on Moses, “of which there are several,” he says.
A former film student, he turned to movies including The Egyptian, The Ten Commandments and even Cleopatra for pageantry inspiration, though she and Moses are separated historically by 1,400 years. He was impressed to learn that the costume budget for the 1963 epic was approximately $194,800 for Elizabeth Taylor’s wardrobe alone, unsurpassed at the time. Taylor wore a record-breaking 65 outfits, including the iconic 24-carat gold cloth cape, designed to resemble a phoenix.
The Academy Award-winning designs emphasized the actress’ beauty and sexuality over historical accuracy. In aiming for correctness, Iniguez learned there’s a fine line between Egyptian and Grecian dresses. “There are distinct differences in cuts and draping,” says Iniguez. “Now I know everything about Egyptian dressing,” Iniguez says.
His Own Approach
Iniguez’s design task meant creating a diverse array of costumes. The cast of 21 ranges from oppressed Hebrew slaves to extravagant Egyptian royalty. And he had to do it all with “no buttons and hardly any seams,” Iniquez says. To view performance footage of the show, visit: https://youtu.be/8Y4CW_To2os <file://localhost/8Y4CW_To2os>
There are ensembles of guards and of course, all the main characters. He decided to put the Midianites in “soothing purples,” the high priests in white and the royals like Nefertari, the throne Princess who became the wife of Ramses II, in shiny metallics.
Iniguez’s goal was to give each character a unique style. The Hebrew slaves, “in some type of smock,” dyed to look aged and worn, each has their own look and personality. “Each costume, whether for father, mother or child, is styled and has a feature to set it apart,” Iniguez says. And each actor has at least three costume changes.
“I’m good with meeting deadlines and was able to do it,” says Iniguez. “With myself and two volunteers, it was challenging.”
Taking Care Of The Details
Looking for a way to combine realism, theatricality and elaborate Egyptian touches, Iniguez knew he had to add extra flair. So he’s designed custom ornate headpieces– especially for the royalty.
The regal headgear was created in Thailand— “it’s much cheaper” — and Iniguez took a three-day trip to pick up his works. “It was easier than having them shipped,” he says. “And I had to be sure they looked good.”
The producers and director Rigo Tejeda couldn’t believe he made the approximately 15-hour plane trip, Iniguez recalls. He’s made the trip almost 15 times before, working with craftspeople on pieces for Las Vegas reviews. He created some of the dancer costumes for Christina Aguilera’s Las Vegas residency and was the lead costume designer for Rupaul’s Drag Race Live Las Vegas show at the Flamingo.
Expanding His Repertoire
While he’s knowledgeable about TV, he’s expanded his expertise in designing for the stage. “If there’s a wardrobe malfunction on camera, you can stop and reshoot,” Iniguez says. “In the theatre if a zipper breaks you have to find a way to fix it in real time.”
Experience and expertise with fabrics, not too sheer, durable enough to be worn over and over, that breathe for dancers and “never look like anything you’d find in a costume shop,” make Iniguez eager for his next theatrical adventure.
Performances are at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at CASA 0101 Theater, 2102 East First St., LA. Tickets are $35 per person general admission; $30 for students and seniors 60+. To purchase, call the box office at 323-263-7684, email tickets@casa0101.org or purchase online at www.casa0101.org
Steve Simmons is an accomplished writer and editor who writes about a wide array of topics including entertainment. His successful experience at The Beverly Hills Courier and other publications set the stage for his blog. Contact Steve at steve.simmons0211@gmail.com or 626-788-6734.
