OT: RENT: The Musical - Costume Help!

[HunterK]

Posted: 11/1/09 at 4:52pm

I am so sorry to be off-topic but I am in desperate need of help. Our theater is performing RENT soon and we are looking for costume rentals. Does anyone have any tips or link that they could please help me out? I would be truly appreciative!

Thank you so much again!

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 11/1/09 at 4:54pm

There is NOTHING that holds any weight with the story in the costumes. Just pull stuff out your closet. That's what the OBC did.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/1/09 at 5:24pm

You can get Mark's costume here...

http://hobbies-wizard-wear.wizardknits.com/page11.html

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/1/09 at 5:53pm

Absolutely - take the cast to the best Salvation Army in town and let them pull a bunch of things and have your costumer create a design off that.

You would probably spend at least 3,000 to rent the costumes from NYC. You could costume from thrift shops for a few hundred dollars.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 11/1/09 at 6:55pm

Agreed with what everyone else said. And I'm sure if someone knew how to knit, they could easily make Mark's scarf.

[dg22894]

Posted: 11/1/09 at 7:34pm

I am in a community production right now we went to the salvation army and it was a great casting experience. The only thing we could not find was Angels stuff so we borrowed them from another community theatre. Check others and see if they have done it and ask to borrow.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/1/09 at 7:55pm

I'm so sick of hearing about "Mark's Scarf". Why does everyone feel the need to copy the Broadway costumes? Doer Roger HAVE TO have plaid pants? Are you going to make your Mark get a spiky bleached blond hairdo and wear funky glasses?

[Jon]

Posted: 11/1/09 at 7:56pm

I'm so sick of hearing about "Mark's Scarf". Why does everyone feel the need to copy the Broadway costumes? Doer Roger HAVE TO have plaid pants? Are you going to make your Mark get a spiky bleached blond hairdo and wear funky glasses?

[angelxschunard]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 1:29am

Sure, the costumes do nothing for the plot, but it's the symbolism that matters. Bad example, but you wouldn't do Legally Blonde without any pink, would you? The costumes in RENT don't have anything to do with the plot, no, but they're symbolic to it. The stripper costume and the plaid pants and the Santa outfit and the scarf mean something to the show. People recognize that. It's not "copying" in the sense that you were using the word.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 3:44am

Yes it is. It's just copying. Certainly there are CERTAIN things that need to be right: like the Santa outfit. But other than than....it's just basic stereotype clothes. ANY scarf would do if you MUST go that way.


And I think you mean some of the items are iconic....not symbolic. Either way, one production should not look just like another.

[angelxschunard]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 12:44pm

I'm sorry. I have to respectfully disagree. If I went to see RENT and didn't see those "iconic" costumes, I would be pissed. I don't think it's copying. It's staying true to the show.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 12:52pm

No, it's staying true to the original production. If, in the script, it is written:

MARK enters, wearing a black and white striped scarf and a sweater that is blue and red. His hair is blond and spiky, and he wears glasses.

Then yes, it IS staying true to the show.

But it's not. It was a design choice by the original production and all iterations of that production.

That's like saying you should be copying the original staging and choreography and set- because that's staying true to the show.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 1:07pm

I'm sorry. I have to respectfully disagree. If I went to see RENT and didn't see those "iconic" costumes, I would be pissed. I don't think it's copying. It's staying true to the show.

And I'd hate to sit next to you when you're pissed, since apparently sitting next to you when you're happy is bad enough.

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 1:19pm

I don't think there's anything wrong with doing things similar to the original production (Has there ever been a production of Gypsy without *~*The Dress*~*?). However, I don't think you have to feel like you have to copy it exactly. Take your own creative liberties and do some different things with it.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 1:28pm

What dress are you talking about? I've seen GYPSY a million times and the costumes have always been different.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 1:35pm

Psst, MB, psst! He's making a joke...

I'm sorry. I have to respectfully disagree. If I went to see RENT and didn't see those "iconic" costumes, I would be pissed. I don't think it's copying. It's staying true to the show.

^^^
Don't listen to her. She is friends with the Youtube Unbathed Crazy QueenofBroadway.

But there is NOTHING special about those costumes. There was NO thought put into them. They were pulled from the OBC's closets because they looked good for the show. Updated On: 11/2/09 at 01:35 PM

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 1:38pm

Comparing Legally Blonde's costume situation to Rent's is like comparing apples and oranges. Of course you wouldn't have Legally Blonde without the pink; however, unlike Rent, that is written into the script. Elle loves pink.

Even though some of the costumes in Rent are more specific, most of the clothing in this production came from the original Broadway cast's closets, as someone already mentioned. You don't need to get all the specifics. For example, any color scarf for Mark would be fine, as long as he has a scarf. Use images from various productions to get an idea of how you should piece clothing together, but you don't need to have exact matches.

Updated On: 11/2/09 at 01:38 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 1:41pm

Better yet, actually do research into the East Village in the 80s and 90s and create your own concept!

[Jon]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 1:43pm

The sad thing is, many productions WILL copy the original set, staging and choreography exactly, since the DVD of the last performance is available.

It makes it so much easier to "direct" if you can just give the cast members copies of the DVD and tell them to mimic it.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 1:59pm

I didn't know about the costumes, which is why I made that suggestion about Mark's scarf. From any production I've witnessed or know about, he's always worn the scarf. Oh well, it's not worth debating or getting upset about.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 2:02pm

I saw a local production in Chicago last month and Mark wore no scarf. I was so mad I threw my poop at him!
Updated On: 11/2/09 at 02:02 PM

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/2/09 at 2:10pm

I wuz lkie SO excited wehn I saw Marc with the kool scarff that I just started to scream i couldnt help myself. and then i felt really bad cuz i screamed and people looked at me probably but i was just so excited u know, but then when i saw roger in the plaid pants i started singing lavie boheme and the lady next to me told me to shush but i jkust couldnt you know cuz i was like soooooo excited to see it and i kept apologizing at halftime and after the show but i wuzjus so f-ing xxcited, u know?

[gatekeeper2]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 4:32pm

We're still going strong on the RENT sweater and scarf and currently knitting them in custom sizes for specific productions. Every MARK gets a personal fit.

Can anyone supply us with a list of upcoming performances? It would allow us to build up inventory.

Add your ideas to our RENT sweater page.

Thanks,
The Gatekeeper @ Hobbie's House
RENT Sweater and Scarf Set

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 4:35pm

LOL

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 11/23/09 at 6:14pm

I missed this thread the first time around. However, I went through about 10 boxes of Jonathan Larson's files at the Library of Congress and nowhere does it specify that Mimi wears lurex blue pants and giraffe print boots, and Mark has a blue and white striped scarf, red sweater and glasses.

The only costume details I ever saw mentioned were Angel's Santa coat and that Roger wears a leather jacket- and none of the costumes are actually relevant to the content of the show.