War Paint tells the remarkable story of cosmetics titans Helena Rubinstein (Patti LuPone) and Elizabeth Arden (Christine Ebersole), who defined beauty standards for the first half of the 20th Century.
Brilliant innovators with humble roots, both women were masters of self-invention who sacrificed everything to become the country's first major female entrepreneurs. They were also fierce competitors, whose 50-year tug-of-war would give birth to an industry that would forever change the face of America. From Fifth Avenue society to the halls of Congress, their intense rivalry was ruthless, relentless and legendary- pushing both women to build international empires in a world dominated by men.
The most flattering number imagines a meeting between the makeup mavens, which gives LuPone and Ebersole the chance to be face-to-face and claw-to-claw. They wonder: Has their work freed women or shackled them? It's a great starting point, but it's actually the last scene - more evidence that not even a thick coat of cosmetics could cover how thin this show is.
The Frankel-Korie score has its pluses and minuses. Korie's words cleverly reveal the convictions as well as the doubts Rubinstein and Arden have about themselves, often simultaneously-the point being made that though the two industry monarchs disliked each other with fervor, they both regularly encountered the same obstacles.
2016 | Chicago |
Goodman Theatre World Premiere Production Chicago |
2017 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Christine Ebersole |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Patti LuPone |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical | Catherine Zuber |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lyrics | Michael Korie |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Bruce Coughlin |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Brian Ronan |
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | David Brian Brown |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway of Off-Broadway Musical | War Paint |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Christine Ebersole |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Patti LuPone |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Catherine Zuber |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) | Kenneth Posner |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Catherine Zuber |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Christine Ebersole |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Patti LuPone |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | David Korins |
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