Gene Flaharty might not be a costume shop owner or employee—but he certainly knows a lot about costuming! As the makeup artist/product expert/sales manager for Mehron Inc., Flaharty has been part of the costume/theater scene for decades. And in his multi-faceted role as sales person, educator and makeup professional, he has seen thousands upon thousands of costumes throughout his storied career.
The Costumer spoke with Flaharty, who is also an NCA board member, about his favorite theater production and what he loved about the costumes that brought that production to life. He shares his thoughts below.
The Costumer: What play and/or costumes do you consider among your list of favorites—something you’ve worked with or seen over the years that has made an impact?
Gene Flaharty: The Addams Family—it is such a fun show! The timing is there, there is such great rapport among the characters, and I loved the costume aspects of the production.
The Costumer: What in particular about the costumes impressed you?
Flaharty: In the opening scene, there is a huge dance number with all of the family’s ancestors dressed as ghosts in the cemetery. There are characters from many centuries—every decade before the 1960s is represented. There are characters in Victorian dress, in cowboy boots and spats, in clothes from the ‘30s—and all the costumes are cream and white and light gray. It is a huge dance number, and for costumers that’s everything!
You also have Gomez’s suit, Pugsley’s striped shirt, Wednesday’s black dress, Morticia’s costumes, Thing’s wig, and the makeup on the cast members…again, it is just a fun show!
The Costumer: Costuming theater productions is an important component of many costume shop businesses. What are some of the most popular shows currently in the pipeline—things those who work on theater productions for community theater, high school theater and the like should know about?
Flaharty: Newsies is a very popular high school musical right now, and Disney has just released The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The teacher classic, Arsenic and Old Lace, is coming back; and Sweeney Todd is always popular. And The Crucible is another classic. What I’m seeing is that what’s new again is old! I’ve also seen a lot of requests for Radium Girls, which is about women who worked at the U.S. Radium Corporation factory in New Jersey in the 1920s. I’ve been getting requests for glow-in-the-dark makeup.
The Costumer: That’s great information for shops that make or rent costumes for plays. But what about shops that aren’t involved in costuming for theater? Are there ways they can tap into their local theater scene to boost sales?
Flaharty: Shops that don’t do shows can still access that group of potential customers. Shows need accessories. Characters in Newsies, for example, need caps, high-top boots and socks—things that don’t necessarily come with the main costume. They can reach out to let theaters know they can provide those kinds of items.