Phantom Costume
From Halloween to Hobby
Ever since I first saw images from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera I craved to know more about it. For 10 years I listened to the Original London Cast and flipped through George Perry's The Complete Phantom of the Opera, constantly looking over the same elegant photos. Finally, in college I decided to tackle this as a Halloween get up. I admit it was a little silly, me being a girl wanting to dress up as the Phantom, but it was a good time. I hope that my pages offer help to those of you interested in doing your own Phantom costume.
With the help of some talented artists and some friends just as crazy as I am, this modest, impromptu Halloween costume turned into an ensemble that I am quite proud of. As a lady I find that the most common costumes I see from the show are always Christine costumes (including the Masquerade dress, Wishing gown, Aminta dress, and even attempts at the wedding gown). Lacking any sewing skills whatsoever (I can now sew on buttons, though!) I decided my best bet was pursuing my real costume interest - Erik's evening dress. This allowed me to buy the pieces separately, thus eliminating my need to create anything from scratch.
Inspiration
My inspiration for my costume and makeup of course is the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage version. More particularly, the makeup is inspired by the original London production molds. Of the current productions I find that the United States National Tour/Broadway disfigurements along with the current London mold are particularly interesting, and I may try to recreate those in the future. The costume is primarily American influenced with the exception of the pocket watch chain, which is used in various forms in other productions.
The tailcoat is arguably the most important, or at least one of the more visible, parts of Erik's wardrobe. I purchased a new tailcoat in the beginning of March 2007, and it's a great addition to the costume. The new coat is an authentic Victorian tailcoat; I'm not yet sure of its age (could be upwards of 100 years old, but no one truly knows), but it is in impeccable condition with some lovely tailoring. I chose it because the facing of the lapels, the cut of the coat, etc were quite similar to the stage costume. Plus it already had piping installed on the cuffs. I am considering adding velvet to the collar, but will not do that right away if I do it at all. The coat is so well constructed that I'm having a difficult time deciding if additions would enhance or detract from it.
Photos:
1. Front View
2. Back View
3. Tail pockets! Anyone have a safety pin?
I purchased my first tailcoat on eBay from a wonderful formal wear supplier, who actually supplied me with many of my pieces. This coat was used, and listed as "potentially damaged," so in the end it cost me a mere $15. What a steal! It arrived in great condition with nothing wrong with it. True, it is not a quality tailcoat compared to the top of the line ones today or the one I just bought, but it looks great and was the right price. I had it altered through the back to make it fit better. Photos of this tailcoat and modifications made to it may be seen in the Costume Alterations page.
The Fedora
One of the more unique pieces of my collection, the Fedora is an acquisition from eCostumeshop.com. It was more expensive that most of the pieces in the collection, but well worth it. It's constructed out of LiteFelt, which allows it to pop back into shape even after being sat on. Very durable and flashy.
However, as eCostumeshop.com does not appear to offer these online anymore, I would suggest looking at Hats in the Belfry. They have some incredible fedoras!
The Cape
In 2007 I commissioned a replica of the stage cape from Fantasyland Costume Company in California. This is, by far, probably the most elaborate piece of the costume due to the intricate beading the cape features. Capes vary between productions, and even within a production. My cape is based off of pictures from numerous different examples from various productions. I was lucky enough to be invited by John Cudia (US National Tour Phantom April 2006-November 2007) to take look at his costumes, including the famous cape. What an absolute treat that was (something I'll never forget!); it also lets me say that the replica is indeed very close to the real thing. The lining is black, whereas it is silver in the authentic capes, but that's certainly not a problem. Still beautiful, still intimidating, and still exceptionally heavy.
Photos:
My first cape was a handmade gift from a friend's parents (thank you!). I still have it as part of other costume projects because it's very lovely and a memento of years past. It's big, billowy, and black - that's about all I have to say about it besides the fact that it is AWESOME.
The Shirt
My shirt is your typical wing-collar tuxedo shirt, also acquired from my eBay formal wear supplier for about $15. It has French cuffs, which require cuff links.
The Bow Tie
Or cravat, whatever suits your fancy...is custom made from white pique cotton by a friend who whips that sewing machine around like no tomorrow.
The Trousers
The tuxedo trousers were a great find from a costume rack. They have a flat front and tapered leg which give them a much more authentic appearance than the more modern, pleated tux pants I had purchased from eBay. I recently had the satin stripe altered to create two stripes, which are more like the stage production. To see more, please visit the Costume Alterations page.
The Waistcoat
I purchased a new (vintage) waistcoat in March 2007. It is the match to the new tailcoat, and also in wonderful condition. If possible the cut of this new (yet very old) waistcoat is closer to the stage costume than my first one. It also features some very attractive piping and decoration that add a nice touch. Residing in one of the pockets is a real silver plated pocket watch, which was a gift from a school friend who understands my love for Phantom. That touch is more reminiscent of the World Tour and previous Canadian and Australian versions (though theirs was gold), as the London production features a black watch chain while the American productions have no pocket watch at all.
My first waistcoat was acquired in the fall of 2004, for my first attempt at dressing as Erik for Halloween. My first Phantom related eBay purchase, I found the waistcoat from a supplier in used theatre costumes. It's made of real wool, has four buttons down the front, shawl lapel, and a very characteristic ALW stage appearance.
The Mask
The two new masks are replicas from one of the German productions of POTO (based off the mold for actor Thomas Schulze). I purchased them from a wonderful private supplier who specializes in these replicas. I then modified the masks by installing wire and suede lining, similar to the stage productions.
Photos:
1. Side view
2. Inside view w/lining
The Ring
This silver/black ring is one of the more recent additions to the costume. It was purchased on eBay and chosen because of its similarities to most stage rings.
For those out there who are reading this thinking, "You know, I'm bored enough I might want to give this a shot," I have some helpful advice, and even went to the trouble of putting it on its own page:
For more photos of me in costume, check out my photo albums!
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