Move over Patti LuPone: Swarosvski is starring in yet another Broadway show this season! The current revival of Gigi (nothing to do with Ms. Hadid) stars Vanessa Hudgens in her Great White Way debut, and gets a little added razzle dazzle from Swarosvski. The brand has previously worked with costume designers for productions of Hedwig and The Angry Inch, Sister Act, and Motown: The Musical. But for this show, five-time Tony award winning costume designer Catherine Zuber was enlisted to create the opulent world of La Belle Époque Paris and she has included more than 230,000 Swarosvski crystals in 62 different cuts and 24 different colors. “My favorite way to use crystal is to scatter them so they have this very modern energy and add finishing touches to elevating the costumes to a new level. We see the full impact when we’re on stage under the lights,” Zuber explains.
The show is a slightly revised update of the 1956 MGM film of the same name that took home the Best Picture Oscar and won nine Academy Awards, with music by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, of the My Fair Lady fame. Broadway buffs will likely recognize classics tunes such as “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” and “The Night They Invented Champagne” in the score. Gigi, which hasn’t been on Broadway in over 40 years, is currently in previews at the Neil Simon Theatre, with an April 8th opening set. Pay close attention to relative newcomer Corey Cott, who plays the object of Gigi’s affection, and a name to know. For tickets or more information: gigionbroadway.com
