The Barber of Seville Photo Shoot: From the Perspective of the Wardrobe Team

Tuesday inside the Opera House, cast and crew for this summer’s production of The Barber of Seville were able to run a test of sorts during the publicity photo shoot. The subjects of the shoot included cast members Daniel Belcher, Patrick Carfizzi, David Portillo and Jennifer Rivera. These individuals were hard at work, looking their best and striking poses for the camera. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the wardrobe team was also hard at work making sure the costumes, wigs, and makeup looked just right.

Don Bartolo and Figaro (also known as Patrick Carfizzi and Daniel Belcher.)

After the shoot, I was able to catch up with Dave Bova, the Wig and Makeup Designer/Supervisor for this summer’s Festival. I observed as he did little tweaks and fine tunings of wigs in between shots. For these professionals, nothing short of perfection will be accepted. This photo shoot granted Dave and his team the opportunity to see their work in action and adjust accordingly as they move forward with less than two weeks until opening night.

As Dave explained to me, lighting can completely change the appearance of wigs and makeup. The photo shoot allowed the crew to see their wardrobe materials “in a new light,” literally - although it is important to note that photo shoot lighting is usually very different than stage lighting! Today was also an opportunity to see the wigs and makeup on the cast members for the first time in most cases. In many instances, the makeup designs are initially tested out on someone who is not the person filling that character’s role. The photo shoot today offered the wardrobe team the opportunity to see how their makeup design looked when on the face of the actual artist who is playing that character. And I must say, the makeup, wigs and the rest of the costumes on all four artists today looked amazing!

Dave Bova working his magic on Rosina, played by Jennifer Rivera

The team hard at work during the shoot

The true test will be during dress rehearsals, when the wardrobe crew will be able to see their work in action and make even more necessary adjustments. The designers have an idea in their mind for how they plan to make the character look. Before today, that idea was just that: an idea. Seeing the idea implemented and in person opens up a whole new realm of thinking and analyzing within the department.

Be sure to take a look at the official photos in our media gallery!