How did you get your start in makeup?
When I was a kid, I would do my grandmother’s wigs and makeup a lot. I’m talking really young. I always painted and faces interested me. I love the transformation aspect of makeup and hair. Hedwig and the Angry Inch was my first gig many years ago and it just kind of fell into my lap. I was working at, the now defunct, Kim’s Video in the West Village and John Cameron Mitchell would always come in. We started chatting and I told him I was a novice but I guess he liked my vibe and aesthetic. It stuck. The first time I did his makeup was a total disaster, but that’s another story. Some would say my start with Hedwig was luck, but after this many years, it’s more like a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Literally.
You’ve worked on Hedwig and The Angry Inch for almost 20 years; first the off-Broadway production then tours of the production, then the film and now the Broadway production. What keeps you so connected to the project?
I think what mainly keeps me connected is that I can’t say no. I’m always surprised when I get the gig, to be honest.
I never thought I would get the movie or the Broadway show. But it all panned out. I also think I have such a long history with the show that I’m the right man for the job. I know the character pretty well. There are parts of me in her for sure, by this point. Plus, it’s always fun – like a reunion. There’s always new, interesting and talented people in the mix. It’s very rewarding, which is mainly why I keep doing it.
How has the process of creating the makeup and wigs for Hedwig differed on each of the productions?
Well, it depends on your audience. On stage, you’ve got to do the makeup for the back of the house. On film, it’s like a macro close up. You have to modify the makeup accordingly. Stage and film are two totally different animals.
What are your must-have products for the current stage production?
All makeup is MAC. The blush is Rhubarb. For the eyes, we use Deep Truth, Carbon and Electric Eel and Hi-Def Cyan paint stick. We love the Black Black Chromaline for our liner and brows. For lashes, we love lashes #36 and #48. And of course, Elmer’s Purple Glue Stick to block down the brows. And we go through tons of glitter. So much glitter. Getting the glitter to shine all depends on lighting. Befriending the lighting people is key if you want your work to shine.
Are there any challenges you face designing makeup and wigs for a production where the actor is so active?
It’s definitely a challenge. You don’t want the look to burden the actors or to hold them back. That’s why I think it’s important to rehearse in these wigs in advance. They are heavy and long and require work. The makeup is designed to sort of melt away before your eyes. How quickly it melts depends on the actor and how much they perspire. Certain elements of the makeup are designed to stay put, like the eyebrows, for instance.
What has been the most fun part of being involved with Hedwig for such a long time?
Getting to be a part of a project with such a long history, a project that is so important to so many people, is one of the best parts about being involved with Hedwig. I also love getting to work with my friends, like John Cameron Mitchell, Arianne Phillips and Stephen Trask, all of whom are insanely talented and totally inspiring; not to mention, all of the new people I meet along the way. It has been a very inspirational and fun road for me. It makes me happy that it keeps getting exposed to entirely new audiences.
What was your biggest influence in designing Hedwig?
Friends and family influenced me, for sure. Art inspires me. I am totally influenced by rock history, which I’m very schooled in. Along the way, I’ve taken tiny bits visually from everything I have come across. It all adds up to a whole — or a whole lot of influence for me. Just like many people see themselves in Hedwig, I see parts of my life and parts of myself on that stage and screen.
How does the process of drag makeup differ from your work in fashion and celebrity?
It’s all about creating a character and accentuating — or not accentuating — the positive. Drag is an elevated version of reality, and trust me I have put as much makeup on a celebrity as I have put on a drag queen. It’s all about the level of trickery. I can do a fully painted face that looks completely natural, or make very simple strokes with minimal makeup completely alter someone’s appearance.
How do you ensure consistency as new Hedwigs are introduced to the show?
Every new Hedwig gets a new face just for her, all within the boundaries of who she is: glittery, blonde, wigged, spectacular and tragically beautiful. And I hire really good people to follow it through.
You turn Lena Hall into Yitzhak, a male character. How is that type of transformation different than male-to-female?
Lena does her own makeup. We came up with a look and she does it herself every night. It’s about almost dumbing down the face. All the things a woman would do, she does the opposite – like making circles under the eyes darker instead of covering them up, and there are a lot of character lines involved. Lena’s makeup looks really amazing up close and in person, even though it’s for stage. I think if she wasn’t an actor, she could definitely be a makeup artist.
Words Shannon Levy
Photos Joan Marcus