For The Little Mermaid Avallone researched eyelashes and different, unusual colors of lipstick.

Angelina Avallone researches, updates and educates for every show.

Angelina Avallone is one of the busiest, most prominent, and most talented makeup artists on the Great White Way. Even if you don’t know it, you’ve certainly seen her work in any number of productions: The Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein, How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, Is He Dead?, Curtains, and smaller productions like LoveMusik. Prior to her Broadway experience, the Bulgarian-born Avallone attended the School of Fashion Design in Florence, Italy during the '80s, then studied costume design at graduate school at Yale. After her graduation from Yale in 1994, she designed costumes for a decade before delving into makeup full time, and she’s been quite busy ever since. During one of the rare breaks from her whirlwind schedule, Avallone spoke about life as a master makeup artist on Broadway and the challenges that entails.

Norbert Leo Butz (left) had to transform into his character’s “sister” in a quick-change, requiring a light, but specific, makeup transformation.

Stage Directions: How do you compare working on a major musical show like The Little Mermaid with a period piece such as Is He Dead?

Angelina Avallone: The tricky thing with Is He Dead? was that, first of all, we had to transform a male actor in a very, very short amount of time into a Victorian woman, which is more challenging because he wouldn’t be using a lot of makeup. He played the fictitious sister of the deceased artist he also played, Millet, so although she's eccentric she shouldn't appear made up. To do that in a very short amount of time, we had to be very careful with what kind of makeup we chose and what would really make that dramatic difference. We had to make sure we covered that five o’clock shadow, which was crucial. It was all about the skin tone – blush placed in the right places, but very soft colors. We had to change eyebrows and lashes, and it was done in stages but so quickly that the hair and makeup supervisor was waiting there with lashes in hand. It was timed that as he was running, she stopped and put the lashes on, and he ran off as they dried on his eyelids. The quick change was super fast. He had this in-and-out of Victorian costumes, and the makeup was done under a bite light, so you had to have everything prepared. We had everything made into a palette. We knew exactly what we were going to do when, what followed what, because if you changed the order it wouldn't work.

Do you use a standard kit with a palette and foundation, or do work from scratch with every new show?

I arrive with a suitcase, and it's probably a hundred pounds. I'm not exaggerating. I arrive with a suitcase that has basics, and depending upon what kind of project I’m working, then I go into research. On Little Mermaid we use a lot of lashes, but we don't use standard lashes. We use lashes with different colors and with feathers. We have swans and birds and different kinds of fish and amazing sea creatures. All of those actors required fantasy lashes.

I had to research lashes, and we probably had over 200 styles of lashes that we looked at and picked out. We were researching lashes from every company out there; buying things in bulk, researching what was available, what we could do. Could we layer the lashes? Could we add? Could we extend? We used lashes on top of eyebrows. There was lots of glitter and lots of different colors of lipsticks; unusual colors, glue, and sparkly lipsticks. Hot oranges, hot pinks, violets.

There are certain things that are specific to a certain project, and you really have to research those products so what see the best product is and how it product works within our settings. Can you take the product off? Is it something that you can incorporate into a quick change?

It's interesting because you discover what's out there – all the new products, new technology, and companies that manufacture products. You talk to other artists and other manufacturers. A lot of manufacturers are very responsive, especially the smaller ones. They're willing to mix colors for you and create a color to your specifications. So over the years I’ve developed relationships with different companies and smaller manufacturers, and we've made things for shows. We've made unique colors for our productions.

Are there more makeup changes being done today on the edges of the stage as opposed to the dressing room?

New York is very unique in that respect because we’re in old Broadway houses. Most of them have no elevators, and if they do it's at a very slow elevator to the sixth floor. In most Broadway houses you run up or down four or five flights of stairs. It's amazing how many of the changes do happen in the dressing rooms, but some quick changes don’t. They're done on deck, in the basement, or in the hallway; wherever you can find space. We all fight for real estate in New York.

With Little Mermaid we have amazing costumes, but a lot of the costumes are big. To get in and out of one costume, you sometimes need two dressers. While you're getting them into one part of their costume, the wig person can probably put the wig on while somebody is zipping them up or getting them into a costume piece. It's the backstage choreography and organization that dictates where the changes can happen.

Young Frankenstein also used Avallone’s expertise with makeup.

You did some costume design prior to being a makeup designer. How did that experience inform your sensibilities as a makeup artist?

I studied fashion design and then went into set and costume design. I think it's all related, but having those experiences in designing in different capacities for the theatre has really taught me how to think in terms of the total picture. Nothing is truly isolated. I see the whole picture and understand character development. You can't just paint pretty makeup. It has to be related to the character, to the look of the costume, and to the look of the wig. So it's helped me tremendously.

When you’re done with rehearsals, do you sit in on the first few performances once a show opens?

I do. All of us are there during the technical rehearsals, the dress rehearsals, and the previews. I go back and give notes as the show runs. We’re all human, and things morph and change. Sometimes it's great to go back and look at the makeup and look at the show with fresh eyes. Sometimes you need to pull back because things grow. All of a sudden that subtle makeup that worked has suddenly become big, or the color is too intense or not as delicate as it should be, or maybe it's too soft and doesn’t breathe. The actors appreciate when you give them feedback after you’ve watched the show from the house. Sometimes you need to give feedback to your staff and the artists that are there working because usually they do the makeup backstage. Seldom do they have time to run to the house and see the show. You're really the eyes of the production. So I do go back and give notes, and periodically I go back and look at the show and give the notes or go backstage and observe the application of the makeup. A lot of times I’ll be backstage to see how it’s doing and how the actors are doing. If the make up has gotten away from the original design, I’ll give them a note or do a hands-on demo.

How much do you have to educate certain actors about makeup?

Surprisingly, a lot of actors need a lot of help, and it depends upon the degree or the complexity of the makeup. For a basic or simpler makeup show we always have a makeup session prior to going to the theatre. I start to map or sketch the ideas for the show. Once we’re in the theatre we’ll have another session with the actors in their wings and possibly in costume. Sometimes it’s before the dress tech, where we have another session with the wigs. Sometimes I’ll do half of their face, and they'll do the other half. Then it's very good because you see where the difficulties are for some actors. Or we take pictures, and the next time around they do the makeup as an observer. Then we can find whether the actors can do the makeup or where the problems are or if they need help in a specific area. With The Little Mermaid it was tough because all of the makeup was fantasy makeup. There is hardly any simple make up.

You used special fake blood on Julius Caesar. How did you select it, and how easy was it to remove?

Believe it or not, on Julius Caesar we started with the blood that was available at the time. Because there was so much blood and so many special effects and battles, people got bloodier and dirtier, and of course they had to go back and forth. It was really very difficult to find blood that doesn't stain the costumes, the skin, and the hair because it certainly turned actors with light hair pink. Getting it out of the hair fast is very difficult, and on the skin it leaves a residue. I had to use a skin shield product.

We ended up using the Nick Dudman blood from the Harry Potter movies. I found Alcone, which is a makeup store in New York, and they were able to import the blood from London. It was about the consistency and the formula. It’s very realistic looking and doesn't stain. Eventually over time, if you do eight shows a week, you will get a little bit of staining, but nothing compared to the other kinds of stage blood. It was very, very successful, and I've stayed with using his blood.

It sounds like you don’t sleep much!

When you choose this line of work, to be a freelance artist, you've made a commitment, and ultimately it's your responsibility to create the best possible show that you can. You have a commitment to the production, the actors, and yourself, and it's really up to you where you want to go artistically. It's a journey. That’s the most exciting thing. The end result is great when it all comes together, and when you see the complete stage picture. The first previews are always very exciting to me. Opening is night is great, but it's almost the end of the journey, and the beginning of another journey because the show continues on. But our process by opening night is complete. The show is frozen. It’s hard work, but I love it.
 

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