As perhaps the largest Broadway show on tour today, “The Lion King” occupies a lot of backstage space.
Towering set pieces crowd the wing space — that is, the offstage sides — of the Peace Center’s stage. Further back, near the dressing rooms, hundreds of costumes, masks and puppets line the hallways.
Everything is neatly arranged, however, and during the performances 20 backstage dressers make sure every character is wearing the right costume at the right time.
There are more than 300 costume changes for a cast of about 50 in “The Lion King,” continuing at the Peace Center through Sept. 29.
The backstage crew not only manages brisk costume changes but also stands ready to make emergency repairs.
Costumes can tear, bead strings may become unstrung, and masks can bust a spring.
It takes a lot of behind-the-scenes hustle and bustle to create the joy the audience sees on stage.
“We have to be on our toes,” said wardrobe assistant Jodessa Presler during a recent backstage tour for the Greenville Journal. “If we’re on top of it, it’s definitely manageable.”
Every detail is carefully planned, she said.
“It’s heavily choreographed backstage,” said Presler, a Los Angeles-based tailor, actress and dancer who has worked with the show for the past nine months.
“All the cast members have a certain pathway that they travel at certain times,” she added. “That’s for safety, to make sure you get something the size of a zebra through a small space.”
The Circle of Life continues
Standing backstage at the Peace Center, Presler gingerly picks up a lioness costume. Presler refers to the costume as “she.”
“She takes a lot of maintenance, especially caring for this beaded corset,” Presler said. “Isn’t she gorgeous?”
Whatever happens during a performance, the show must go on. An occasional costume mishap may have Presler chasing after a cast member to adjust a belt or mend a split seam even as the actor is rushing onto stage.
A special camaraderie and trust develops between actors and the wardrobe personnel who ensure the cast looks their best.
“It’s a lot of fun to work with such incredible talent, such lovely people,” Presler said. “It’s fantastic.”
By the numbers:
It takes 18 tractor-trailers to transport “Lion King” sets and costumes.
There are about 200 puppets and masks in the show, representing 25 types of animals, birds, fish and insects.
A lioness mask may weigh only four ounces while the warthog Pumbaa’s costume is 45 pounds.
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