If dressing up as Grizabella from "Cats" or Maria from "The Sound of Music" is your thing, you're in luck.
Costume World, a national costume sales and rental business that has a store in the Strip District, recently added more than 500,000 costumes from Broadway productions when it purchased Dodger Costumes earlier this year. Inventory from what might be the nation's largest theatrical and Broadway costume collection has been divided among the Smallman Street location as well as locations in Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Dallas.
Costumes from recent Broadway productions such as "Cats," "42nd Street," "The King & I" and "Hello Dolly!" were among those acquired from Dodgers.
According to Costume World's president and chief executive officer Marilynn Wick, who started the company in Pittsburgh and maintains a part-time residence on Mt. Washington, the acquisition has a value well in excess of $10 million and makes Costume World the largest owner of Broadway and theatrical costumes. Among the inventory are many priceless, vintage pieces such as the original ball gown Cecil Beaton designed for Julie Andrews' appearance as Eliza Dolittle in the original 1957 Broadway production of "My Fair Lady."
Most of Costume World's customers are professional and community theaters as well as universities, colleges and high schools. Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera rented costumes for four of its productions this year -- "Tommy," "A Little Night Music," "The Sound of Music" and "Carousel." Other business clients are producers of commercials, special-events promotions and fund-raising events.
But, says Wick, if the costume fits and is available, you too can wear it.
Rentals of theatrical costumes start at $65. A dress worn by Shirley Jones earlier this summer in a production of "Carousel" rents for $100. But Eliza's ballgown is still off limits.
