From A Gentleman’s Guide to Anastasia, Linda Cho Unpacks Her Favorite Broadway Costume Designs

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Portfolio Review_Linda Cho_HR — "In *A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder,* the musical takes place in Edwardian times but let’s just say I took copious liberties in portraying the era! The dark playfulness of the subject matter and the raucous humor of the storytelling gave me license to have some fun. And fun it was to use underwear as outerwear and blend contemporary high fashion with period." Linda Cho

"In A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder, the musical takes place in Edwardian times but let’s just say I took copious liberties in portraying the era! The dark playfulness of the subject matter and the raucous humor of the storytelling gave me license to have some fun. And fun it was to use underwear as outerwear and blend contemporary high fashion with period."

Phoebe costume sketch

Sibella costume sketch

Phoebe and Sibella costume sketches

Sibella costume sketches

Sibella and Phoebe costume sketch

Sibella costume sketch

Phoebe costume sketch

Phoebe and Sibella costume sketches

Phoebe costume sketch

Sibella costume sketch

Lisa O'Hare, Bryce Pinkham, and Lauren Worsham in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

The Great Society

"When I was initially approached about the play The Great Society, it was to be a staged reading. Subsequently, it evolved into a full production. This last minute pivot necessitated some very quick designing and planning."

"Almost every actor in the cast of 19 (save LBJ and MLK) played between 5-12 different characters. I quickly sketched the 140ish looks (I didn’t have time to paint them) so my team would be on the same page and the actors would understand their tracks as well as the shared items between characters."

The Great Society costume sketches

President Lyndon B. Johnson costume sketches

The Great Society_Broadway_Production Photos_2019_Brian Cox_HR.jpg — Brian Cox in *The Great Society* Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Brian Cox in The Great Society

Martin Luther King, Jr. costume sketches

The Great Society_Broadway_Production Photos_2019_Grantham Coleman & Company_HR.jpg — Grantham Coleman and cast of *The Great Society* Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Grantham Coleman and cast of The Great Society

The Lifespan of a Fact

"Lifespan of a Fact takes place in modern day. With this small cast of three (Cherry Jones, Bobby Cannavale, and Daniel Radcliffe), I was able to talk to each actor before putting pencil to paper in order to hear their early thoughts on their characters."

"It was thrilling to work with such talented, experienced actors who have a deep understanding of character and craft and who were incidentally some of the most generous-spirited people I’ve ever worked with."

Jim costume sketch

The_Lifespan_of_a_Fact_Broadway_Production_Photo_2018_1344 The Lifespan of a Fact, Pictured L to R, Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale, Photograph by Peter Cunningham, 2018_HR.jpg — Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale in *The Lifespan of a Fact* Peter Cunningham

Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale in The Lifespan of a Fact

Anastasia

"In the musical Anastasia, I was presented with the challenge of designing a show that is based on a beloved animated film. When we initially did this production at Hartford Stage, I designed a pink evening gown for Anastasia’s big entrance into the ballroom. In the movie, she was famously in a dark blue gown. So to honor the fans of the movie, we changed the gown to blue when we moved to Broadway."

Christy Altomare, Derek Klena, and cast of Anastasia

"Another big change was the finale dress for Anastasia. Initially, I designed a simple day frock for the final press scene, but it just wasn’t feeling right. So during previews, I sketched a new design on the fly in 20 minutes."