What costumes were worn in cats the musical?

Answer 1

The costumes in Cats consist of various parts. The base of every costume is a unitard (one-piece dancewear made of nylon/lycra) which is custom-fit for the actor and hand painted to look like the character. These unitards are specially made with a mock turtle neck and no front seams, and they are entered through the shoulders and closed with hooks and eyes. Most costumes have "shoulder fluffies" made of shredded organza. All the costumes have a wig which matches the unitard. These wigs are made of yak hair dyed to match the colours of the unitard, and they have cat ears made of small bunches of hair that is either glued or tied in place. The wigs cover the actor's human ears and create the illusion of a real cat by changing the actor's silhouette. Another important part of the costumes is the tail. Tails are made of lengths of yarn tied to a base (which can be made of various things, like a crochet row or braided yarn). There is a loop at the top of the tail, and a thin belt (often made the same way as the tail base) is threaded through the loop and tied around the actor's waist. Most costumes also have knitted leg warmers, and many characters wear either knitted arm warmers, leather biker gloves, or evening gloves with the fingers cut off. All the actors wear dance shoes, which are sometimes painted to match the rest of the costume. The exact type and brand of shoes varies by production, but in the video production (the costumes of which were based on the ones in the then-current London production) the shoes resemble Capezio jazz shoes. Another very important aspect of the costume is the makeup. Each character has a unique makeup design. The actors apply their own makeup after being instructed by a makeup artist, and the makeup used is generally greasepaint.