“Good night sweet prince: And flocks of angels sing thee to
thy rest.”
Wm. Shakespeare
Unless you are residing on another planet, you will have
heard of the untimely death of the music superstar Prince. He has been called “iconic”, enigmatic, and,
above all, supremely talented. Prince
was a composer, performer, musician and choreographer.
As I watched TV footage of some of his many concerts and
performances spanning the decades from the 1980’s, I was struck not only by his
musical prowess, but his ability to transform a concert into a magical, often
overwhelming experience. It could never
be said that the artist was boring, dull nor uninspiring. Part of this mystique came with the
costuming of his productions. I am,
after all, inspired by textiles and costuming and stage presentations
featuring, what were, in the beginning of his career, considered, by some, to
be well over-the-top. Many a “tsk”
could be heard when describing his outrageous and flamboyant use of dress ( or
in some cases, undress). Today we are
used to the pyrotechnics, elaborate costuming and gyratic choreography
preformed at every sports event, awards ceremony or ribbon cutting
dedication. In light of today’s
standards there would have be few raised eyebrows by his provocative stage
performances.
I heard one of his
costume designers interviewed who expressed the joy of working with such a
talented, artistic mindset. Prince
Rogers Nelson was an original.
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