The purpose of this paper is to document the costume design and production process for The Ohio State University Department of Theatre’s 2010 production of Aida with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang. The production was directed by Jimmy Bohr. The performances were presented at the Southern Theatre in downtown Columbus, Ohio November 18 through November 21, 2010.
Aida is based upon the opera by the same name by Giuseppe Verdi that was written and first produced in Italian in the latter half of the 19th century. This updated rock-musical version takes the audience on a journey from an Egyptian exhibit in a modern day museum to ancient times when Egypt was at war with Nubia. While there, the audience is told a tale of love that conquers self, war, and even death. Designs are therefore heavily influenced by Egyptian motifs and silhouettes; however, the designs are also highly stylized to reflect Elton John’s musical modernization.
This production required a large number of costumed performers and also required extensive, focused collaboration with the other areas of design. Organization and efficiency played a vital role in the success of this production, along with a high level of stylization these principles provided exciting challenges to be met.