The story of a dreamy toymaker has provided plenty of inspiration for Inda Blatch-Geib’s richly whimsical costume designs in the world premiere show Kris Kringle the Musical.
In this tale, an evil toy company CEO crosses paths with young Kris, whose family name carries a curse with the power to destroy Christmas. The new holiday production premieres at Olmsted Performing Arts Dec. 4 and runs through Dec. 13.
Blatch-Geib, an Akron resident, not only captures New York characters wearing their finest clothes for a Santa parade, but also brings to life the magical world of the denizens of the North Pole. For both worlds, she has created classic looks that mix primarily 1940s and ’50s looks with contemporary styles.
“The story itself has a timeless feel to it. Thematically, we could tell that story as a very, very period piece or we could tell that story as extremely contemporary,” she said. “I loved the idea that we shouldn’t feel like we know what year it’s happening in and that we should forget about time in the telling of it.”
Blatch-Geib, 50, has designed for more than 700 stage productions as well as commercial and film projects over the last 30 years. She’s making about 200 costumes for the Kris Kringle cast of 43, with assistant Mark Baiza of Cleveland as well as two more helpers doing prep work.
Blatch-Geib focuses on strong, saturated colors and a mix of patterns. She was working recently backstage at Balch Street Theatre in Akron, where she is resident designer, on constructing some of the elf children’s skirts. Using strips of burnt orange, rose, chocolate as well as black and white polka dot fabrics, she was building a skirt with exposed seams that would assume a frayed, decorative look when washed.
“The more texture that you give to somebody, there’s a richness and a variety that is more interesting to them,’’ she said.
The characters’ parade finery includes elegant dresses, suits, coats and hats: “These are their special clothes because special things are going to happen.”
Designer Blatch-Geib stressed that Kris Kringle’s producers are striving for a unique new holiday family classic with looks that audiences have never seen before.
“It’s just a really delightful story and I think it’ll be a really lovely piece of entertainment that will inspire people that would want to see it yearly,” she said. “My job is to give actors tools to tell a better story … I’m giving them [audience members] information on how they should feel about a character before they really know everything there is to know about a character.”
Santa’s parade wear has a European feel with a velvet coat and breeches, a brocade vest, coat, fur trim and silver buttons.
“I was really interested in Nordic inspiration as we were looking at Mr. and Mrs. Claus and the elves,” Blatch-Geib said.
No two elves will look alike in the colorful North Pole, from smock dresses and lederhosen for elf children to gaucho pants layered with long vests for young elves. Head elf Elmer has a distinctive look in blue velvet and green velveteen gauchos and a red coat with blue star appliques.
Even the elves’ knit hats of varying shapes and lengths are all handmade for this show.
“It should look magical. These are people that create magic,” including toys that come to life, Blatch-Geib said.
At the other end of the spectrum, the toymakers at Roy G. Reedy’s company in New York are cogs in a wheel, wearing identical drab coveralls in mottled grays, purple-grays and browns. The nameless workers have bar codes where their name patches would be.
But in the North Pole, it’s all about individuality. Elmer’s iridescent green elf boots are extremely special — a symbol of magical status.
Former head elf Ms. Horn, who has been dismissed from her job, also has an identical pair of green elf boots with curling toes.
“The boots are a really pivotal plot point in the story,” Blatch-Geib said.
Ready-made elf boots that looked like they came from someone else’s play or movie just wouldn’t do, the designer said. So she turned to having these magical boots custom-made in a mix of fabrics by Jennifer McGrew of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Precise plastic molds were made of eight actors’ legs and feet to create full boots for Elmer and Mr. Horn (Brian Marshall and Amy Fritsche) as well as identical-looking spats for six other actors to wear over their tap shoes as Elmer doubles.
The boots not only had to look magical, they also had to fit just right so cast members could dance well in them.
“Again, it was about the dynamic of a new world,” Blatch-Geib said of the custom boot design. “It’s like a little nod to the medieval in some ways, much more Nordic in feel.”
Arts writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com. Like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kclawsonabj.