Video: Backstage at ‘Spamalot’ With Costume Designer Jen Caprio
The campy antics of “Spamalot” have returned to Broadway. The musical comedy, which officially opened in November, made its way back to the New York stage after a sold-out run at the Kennedy Center earlier this year. Overseeing the new production’s colorful costumes is Emmy-winning costume designer Jen Caprio, who previously worked on Broadway shows “Falsettos” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and won an Emmy in 2020 for her work on “Sesame Street.”
“It appealed to me because I knew it was this bright crazy comedy. I thought, let’s bring some brightness to the Kennedy Center,” says Caprio, backstage at St. James Theatre. “And then we transferred to Broadway, which was a great surprise and such joy for all of us.”
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Working on a condensed pre-production period for the Broadway run, Caprio sourced fabric from New York’s Garment District and worked with local artisans to create many of the show’s new designs, including a laser-cut flame jumpsuit and digitally printed sequin fish belt.
For the show’s leading lady Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, who plays Lady of the Lake, Caprio drew inspiration from contemporary pop stars; a gold sequined gown was inspired by Beyoncé’s “Renaissance World Tour” performance in Detroit. In other cases, Caprio found gold with costumes from the original 2004 production; Sir Robin’s new costume was created using the chainmail (rope that was dyed silver) that was created for the show’s first excursion on Broadway.
Here, the Emmy-winning costume designer takes WWD behind the scenes before a recent performance of the Broadway musical, which also costars Ethan Slater, Michael Urie, Taran Killam and James Monroe Igleheart.
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