Theater: Nederlander Theatre / 208 West 41st Street, New York, NY, 10036
Synopsis:
Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole star in this new musical about beauty titans Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden.
War Paint tells the remarkable story of cosmetics titans Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, who defined beauty standards for the first half of the 20th Century. Brilliant innovators with humble roots, both women were masters of self-invention who sacrificed everything to become the country’s first major female entrepreneurs. They were also fierce competitors, whose 50-year tug-of-war would give birth to an industry that would forever change the face of America. From Fifth Avenue society to the halls of Congress, their intense rivalry was ruthless, relentless and legendary—pushing both women to build international empires in a world dominated by men.
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April 6, 2017: Two of the most persuasive saleswomen New York has ever seen are peddling their wares with high style and equal determination at the Nederlander Theater, where “War Paint” opened on Thursday night. And no, I don’t mean the subjects of this data-heavy musical, the beauty-industry magnates Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, though they were certainly no slouches in the art of the deal.
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April 6, 2017: “War Paint” is a musical about Catherine Zuber’s fabulous costumes and magnificent hats, as modeled by the great Patti LuPone as Helena Rubenstein and her Highness, Christine Ebersole as Elizabeth Arden. And if those hallowed names mean nothing to you, this is not your show.
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April 6, 2017: The claws are out in War Paint — and boy, are they perfectly lacquered. This new Michael Greif-directed musical stars Tony dynamos Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole as self-made beauty moguls Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, respectively. The two were ruthless rivals throughout their 50-plus-year career — Arden the blonde, silky, cotton candy–pink counterpoint to Rubenstein’s exotic, art-deco-clad Pole. Playing this pair, Ebersole and LuPone are nothing short of flawless.
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April 6, 2017: Patti LuPone’s voice glistens in many dark shades of steel — shards with sharp points and astonishing smooth edges. Christine Ebersole sounds classy and creamy, but cream that bites and stings as well as pleases.
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April 6, 2017: You practically lick your lips at the prospect of seeing (and hearing) Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole wage diva-scaled battle as real-life cosmetics rivals Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden in “War Paint.”
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