Backstage Sessions: Interview with Broadway Costumer LJ Wright

So if you are just now tuning in to my life, I'd like you to introduce you to my fabulous best friend LJ! We met in Alabama way back in 2009 when I transferred to Samford University and became a theater major. We were always friendly but didn't become BFFs until she joined me working at Aladdin in February 2016.

I had been a swing dresser at Aladdin for about seven months when LJ joined the team. We were both just swings but really lucked out when two full-time dressers took extended leaves of absence at the same time. They asked LJ and me if we would be interested in covering their leaves and obviously we immediately said YES. What followed that fateful day was the most incredible six month stretch of my life. There's not much in this life better than working 5 feet away from your best friend on BROADWAY. Every day at work with LJ was a joyous, hilarious adventure. At Aladdin, all the costumes are set up underneath the stage in a bunker. The female ensemble has a special curtained-off area that we (myself, LJ, and the third female ensemble dresser Bonnie) affectionately named "The Bunker of Love". We all got extremely close to the actresses we were dressing and that cast adopted us as their family. I'm getting emotional just remembering all the wonderful, hilarious times we had. Can you tell how much I LOVED THAT JOB?!

It is always a struggle not getting extremely sentimental when talking or writing about LJ so I'm going to save all my corny stories for a separate Team Teale post all about her. For now, I want to focus on her Broadway story. We had very different journeys to Broadway but have both always been passionate about the arts, and I'm pumped for you to get to know her better today.

How long have you been a Dresser on Broadway?

I've been a dresser on Broadway for two and a half years.

What was the first Broadway show you ever worked on?

The first show I worked on was a play called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

What is your favorite show you've ever worked on?

My favorite show I've ever worked on is Aladdin. Sounds cheesy because it's my current job, but I've honestly never loved a job more or worked in a place filled with so much joy before!

Who is the coolest celebrity you've ever met at work?

Lena Dunham, Joan Rivers, Cyndi Lauper and Whoopi Goldberg stand out as being the most fun. Not Broadway related, but when I worked in film I got to be on set with JLo a lot too which was pretty cool.

What is the best advice you've ever been given?

The best advice I've ever been given is to be the kind of person you would want to work with. Kindness goes a long way. In the Broadway community, we spend a lot of long hours in close proximity to each other, so being a positive and happy human is crucial.

What is it about this job that makes you come back each day?

The amazing family I have backstage! Plus, it's no secret I absolutely adore Courtney Reed, our Princess Jasmine. She's one of my best friends, so getting to work with her is truly a dream come true every day. No matter how I feel that day or how tired I may be, I just see all the smiling faces at the New Amsterdam and it's always worth coming back in.

What piece of advice would you give your twenty five year old self?

Whew! Dear 25-year-old LJ: chill out. Life will never be perfect, but you have so much to be grateful for. Focus on the moment you are in right now and enjoy the ride. Don't be so antsy and so focused on your hustle all the time because the right opportunities will open up in the right timing for your life. Trust the journey. Also...don't steam costumes under the fire detector at the Barrymore Theater.

What is the most interesting day at work you have ever had?

Filming for Aladdin for "Good Morning America" was definitely an interesting day, only because we had such an early call. It felt like the entire cast and crew just showed up at the theater in the middle of the night! We were exhausted but had so much fun eating breakfast together and doing "Friend Like Me" a million times before the rest of the world even woke up.

What are some of your favorite cues you've ever had to do?

I had a cue during Dames at Sea where I literally had to be ON the stage behind a set piece and do an 8-second change with John Bolton. He would run in one side as one character and run out the other as a different character so it was a crazy change. It was terrifying the first few times, just being nervous the audience would see me or that I would drop something, but it always was such a fun rush. (I also got to play with puppies backstage at Curious Incident during some cues so that's hard to compete with.)

What is your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing about my job is the knowledge that I'm a part of something bigger. I love the teamwork that comes with working on Broadway and how we all have a part to play in putting on this show that makes so many people happy every day.

What is the most challenging part about being a Dresser?

I think the biggest challenge to being a dresser is that there's no set manual for this job. Every show is different, every actor is different, every job has a completely different set of demands. You have to be really flexible and quick on your feet and just pray you have what it takes for each different gig. Another difficult aspect is that you can't just clock in and clock out, it's a very relational job with a certain responsibility to your actors. Being a dresser requires much more emotional support and being present than the average job.

What is the fastest quick change you do at Aladdin?

The fastest quick change in my current track at Aladdin is 5 seconds, getting one of the ensemble girls out of her harem costume into a "Dancing with the Semitars" look, everything is quick rigged so it's just pulling away snaps and then a quick zip down the back. Fast but pretty easy! Really most of the quick changes are in "Friend like Me" and "Prince Ali.” All of Jasmine's changes are pretty relaxed time-wise. The quickest is into her wedding costume at the end, but it's nothing compared to the ensemble changes!

What is your favorite memory at work with the Backstage Blonde?

My favorite memory with Teale has to be the Bunker of Love! Summer of 2016 we got to dress right next to each other in the female bunker at Aladdin. It was the best few months of our lives, just running around like banshees, pranking all the girls, scaring people, and making everyone laugh backstage. She would bring in bizarre props, weird stage makeup, or hilarious costumes every day and we would just plot how to make every show the most fun and epic one ever!

Fun Facts:

First Broadway show you ever saw: Mamma Mia!
Favorite Broadway show you've ever seen: Yikes! My favorite Broadway show I've ever seen is crazy hard! In no particular order...Chaplin, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, and...no bias but I loved Curious Incident a lot too.
Favorite restaurant in NYC: My favorite NYC restaurant is BEA...I say that because it's definitely a go-to when I have people in town or they come to the show. Its delicious and convenient. If I can make it out to Brooklyn, I love Pies and Thighs and Bogota! Basically could eat Mexican food any and all the time.
How heavy is Princess Jasmine's wedding costume?: The Jasmine wedding costume is about 8 pounds...one of many super heavy costumes at Aladdin! Everything is hand-beaded and completely gorgeous, but they are not easy to move around for changes.
How long were you a swing dresser?: I was a swing on and off for different shows in different spurts but all squished together probably about one year.
Favorite costume in Aladdin: My favorite costume in Aladdin is the tear away zoot suit that I get to help put the Genie into during intermission. It's fun because it has such a different vibe than the other costumes in the show, and I love the audience's reaction to the onstage reveal into his beautiful sparkly costume underneath!