65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_006

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Routine sight at Brooks: a show girl hur­
rvinl! ofI to try on her next new costume.
A wardrobe is born: designer Irene Sharaff with pro­
ducers Ben Segal, Chandler Cowles in Stroock's office.
'Costumes executed hy
1'his /amilutr theater-vro~rmn credit reprPsents a $2,000,000-a-year ~ross
business, costuming everythinJt. from Rroadway stars to circus elephants
T
HF. 39-year-old Brooks Costume Com­
pany is the biggest in the business. It is
responsible for the eye appeal of 80 per
cent of Broadway's current musicals. It
does a la1·ge part of New York's TV-cos­
tume business and will open a TV service
branch in Hollywood shortly. Brooks' big­
gest regular customer is the Ringling
Bcothers and Barnum &Bailey circus, with
its annual $300,000 wardrobe. And fur
$400,000, Brooks costumed Cecil B. de
Mille's movie about that circus. Arena
skating shows like IIoUywood Ice Revue,
Sonja Renie's Ice Show, Holiday on Ice
run about $200,000 for costumes - three
times most Broadway show budgets.
The bulk of Brooks' business, how­
ever, does not come from its big customers
like Roxy and Radio City shows, Guys and
Dolls chorus lines, The King cmd I cos­
Procl11cccl by 1•ATRICIA COFf'IN
tumcs. It comes from the 175-odd shows
Brooks outfits weekly for universities,
drama clubs, church societies, junior
leagues, civic pageants, summer theaters
and municipal operas all over the country.
Brooks has 135,000 costumes for rent, from
$2000 ball gowns once owned by Mrs. Rob­
ert Ogden Goelet to Indian costumes from
Annie Get Your Gu11. For $10 a night, the
lead in n Northwestern University play
goes on in a gown once worn by Maude
Adams, Bea Lillie or Mary Martin.
This is possible because of suave, sil­
ver-haired James E. Stroock's policy of
buying back the costumes he was origi­
nally paid a fat fee to make. "He's king of
his own state," says producer John Mur­
ray Anderson. Famous for his nicknames,
he ealJs Stroock, president of Brooks, "The
Pope," "because he is so omnipotent."
CONTINUED
First, costumes are made in drab muslin, trie\'l on for
Irene Sharaff discusses Pnul Hartman's
freedom of movement. Later, best materials a~c used.
vic_c-prcsidential pants for Of Thee I Sing.