You may not know the name Patricia Zipprodt, but you certainly know her work. The 10-time Tony Award-nominated (and three-time winning) designer created the costumes for some of Broadway’s most iconic productions: the original mountings of “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Cabaret,” “Pippin” and “Sunday in the Park with George” — to name just a few.
Having designed 56 Broadway shows, the late Zipprodt also dabbled in film, creating the looks for the famous movie “The Graduate.” Tales from these projects (and more), as well as her personal life, will be available to the public beginning Feb. 6, when her posthumous memoir is released. Written by Zipprodt (who passed away in 1999) with writer and former drama professor Arnold Wengrow, “If the Song Doesn’t Work, Change the Dress” includes chapters about Zipprodt’s childhood, her start in the industry, professional relationships with directors Harold Prince and Jerome Robbins as well as her research and the creative force behind designs we still recognize today. With a foreword by “Cabaret” star Joel Grey and Tony-winning costume designer Ann Hould-Ward and peppered with Zipprodt’s sketches and production photos, the book offers a firsthand look at a theater great.
Below is an exclusive excerpt from the chapter about “Cabaret.”
