The pairing of Tony Award winners Christine Ebersole and Patti LuPone as rival cosmetics pioneers Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein in War Paint is more than a chance for Broadway audiences to witness onstage diva dramatics. For the show鈥檚 writers and its stars, it鈥檚 an opportunity to examine the American Dream from a female perspective.
鈥淭丑别测 were immigrants that came to America to live the American Dream,鈥� explains LuPone, who stars as the Polish-born Rubinstein. Both Arden and Rubinstein arrived in the U.S. and began their businesses before women were granted the right to vote.
It was Arden鈥攚ho herself marched with suffragettes in New York City鈥攚ho helped bring lipstick into common usage by giving free samples to suffragettes.
鈥淭he only women who were wearing makeup at the time were actresses and prostitutes, and so they actually brought it into common usage,鈥� says the show鈥檚 book writer, Doug Wright. 鈥淭hese two women legitimized makeup.鈥�
鈥淭hese women defied statistics, they defied culture even before feminism and before women鈥檚 lib,鈥� says Ebersole, who stars as Canadian-born Arden.
鈥淭丑别测 forged a culture,鈥� LuPone interjects.
In an era where business was purely a man鈥檚 world, Arden and Rubinstein revolutionized the female marketplace and ran global brands鈥攂rands that survived the Depression and two World Wars. 鈥淭丑别测 both had to make tremendous sacrifices being female CEOs of companies that bore their name in a time when it really was a man鈥檚 club,鈥� says War Paint composer Scott Frankel. 鈥淕lass ceilings aside, with the recent election, there鈥檚 still a lot of frisson on that topic.鈥�
In the current U.S. political climate, War Paint鈥攖itle alone鈥攖akes on a deeper resonance. Frankel asks, 鈥淗ow much have women achieved? Is there true parity with men, and how much is the fight still very relevant today?鈥�
鈥淚t has been cathartic to write strong, unapologetic, forward-thinking women,鈥� says Wright. 鈥淎nd to hear them from the stage has been deeply galvanizing, and I think we need to hear them more than ever in this cultural moment. It鈥檚 been a wonderful way of celebrating two female pioneers at a moment when we are learning we have a great distance to travel as far as women鈥檚 issues go.鈥�
The writers find parallels between Arden and Rubinstein鈥檚 spirit and the women who bring them to life onstage. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a thrilling opportunity to write not one great musical theatre role, but two,鈥� says Wright. Frankel adds, 鈥淭o write for Patti and Christine鈥� You have Patti, who is known for that clarion trumpet, that thrilling belt, and Christine with that silvery soprano. They are both fearless. There is nothing that I can鈥檛 throw at them that they won鈥檛 knock out of the park.鈥�
In some ways, War Paint is the story of four driven women, Arden and Rubinstein, Ebersole and LuPone, each a maverick in their own right. 鈥淗elena had to survive. She was born independent,鈥� LuPone says. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 one quality both of these women can share. They wanted a better life for themselves and they knew how to achieve it.鈥�
鈥淚t resonates for me because they created their own destiny,鈥� Ebersole says. 鈥淭丑别测 paved the way for women in a man鈥檚 world. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 really inspiring. We cannot define ourselves by what culture tells us we are.鈥�
