‘Wicked’ Costume Designer Paul Tazewell

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I'm Tanya Moseley. In Wicked for Good, when Glinda descends from her bubble in iridescent blue and lavender, or when Alphabus sweeps through the sky for the first time in a weathered trench coat and trousers, their looks aren't just dazzling us. They're an integral part of the story, telling us who these women have become and the choices they've made. My guest today, costume designer Paul Tazwell, is one of the visual architects of that world. For more than thirty years, his designs across Broadway, television, and film have shaped how we see stories, from the worn revolutionary textures of Hamilton to the saturated palette of Westside's story.

Taswell won the Academy Award last year for his work on Wicked, and during his acceptance speech, he paused to acknowledge the significance of that moment. I am the first black man to receive the Costume Design Award for my work on Wikid. I'm so proud of this. Thank you, Mom and Emma, so much.

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