Two legends of beauty go head to head in this world premiere musical
Two-time Tony Award winning Broadway queens Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole star in this exciting new musical that explores the infamous rivalry between two beauty house titans; Elizabeth Arden (Ebersole) and Helena Rubenstein (LuPone) as they both carve out extremely successful careers in an industry that was dominated almost entirely by men. Helmed by Michael Greif of Next To Normal and If/Then fame with a book by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning writer Doug Wright, see how these two phenomenally successful women overcame the odds - and their rivalry - to become the hottest names in beauty.
The birth of the beauty industry
Based on Lindy Woodhead's hit 2003 biography of the same name, War Paint was first optioned for a Broadway musical in 2012, and follows the meteoric rise of two bitter rivals in what is now the modern cosmetics industry. Despite both women coming from genteel poverty and being avid social climbers, they truly loathed each other - perhaps the similarities between them were too great to be ignored. By constantly trying to outshine the other, both houses broke boundaries in technology and in the boardrooms, where before the beauty industry had been almost exclusively male dominated.
By rising to the tops of their respective game, they carved out their empires despite their torrid rivalry that saw battle take place in the department stores and in Congress, and set the bar for future female entrepreneurs for decades to come.
From the team that brought you Grey Gardens
An all-star creative team have worked deligently behind the scenes to bring the musical to life since announcing it in 2012, even whilst working on other projects in the meantime, including Grey Gardens. Michael Greif, who directed Next To Normal and If/Then starring Idina Menzel is supported by in-demand composer Scott Frankel and lyricist Michael Korie in what is one of the most anticipated new stage adaptations to hit Chicago in 2016. Lipsticks at the ready!