Vincent Zulo guys and pin stripes Essay Example For Students

Vincent Zulo: guys and pin stripes Essay Conventional wisdom says clothes make the man, but can they also make the show? Vincent Zulo is a tailor for the theatre who has left his imprint on hundreds of productions here and abroad, from Broadway extravaganzas to the Barnum and Bailey Circus to modest two-character plays. Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman and Alec Baldwin have passed through his fitting roomsits no exaggeration to call him the tailor to the stars. Anybody you can mention, theyve come through this shop, he says with a crinkly smile and the engaging inflections of his native Italy. Those who imagine a tailor as a bent little man sewing tiny stitches by hand alone in a dark garret might be surprised by Zulo and his shop. Hes well-dressed, cordial and energetic, and his tidy loft in the garment district of Manhattan is surrounded by windows and filled with modern equipment and a staff that ranges in size from 13 to 20. Zulo began his training in Italy at the age of eight, working after school in a tailoring shop to help support his large family. In 1966 he immigrated to New York, and went to work at Eves Costumes where in short order he was assigned to tailor Mata Hari, which he accurately describes as a big flop. The Edward Thomas-Martin Charnin musical starring Marisa Mell and Pernell Roberts closed after a disastrous Washington tryout involving collapsing scenery and a spotlight accidentally turned on a nearly-nude Mell as she changed costumes. Zulo, undeterred by this unauspicious beginning, was caught up in the excitement of the theatre and eventually opened his own shop in 1980. We will write a custom essay on Vincent Zulo: guys and pin stripes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Among Zulos favorite shows are Andrew Lloyd Webbers Phantom of the Operanot because of the famous falling chandelier, but because he had the chance to equal and sometimes improve on the original costumes tailored by talented craftsmen in Englandand the current Broadway mounting of Guys and Dolls. Working from William Ivey Longs award-winning designs, Zulo and his staff constructed all of the latter productions period menswearabout 75 percent of the shows 250 costumesnot only cutting and tailoring the suits, but also creating half of the fabric in the shop. In the eye of the viewer Zulo designed and soldered special sewing-machine feet to adapt his machines to do the difficult embroidery for Guys and Dolls. The staff started with a solid-colored fabric and, using over-stiching, embroidery and mock-weaving techniques, added stripes of various colors and sizesno painting, dyeing or applique was used. To understand the scope of this undertaking, imagine a pinstriped suit. Imagine sewing each of the hundreds of stripes onto the fabric by machine (keeping the lines straight!). Imagine enough fabric for about 90 suits. This time-consuming procedure was used to give Long the colors and shapes he needed without making the suits stiff, a challenge that makes this show memorable for Zulo. In a short time we produced so much work, he says. We worked all night, and then at the end when the show was so successful we felt really rewarded. But what difference does all this work make to the untutored eye? If you dont know much, a suit is a suit, Zulo shrugs. It can be 1930 or 1909 or 1960, it looks the same. Its pants and a jacket. True appreciation of the customers craft, he says, depends on the discriminating eye of the viewer. When people go see Guys and Dolls, theyre supposed to go there in the spirit of the 40s. I like it when people are critical, because satisfaction comes back because the audience knows what is there. .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .postImageUrl , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:hover , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:visited , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:active { border:0!important; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:active , .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u92f762d4ea72a88a27ecc61d3bab914e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Naturalistic Theatre EssayGood tailoring for the theatre is more colorful and sharper in line than streetwear, Zulo says, and Long agrees. When a show verges on being a cartoonin the use of color and shapeit is extremely important that the tailoring is top-notch the designer says of Guys and Dolls. For example, in these suits, you can see someone onstage from the side and trace the stripe all the way from the shoulder to the pants. This is great tailoring. Zulo works with the designer from the beginning of a project, choosing shape and fabric to make the costume sketch come to life. Despite the collaborative nature of the job, he stays flexible and takes care not to overstep his bounds. To my eyestailoring eyesa suit looks better one way, Zulo explains. For the script he has to look like a bum, I want to make him look like a big shot. Okay, they dont go together. The future of Zulos kind of craftsmanship is uncertain. There is no adequate training program to pass on tailoring skills, which take years to learn. Zulo operates a union shop and cannot afford to pay union wages to trainees. The world will keep going around, Zulo says philosophically of the future, but they will have to struggle more to produce this kind of project. Zulo is clearly a man who loves his work. You can see that on his face and hear it in his voice as he talks about his craft: Whatever you do, if you dont do it with satisfaction, with the feelings, its not worth it. His dedication to the theatre has earned him respect from scores of costume designers. I never compromise, he says. I always say it has to be this way, it has to be good.

War of 1812 Overview - Aftermath

War of 1812 Overview - Aftermath 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned | War of 1812: 101 Efforts for Peace As the war raged, President James Madison worked to bring it to a peaceful conclusion. Hesitant about going to war in the first place, Madison instructed his chargà © d’affaires in London, Jonathan Russell, to seek reconciliation with the British a week after war was declared in 1812. Russell was ordered to seek a peace that only required the British to repeal the Orders in Council and halt impressment. Presenting this to the British foreign minister, Lord Castlereagh, Russell was rebuffed as they were unwilling to move on the latter issue. There was little progress on the peace front until early 1813 when Czar Alexander I of Russia offered to mediate an end to hostilities. Having turned back Napoleon, he was eager benefit from trade with both Great Britain and the United States. Alexander also sought to befriend the United States as a check against British power. Upon learning of the czars offer, Madison accepted and dispatched a peace delegation consisting of John Quincy Adams, James Bayard, and Albert Gallatin. The Russian offer was declined by the British who claimed that the matters in question were internal to the belligerents and not of international concern. Progress was finally achieved later that year following the Allied victory at the Battle of Leipzig. With Napoleon defeated, Castlereagh offered to open direct negotiations with the United States. Madison accepted on January 5, 1814, and added Henry Clay and Jonathan Russell to the delegation. Traveling first to Goteborg, Sweden, they then headed south to Ghent, Belgium where the talks were to take place. Moving slowly, the British did not appoint a commission until May and their representatives did not depart for Ghent until August 2. Unrest on the Home Front As the fighting continued, those in New England and the South grew tired of the war. Never a great supporter of the conflict, New Englands coast was raided with impunity and its economy on the verge of collapse as the Royal Navy swept American shipping from the seas. South of the Chesapeake, commodity prices plummeted as farmers and plantation owners were unable to export cotton, wheat, and tobacco. Only in Pennsylvania, New York, and the West was there any degree of prosperity though this was largely related federal expenditures relating to the war effort. This spending led to resentment in New England and the South, as well as precipitated a financial crisis in Washington. Taking office in late 1814, Treasury Secretary Alexander Dallas forecasted a $12 million revenue shortfall for that year and predicted a $40 million shortfall for 1815. Efforts were made to cover the difference through loans and issuing treasury notes. For those who wished to continue the war, there was a genuine concern that there would not be funds to do so. During the course of the conflict, the national debt had ballooned from $45 million in 1812 to $127 million in 1815. While this angered Federalists who had opposed the war initially, it also worked to undermine Madisons support among his own Republicans. The Hartford Convention The unrest sweeping parts of the country came to a head in New England in late 1814. Angered over the federal governments inability to protect its coasts and its unwillingness to reimburse states for doing so themselves, the Massachusetts legislature called for a regional convention to discuss the issues and weigh whether the solution was something as radical as secession from the United States. This proposition was accepted by Connecticut which offered to host the meeting in Hartford. While Rhode Island agreed to send a delegation, New Hampshire and Vermont refused to officially sanction the meeting and sent representatives in an unofficial capacity. A largely moderate group, they convened in Hartford on December 15. Though their discussions were largely limited to a states right to nullify legislation that adversely affected its citizens and issues related to states preempting federal collection of taxes, the group badly erred by holding its meetings in secret. This led to wild speculation regarding its proceedings. When the group released its report on January 6, 1815, both Republicans and Federalists were relieved to see that it was largely a list of recommended constitutional amendments that were designed to prevent foreign conflicts in the future. This relief quickly evaporated as people came to consider the what ifs of the convention. As a result, those involved quickly became and associated with terms such as treason and disunion. As many were Federalists, the party became similarly tainted effectively ending it as a national force. Emissaries from the convention made it as far as Baltimore before learning of the wars end. The Treaty of Ghent While the American delegation contained several rising stars, the British group was less glamorous and consisted of admiralty lawyer William Adams, Admiral Lord Gambier, and Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Henry Goulburn. Due to the proximity of Ghent to London, the three were kept on a short leash by Castlereagh and Goulburns superior, Lord Bathurst. As the negotiations moved forward, the Americans pressed for an elimination of impressment while the British desired a Native American buffer state between the Great Lakes and the Ohio River. While the British refused to even discuss impressment, the Americans flatly refused to consider ceding territory back to the Native Americans. 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned | War of 1812: 101 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned | War of 1812: 101 As the two sides sparred, the American position was weakened by the burning of Washington. With the deteriorating financial situation, war weariness at home, and concerns over future British military successes, the Americans became more willing to deal. Similarly, with fighting and negotiations at a stalemate, Castlereagh consulted the Duke of Wellington, who had turned down command in Canada, for advice. As the British held no meaningful American territory, he recommended a return to status quo ante bellum and an immediate end to the war. With talks at the Congress of Vienna breaking down as a rift opened between Britain and Russia, Castlereagh became eager to end the conflict in North America to focus on European matters. Renewing the talks, both sides ultimately agreed to a return to status quo ante bellum. Several minor territorial and border issues were set aside for future resolution and the two sides signed the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814. The treaty included no mention of impressment or a Native American state. Copies of the treaty were prepared and sent to London and Washington for ratification. The Battle of New Orleans The British plan for 1814 called for three major offensives with one coming from Canada, another striking at Washington, and the third hitting New Orleans. While the thrust from Canada was defeated at the Battle of Plattsburgh, the offensive in the Chesapeake region saw some success before being halted at Fort McHenry. A veteran of the latter campaign, Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane moved south that fall for the attack on New Orleans. Having embarked 8,000-9,000 men, under the command of Major General Edward Pakenham, Cochranes fleet arrived off Lake Borgne on December 12. In New Orleans, the defense of city was tasked to Major General Andrew Jackson, commanding the Seventh Military District, and Commodore Daniel Patterson who oversaw the US Navys forces in the region. Working frantically, Jackson assembled around 4,000 men which included the 7th US Infantry, a variety of militia, Jean Lafittes Baratarian pirates, as well as free black and Native American troops. Assuming a strong defensive position along the river, Jackson prepared to receive Pakenhams assault. With both sides unaware that peace had been concluded, the British general moved against the Americans on January 8, 1815. In a series of attacks, the British were repulsed and Pakenham killed. The signature American land victory of the war, the Battle of New Orleans forced the British to withdraw and re-embark. Moving east, they contemplated an attack on Mobile, but learned of the wars end before it could move forward. The Second War of Independence While the British government had speedily ratified the Treaty of Ghent on December 28, 1814, it took much longer for word to reach across the Atlantic. News of the treaty arrived in New York on February 11, a week after the city learned of Jacksons triumph. Adding to the spirit of celebration, the news that the war had ended quickly spread throughout the country. Receiving a copy of the treaty, the US Senate ratified it by a 35-0 vote on February 16 to officially bring the war to a close. Once the relief of peace had worn off, the war was viewed in the United States as a victory. This belief was propelled by victories such as New Orleans, Plattsburgh, and Lake Erie as well as by the fact that the nation had successfully resisted the power of the British Empire. Success in this second war of independence helped forge a new national consciousness and ushered in the Era of Good Feelings in American politics. Having gone to war for its national rights, the United States never again was refused proper treatment as an independent nation. Conversely, the war was also viewed as victory in Canada where the residents took pride in having successfully defended their land from American invasion attempts. In Britain, little thought was given to the conflict especially as the spectre of Napoleon rose again in March 1815. While the war is noew generally viewed as stalemate between the principal combatants, the Native Americans exited the conflict as losers. Effectively forced out of the Northwest Territory and large tracts of the Southeast, their hope for a state of their own vanished with the end of the war. 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned | War of 1812: 101