Faculty, Students Top Off Costumes for ’The Music Man’

Pieces created by CMU School of Drama featured in the Tony-nominated revival - Hugh Hanson , associate teaching professor of costume production in Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama , has worked with acclaimed designer Santo Loquasto for more than 20 years on productions ranging from Paul Taylor Dance to the Metropolitan Opera. So, when Loquasto invited Hanson to work with him on the Broadway revival of Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man," it was an easy yes. Loquasto designed the set and costumes for the production and brought Hanson on as a milliner. In Hanson's long and storied career as both a designer and maker, it was his first time working on a production of "The Music Man." As milliner, he was tasked with the creation of 17 hats that would be worn in the production; and not only worn, but spun, twirled, leapt and danced in throughout the show. "What's great is Santo and I have done so many dance productions together," said Hanson (left) . "He'll say, 'Remember those hats you made for Paul Taylor? They really hugged to the head. I don't know what you did, but make these like that.'" Hanson, who has been on faculty at the School of Drama since 2015, worked with Loquasto completely remotely throughout this process, building the hats in Pittsburgh and shipping them to New York.