BOSTON – The Grinch is back in Boston, entertaining crowds of all ages at the Boch Center Wang Theatre.
Bringing the Grinch to life with makeup
But it’s the makeup that helps the classic holiday story from Doctor Seuss, come to life on stage.
“The Grinch is our green guy. He’s there. Everyone knows what he looks like, and having that translate on stage is really important to the story,” says Hanna Andruss, who is responsible for transforming singer and actor Matthew Forbes into the iconic furry green creature.
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She uses a variety of brushes and tools to create different textures and the lines needed to make the Grinch’s face.
Forbes tells us it’s all worth it, because “this hour-long process really does kind of turn you into the Grinch. I mean, you look in the mirror, and you go ‘I am the Grinch.'”
Forbes has been dreaming of this role for years.
“I grew up on this character. I’ve loved this story, and it kind of feels like something I’ve been preparing my whole life to play… I’ve always kind of had this low voice, so it was just it kind of felt like he was my guy. This world was my world and so getting to play it now is a huge thrill,” he said.
Before Andruss joined the tour backstage, she helped develop the guide used to create the Grinch makeup, explaining, “It’s the base, it’s the lines, it’s the shading, it’s all of the other colors. And so, in creating a step-by-step, it’s kind of creating an order of operation in getting the makeup done, so it’s consistent every day.”
Forbes says the makeup, combined with the costume, really brings the Grinch to life.
“You wear these Grinchy fingers, these gloves, and I remember it was one of the first costume pieces they sent me when I was cast to kind of get used to working. And, of course, they elongate your fingers, and you do feel very Grinchy.”
And Andruss tells us, “This is kind of a dream job for a makeup artist. It’s fun, it’s bold, it’s loud, but it’s very technical and very exciting and challenging. And you also kind of get to make it your own, a little bit, with the performer that you’re working with and that’s a lovely process.”
Tickets for the Grinch musical
You can catch “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical,” at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston through December 23rd.
