When Dolly Parton was famously asked how many wigs she has, she replied, “Well, at least 365 because I wear at least one a day.” If you’re the hair department head for a Broadway show, you’re not on the hook 365 days a year, but it’s awfully close. You could have upwards of 60 wigs to maintain for an eight-show-a-week continuous run.
Such is the case for Brandee Danielle Huston, the current department head of hair and makeup for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton.” She spends hours cutting, braiding, and twisting strands so that she can send Alexander Hamilton (Trey Curtis), Aaron Burr (Jared Dixon), and the Schuyler sisters (Jennie Harney-Fleming, Cherry Torres, Morgan Anita Wood) out to adoring audiences. Here, Huston took a moment from her tonsorial duties to let us in on some trade secrets.
Hair and makeup departments are BUSY.
Huston places everyone’s well-being and boundaries at the forefront of her day. That includes managing an assistant, ordering products, handling payroll, training swings, and cutting and maintaining hair—and not only for health and safety standards, but to tailor to the needs of each individual cast member.
“I troubleshoot solutions for issues regarding styles and texture/cultural issues pertaining to hair,” she says, “and honor cultural experiences by being knowledgeable and up to date on styles that are of great importance to the Black and brown communities. I strive to have an inclusive place where people feel safe. ‘Hamilton’ is very interesting because the styles are not character-based; they are unique to each actor.”
Learn everything you can while doing your job.
“Know every texture; make it a point to get practice,” Huston says. “Research protective styles. Get a mannequin. It’s not the same, but it’s something. Reach out to people in the industry who can help you.”
And admitting you don’t know everything going in is actually an asset, not a hindrance. She says, “Don’t be a know-it-all. Whether it’s learning how to be a better supervisor or assistant or just being better at communicating with management, we can always be better.”
Keep on top of your mental and physical health at all times.
“There are many things that contribute to the fast decline in mental health in this industry,” warns Huston, indicating a strong need for taking advantage of owed time off and maximizing that time. “[There’s] the repetitiveness. [You’re] often working in unfinished basements with no natural light or ventilation. [You’re] working with strong personalities. [You have] the pressure of working on a Broadway show and feedback from colleagues. Personally, my mental health is [at its] worst in the dead of winter, because not only do you have all of the above, but now you are stuck inside even more.”
And the bowels of Broadway venues are hardly luxurious: “Rats, mice, cockroaches—along with an unlimited amount of dust and mold—make for [a] ton of health issues like sinus infections, eye allergies, etc. [This is] something that I did not know coming to Broadway—and definitely something you’d never think the Broadway would be like. It’s good to know what you are getting yourself into. And let’s change it!”
Advocate for your department, especially as a woman in this particular field.
“You must advocate for yourselves at all times, especially with your salary,” Huston implores. “Production companies continue to choose to pay us half as much, if not less, than male-dominated fields—carpentry, props, electrics, etc. So, we need more people in our industry to fight the fight so that we can have pay equity. You really have to fight for everything being in hair and makeup. We are the only department to not have Tony recognition, and often [have] the smallest budget.”
From Cast to Concessions: An Overview of Jobs in the Theater Industry If you want to break into doing hair in live theater, keep your résumé short and sweet.
“When dropping off your résumé at stage doors, focus on theater [work], specifically hair,” says Huston. “I get two résumés a week sometimes, and all I need to know are what you’ve done, your education, who can vouch for you, and how to contact you. Let your work speak for itself. Sometimes I get a two-page essay, and it’s really not needed.”
Brandee Danielle Huston has worked on numerous tours including “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “On Your Feet!” and “Elf” before making her Main Stem debut in the field with 2022’s “Paradise Square.”