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Broadway veteran
Iowa State alumnus a fixture backstage on the Great White Way.
- It's a long way from Stars Over VEISHEA (SOV) to Broadway, but Cynthia
Boardman, class of 1977, has made the journey.
Boardman came to Iowa State from Columbus, Ohio as a food nutrition major.
During her freshman year, one of her "big sisters" in the dorms told her
that the SOV production of "Mame" needed some help with props.
"It was just a couple of weeks of work and I thought it would be fun,"
Boardman said. "It was really nice to have a break from organic chemistry."
Boardman had so much fun with SOV that she eventually switched her major
to speech and communication, while continuing her work with the theatre
program.
That interest in the theatre continues to this day. Since the early '80s,
Boardman has called New York City and Broadway home. Ever since her arrival
she has worked on some of Broadway's top musicals including "Joseph
and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "42nd Street," "Les
Miserables," "My One and Only," and Disney's "Beauty
and the Beast."
Boardman's latest collaboration with a Broadway production actually began
with an out-of-town run in Minneapolis with Disney's "The Lion King"
in 1997. She has been with the production every since and is now the Broadway
show's assistant wardrobe supervisor.
"I'm responsible for maintaining all of the costumes, getting replacement
clothing, keeping the costumes cleaned and fitting new cast members,"
she said.
"The Lion King" is a Tony Award-winning musical that is elaborate
in its costuming. Boardman estimates there are 300-400 costumes in the production.
In addition to Boardman and her staff, there are three staff members who
work exclusively with the musical's puppets.
Boardman has called the New Amsterdam Theatre on 41st Street near Times
Square home every night for the past six years. "The Lion King"
is still performing to sell-out audiences almost nightly.
"I'm here every day and at every performance," she said. "I
have seen the show several times all the way through and I have a monitor
over my desk that I watch while doing other work.
"I can honestly say this is not a show that you can get tired of. ‘The
Lion King' has been the hottest ticket around. I have worked on other productions
that have been successful but this has been very exciting."
The success of "The Lion King" has spilled out well beyond Broadway. A ninth
production opened this past summer in Sydney, Australia.
Boardman's supervisor traveled to Australia to mount that production. And
since New York City's version of "The Lion King" is the main production,
Boardman has responsibilities not only for the Broadway show, but productions
around the world.
On the day of the interview, Boardman had to deal with costumes that were
struck in customs on their way to London.
"There is no one day that is the same," she said even after six
years with the show. "Everyday brings on new challenges and opportunities.
It's never routine."
Cynthia Boardman
Music Today
Fall 2003
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