Often the final step before entering the stage, makeup allows the artist to truly get inside their character’s skin. Designed by the director and the head of hair and makeup, it needs to last for hours and be able to be captured by high definition cameras.

Maquillage de Robert Watson par Soizic Sidoit (2018) by Soizic Sidoit and Aik KarapétianOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Soizic Sidoit is the head of hair and makeup at the Montpellier National Opera.
Trained in the field, then in professional makeup at the Silvya Terrade school in Lyon, Soizic worked on a number of theatrical creations (the Comédie Française, the Rond-point Theater, the Odéon, etc.) and also on promos, adverts, short and feature length films, and television shoots.
Her first production at the Montpellier National Opera was in 2000: La Didone (F. Cavalli).

Anaik Morel et Robert Watson dans Carmen (Georges Bizet), mis en scène par Aik Karapetian (2018) by Soizic Sidoit and Aik KarapétianOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Transformational Makeup

In Montpellier in 2018, director Aik Karapetian envisioned Carmen as an alien queen, surrounded by a crowd of blue women.

Carmen de Gorges Bizet (2018) by Aik KarapétianOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

For the blue makeup, the challenge for Soizic Sidoit was to find the perfect shade to complement the color of the costumes and the performance lighting.
She suggested a number of blends to the costume designer.
Once the shade of blue had been chosen, Soizic Sidoit had to reproduce it on a large scale; enough to cover the face and arms of the 30 actors that would be on stage.

Carmen de Gorges Bizet (2018) by Aik KarapétianOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Soizic Sidoit then had to find the perfect texture and application method to perfectly complement the light tulle of the costumes, and the performers’ bald caps and hair.
To give the color a natural effect, she used an airbrush: a tool that delicately sprays makeup onto the skin without needing to use a brush or sponge.

Maquette maquillage Carmen (2018) by Soizic Sidoit and Aik KarapétianOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

For the main characters’ makeup, Soizic Sidoit spoke with the director and the costume designer, and suggested a few mockups (colored sketches).

Maquillage de Carmen (Geroges Bizet) (2018) by Soizic SidoitOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

For Carmen’s face, the makeup process was long and meticulous, and took over 40 minutes to complete.

Fantasio (Jacques Offenbach), mis en scène par Thomas Joly (2018-12-21) by Thomas JollyOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Under the jester’s headpiece and makeup, the young Fantasio (portrayed by soprano Rihab Chaïeb, directed by Thomas Jolly) is unrecognizable and can pass for the king’s new jester.

Maquillage de Fantasio (Jacques Offenbach) (2018-12-21) by Soizic SidoitOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

The makeup was done under extreme conditions since the soprano Rihab Chaïeb had exactly three minutes to leave the stage, get to her dressing room, change her clothes, and have her make up done by Soizic Sidoit.

Maquette du maquillage de Don José (2018) by Soizic Sidoit and Aik KarapétianOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Makeup to disfigure

A makeup artist’s know-how also enables them to create super realistic special effects, for example bloody wounds.

Création d'une cicatrice sur le visage du ténor Robert Watson (2018) by Soizic Sidoit and Aik KarapétianOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Creating Don José’s wound (Robert Watson)

Maquillage d'Isabella dans L'Italienne à Alger (Gioachino Rossini) (2017) by Soizic SidoitOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

In L’italiana in Algeri (G. Rossini–directed by David Hermann, 2017), the character of Isabella (Hanna Hipp) is the victim of a plane crash in the jungle. For her first appearance on stage, Soizic Sidoit created a makeup look that mixed beauty and special effects with bloody cuts and brown marks to give the effect being “soiled” by the ground.

Le Songe d'une nuit d'été (Benjamin Britten) mis en scène par Ted Huffman (2017) by Ted Huffman and Marsha GinsbergOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

L’italiana in Algeri (2017)

Don Pasquale de Gaetano Donizetti (2019-02-20) by Valentin Schwarz and Andrea CozziOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Makeup to mask your age

In operas, performers can sometimes need to portray characters much younger, or older, than themselves.

Maquette maquillage Don Pasquale (2019-02-20) by Soizic SidoitOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

To transform the tenor Bruno Taddia into Don Pasquale, the grumpy old man in Donizetti’s play, Soizic Sidoit suggested to director Valentin Schwarz that they use a gray in his beard to match the color of the animal sculpture props on-stage.

Don Pasquale de Gaetano Donizetti (2019-02-20) by Valentin Schwarz and Andrea CozziOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Wearing this hair and makeup, tenor Bruno Taddia (Don Pasquale) appeared significantly older.

Madama Butterfly de Giacomo Puccini (2019) by Ted Huffman and Opernhaus ZürichOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Despite already being young, soprano Karah Son had to portray 15-year-old Cio-Cio San in Madame Butterfly.

Maquillage de Cio-Cio San dans Madama Butterfly (Giacomo Puccini) (2019-10-02) by Soizic SidoitOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

After discussions with the director Ted Huffman, Soizic Sidoit created a makeup look to highlight freshness and youth on the character’s face.

Madama Butterfly de Giacomo Puccini (2019) by Ted Huffman and Opernhaus ZürichOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Even in the whitest light, the anxious beauty of Cio-Cio San, unquestionably awaiting her American husband’s return, lights up the stage.

Le Songe d'une nuit d'été (Benjamin Britten) mis en scène par Ted Huffman (2019) by Ted Huffman and Marsha GinsbergOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Makeup for poetry

For A Midsummer Night’s Dream, director Ted Huffman envisioned characters straight out of a Charlie Chaplin film, with modern and bright features.

Maquette du maquillage d'Hippolyta (2019) by Soizic Sidoit and Ted HuffmanOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Mockup of Hippolyta’s makeup

Le Songe d'une nuit d'été (Benjamin Britten) mis en scène par Ted Huffman (2019) by Ted Huffman and Marsha GinsbergOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

The mezzo-soprano Polly Leech as Hippolyta

Maquette du maquillage de Tytania (2019) by Soizic Sidoit and Ted HuffmanOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

For the character of Titania, gray tones were chosen that were inspired by Chaplin’s universe.

Maquette du maquillage d'Oberon (2019) by Soizic Sidoit and Ted HuffmanOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

The same for the character of Oberon...

Maquette du maquillage de Puck (2019) by Soizic Sidoit and Ted HuffmanOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

and Puck.

Le Songe d'une nuit d'été (Benjamin Britten) mis en scène par Ted Huffman (2019) by Ted Huffman and Marsha GinsbergOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Florie Valiquette and James Hall as Titania and Oberon.

Le Songe d'une nuit d'été (Benjamin Britten) mis en scène par Ted Huffman (2019) by Ted Huffman and Marsha GinsbergOpéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie

Let's end this exhibition with the dreamy mood of Puck (Nicholas Bruder) in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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National Opera Orchestra of Montpellier Occitanie
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