So Monique's Howard is a ponytail (or even full wig but I doubt they would do a full wig for a third cover) I presume....but is Leah using her natural hair or a backpiece (perhaps her old S backpiece???)??
Monique's is just a ponytail.
Leah is using a back piece. You're right on the money - her old S back piece is exactly what I think it is (but cut and restyled of course). @lightleckrereins and I had seen the Boleyn in Zoë Louise's takeover and were trying to figure out who it was for because Leah was an obvious explanation but it was significantly lighter than her full (current) Seymour wig right next to it. Looks like when they gave her the full wig they just darkened her color up.
This is not an in depth look, but every cast change in the UK has some small differences (some already seen in the UKT cast change or in the HCP costumes). So a quick list of things that were made or changed is in order.
All principals and alts with principal costume are now wearing the number earrings.
Aragon has a wider center front panel and a flatter peplum (simmilar to the HCP one). Chains now have the weaved black trim introduced for the UKT cast change but went back to the usual shape with a raised choker while UKT does only the chains draped over the shoulders and chest.
Seymour got the black trim weaved into the chain on the collar also introduced for UKT cast change. Note: Claudia Kariuki is still wearing the same costume as before but might have gotten a new set of leotards (which include the collar and sleeves) or the trim could have been added to her old ones.
Parr. Not an update in itself, but Roxanne Couch is wearing a new hairstyle for Parr marking the first time in the UK a principal (or alternate with principal costume) Parr is not wearing a side ponytail or side curls.
Silver alternate. Esme got a Boleyn skirt rounding up variations for her priority covers B/H/P.
Teal alternate. Monique's pants have horizontal trim over the mesh panels matching the trim on her top; previously this panel was left blank.
Pink alternate. Leah's top has an extra black panel on the side between the cutouts and the sequins panels (creating a narrower front panel). All previous pink costumes have had only the pink cutouts front and back and the sequins/mesh side. (Also shoutout to @six-costume-refs for both catching this and accidentally predicting it last month) This extra panel makes pink look closer to Aragon and silver. She also has a different shaped peplum and waistband and studs over the center black band continuing the collar edge.
Made this graphic back during pride month but since I was on hiatus I just never posted it. But better late than never, so here’s the belated 2023 pride post from me. As always, this list is certainly not comprehensive. There are likely other closeted actors and/or actors who are out but may not have explicitly stated their queerness. As identity is a sensitive topic I always err on the side of caution when creating these. And just like in past years, this only includes current actors.
Pictured:
Claudia Kariuki (West End)
Willow Dougherty (Bliss 6.0)
Leah Vassell (West End)
Aryn Bohannon (Boleyn Tour)
Caitlyn De Kuyper (Bliss 6.0)
Aubrey Matalon (Broadway)
Dionne Ward-Anderson (West End)
Haley Izurieta (Bliss 6.0)
Kelsee Kimmel (Aragon Tour)
Hailee Kaleem-Wright (Broadway)
Laura Dawn Pyatt (UK Tour)
Sunny Smith (Breakaway 5.0)
Baylie Carson (West End)
Taylor Pearlstein (Boleyn Tour)
Gabriela Francesca Carrillo (Aragon Tour)
Taylor Iman Jones (Broadway)
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Photos of Claudia, Dionne, Laura, and Baylie by Pamela Raith. Photos of Aryn, Aubrey, Hailee, Taylor P, Gabriela, and Taylor IJ by Joan Marcus. Others from personal accounts.
Hey! I know I’ve gotten a few asks about this and with debuts of some third covers these last few days I thought I’d finally make a proper post. Wigs are all made by Samuel James Wigs and everyone's hair/wigs are styled by Zoe Louise.
Monique Ashe-Palmer
Monique wears her natural hair for Aragon. The front is pulled back with a center part, but it doesn't utilize any Dutch braids in the front like most other recent Aragon styles.
She also seems to wear her natural hair for Cleves. It's just pulled up on to the top of her hair and forward in a faux-hawk.
For Boleyn and Seymour she has a half wig. It's styled in twists. For Boleyn the front half of her hair is pulled straight into regular Boleyn buns. For Seymour the front is twisted back around the crown and pinned to blend into her back piece. (S photo by Pamela Raith)
For Parr she seems to wear her own hair just styled over to the side and left loose.
Danielle Rose
Danielle wears her own hair for Boleyn. It's a typical middle part and Boleyn buns style.
For Howard she slicks back her own hair into a bun and then adds a pink ponytail piece over.
For Aragon she has a short curled back piece. (Note that she hasn't covered Aragon on this 22-23 contract, but it is one of her first covers)
For Seymour she wears her own hair. Center part, slight beehive, and curled with rollers.
For Parr she has a front bump into a low ponytail. It's not identical to Roxanne Couch's Parr hair: the ponytail is set much lower and doesn't seem to have the same braid style.
Leah Vassell
Leah started out with just a back-piece for Seymour. Her own hair was pulled back with a center part from the front. Pretty quickly in the run she got a new full-wig. The wig length and overall style was changed, and a beehive styling was added.
For Parr she pulls her hair over into a bun and then a side piece is added. This was Maiya Quansah Breed's from Hampton Court, and I assume still is.
Leah wears her own hair for Aragon. She has a center part and the front is pulled back, but like Monique it doesn't have any Dutch braids in the front.
For Cleves her hair is styled into a faux-hawk. It does seem to be a hairpiece rather than her own hair. I actually suspect it's her Parr hairpiece, but haven't been able to confirm that for sure.
For Howard her hair is the typical styling of pulled back into a bun with a ponytail piece added over.