Broadway costume designer visits WMU to talk about career

Contact: Mark Schwerin

KALAMAZOO--A costume designer whose work has been seen in the Broadway productions of "Shrek," "A Little Night Music," "The Little Mermaid," "Twelve Angry Men," "Fiddler on the Roof" and many more is coming to Western Michigan University to talk about her career.

Tracy Christensen's other Broadway credits include "Souvenir" produced at the Lyceum Theater, "Wonderful Town" and "Dance of the Vampires." She will speak at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in Design Studio Room 1118 in the Gilmore Theatre Complex. In addition to her work on Broadway, she will discuss her costume design work on the upcoming University Theatre production of "The Cure for Love" March 15-25, at WMU.

Christensen has been associate costume designer on "Beauty and the Beast" throughout the world in 12 cities, including Melbourne, Vienna, Tokyo, Mexico City, London, Buenos Aires and Seoul. She has designed extensively Off-Broadway and regionally at such theatres as the Kennedy Center, Hangar Theater and The Long Wharf Theater. She is currently a lecturer at the Purchase College State University of New York and has been a guest lecturer at Southern Methodist University and Rutgers University.

Learn more about Christensen's work at tracychristensen.com.

Christensen's visit is through the Visiting Scholars and Artists Program. Established in 1960, the program significantly contributes to the intellectual life of WMU and the community. The program provides funds for academic units to bring distinguished scholars and artists to campus. These visitors meet with faculty and students in their fields and address the community at large.

Since the program began, it has supported more 600 visits by scholars and artists representing more than 60 academic disciplines.