Painting The Pride Backstage at “The Lion King”

If you imagine working as a makeup artist on “The Lion King” for its 26-year run—8 shows a week—with (thankfully) no closing in sight, might be a “punishing” schedule you’d be right.  In fact, that’s the word head makeup artist Elizabeth Cohen used to describe her tenure on the show since the day it opened. But she also said: “I’m lucky I get to do what I love; paint faces every day and have healthcare, pension and annuity as an IASTE union member.”

Each show Elizabeth paints the characters of the adult lioness Nala, Timon (the meerkat) and Scar the villain, uncle threatening to take over the kingdom. But it’s more than painting—it’s the start of the performers’ transformation into the beings that will step on stage.

There are better and more products available than when the show started over two decades ago. “There are improvements and a larger selection of makeup for people of color, which has made my job easier,” Elizabeth said.  But there is still a lot to juggle. For example, to accentuate Scar’s wickedness he has one brow that is arched and raised.  Early in the run of the show the brow would fade, get wiped off or completely disappear during the performance. However, for many years now Elizabeth has used Skin Illustrator an alcohol-based product, which is utilized by mixing it with Skin Illustrator activator or 99% alcohol. This holds up more successfully than a cream-based makeup since the design feature of the brow is subjected to sweat and rubbing conditions. Even with this durable product, Elizabeth’s final touch is to paint a second coat of Skin Illustrator over the first one for optimal definition, visibility, and resilience.

Even though this well-choreographed routine takes place every show there can be daily challenges. “If an actor is even five minutes late, or someone is out and an understudy needs to go on the routine and timing can be compromised,” Elizabeth told me.

All the principal performers like Simba, Mufasa, and Rafiki, the shaman spiritual guide (whose face is a vivid display of primary colors) have their makeup professionally done by one of the two other makeup artists who are part of Elizabeth’s team.

The ensemble performers do their own makeup (as trained by Elizabeth.) But if any quick changes are needed during the show those are handled by the makeup department. The principal performers who play the hyenas Banzai, Shenzi and Ed do their own makeup, as well. They sponge on a pale basecoat and then their eyes are outlined from the tops of their brows and onto their cheekbones with prominent strokes of black. But even with the participation of the performers and her crew helping, Elizabeth’s responsibilities do not end with makeup.

The show is dark on Monday and often she tries to stay home on Tuesdays, so she has two days off in a row. “But even then, I’m answering emails and often dealing with sudden scheduling changes.  I also must regularly schedule time to sit in the audience to assess how it looks from the theater rather than just backstage.”

While all of Broadway and most of movie and television production was halted during the pandemic, Elizabeth too was sequestered at home. “My husband and I were able to take advantage of Prospect Park and the Botanical Gardens which is close to where we live in Brooklyn, and unlike a lot of other shows I knew “The Lion King” would reopen.”

What Elizabeth did not know (over two decades ago) is that she’d end up being a theatrical makeup artist. The Vassar graduate majored in studio art (with a practical, if unofficial minor in theater) however, she was not interested in being on stage. “I was taking all of the advanced courses in theatrical design that Vassar offered, but the majority of the drama students at the time were primarily interested in acting and directing courses, so I had a lot of the professors all to myself.”

When she graduated, she was working as a crew member on off-Broadway productions. “But to live in New York,” she said, “I needed two jobs, which caused me to take a break from running shows. Then I took a job in a theatrical office. After 3 years being creatively stifled by office work, I considered returning home to Austin, Texas, but then I was offered a job at “The Lion King.” Perhaps there is something in her DNA which landed her in the theater.

Elizabeth grew up with parents who were no strangers to theater, art, and New York City. Her father, a Bronx native moved to Texas to teach law at the University of Texas. The Cohen family spent the summers of 1973 and 1980 living in New York City, soaking up all the art world had to offer, and catching what was playing on and off Broadway. Her mother is a dedicated visual artist.  In fact, Elizabeth recalls asking her mother for a coloring book like the ones her friends had. “My mother told me:” ‘You make your own drawings and then color inside those.’  When Elizabeth was in preschool, she brought home a drawing which she planned on finishing later. “Before I could do that, my mother confiscated it, and when I asked to take it back to school to finish it the next day, my mom lied to me and told me she couldn’t find it.  As it turns out, she thought it was perfect just the way it was, and when enough time had passed that she figured the coast was clear, she framed it.”  That drawing still hangs on a wall in the home in Austin where her parents live.

Despite the arduous schedule and the responsibilities that come with being in charge Elizabeth loves her job. “I laugh out loud everyday” she says. “I love theater people, they’re quirky, funny and a little bit weird. The real show is always backstage.”

In November of 2022 New York One went backstage to visit with some of those who have been there since the start of the show, including Elizabeth.  You can watch that here: https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/on-stage-episodes/2022/11/19/-the-lion-king–celebrates-25-years-on-broadway

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