Photo by Joan Marcus

LuPone and Ebersole are perfectly cast as Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, respectively, in this new musical which features music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie and a book by Doug Wright. The show tells the story of the cold war between these two extraordinary pioneers of the cosmetics industry. Over the course of the production we learn about the differences and astonishing similarities between these two historic women, who came from humble beginnings and rose to become America's first major female entrepreneurs. We discover the treachery they endured from the men in their lives - namely from Tommy Lewis (exquisitely portrayed by John Dossett), who was Arden's husband, and from Harry Fleming (a sublime Douglas Sills), who was Rubinstein's gay, right-hand man. We learn about how they tried to sabotage each other's businesses and what ultimately led to the end of their careers. What I found most intriguing about the book, however, was that it touched upon wider themes that had to be addressed because of the events of these ladies' biographies. War Paint inspires you to reflect upon the attitudes towards women with corporate power, on sexism, anti-semitism, homophobia, and exploitation. One difficult question it also attempts to explore is whether or not these two pioneering women were offering freedom to other women or enslaving them? Were they simply shining, female role models, making a stand for themselves in a male-dominated world or were they women who exploited the insecurities of other women in encouraging them to look exactly how men wanted them to look and pay good money for it?

The premise of War Paint is slightly tricky due to the fact that, as far as we know, these two formidable forces never actually met in real life. The writers tackle this by scenes depicting them eavesdropping on each other at neighbouring tables at the swanky St. Regis restaurant and sharing musical numbers, whilst being physically side by side on stage, yet based in different locations in New York City. That is the beauty of the theatre. Fantasy and imagination is encouraged even when tackling historical individuals. The final scene in which they are forced to confront each other face to face at last is the audience's reward for following their separate journeys until that point. The nuanced scene does not disappoint, brimming with personal attacks and thawing out towards personal accords. They then cleverly state that they will never speak of this meeting.

Both LuPone and Ebersole's performances, as well as the sumptuous costume design by Catherine Zuber, multifaceted scenic design by David Korins and lighting by Kenneth Posner, work splendidly together to contrast Rubinstein and Arden's personalities. From the trademark feminine pink of Elizabeth Arden, flooding the stage through every theatrical element, to the more scientific, colder colours that dressed Helena Rubinstein's world. The overall design of the show is so impeccably implemented to emphasise their differences, yet what I took away from the show was their tragic similarities: how lonely each lady felt at the top of their game, how persecuted and excluded they both felt at times and how they both failed to evolve with the times and met similar fates. What will you take away from this show that offers a rare chance to see two living Broadway legends at the same time?

Click here for tickets to War Paint for performances through to December 31, 2017 at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre.

- by Tom Millward