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To the audience, it’s a feat that looks like a whizz-bang of theatre magic. But in reality, pulling off these quick changes performance after performance involves hours of practice, some specially designed costumes and an intricate set of backstage choreography almost as complex as the one happening onstage.Ìý

“It’s about keeping calm, and knowing and visualizing where you need to be,” said ensemble member Gabriel Antonacci, who has 15 quick changes, including one that lasts just 23 seconds. “You never want to panic. The second you start to panic is when things go wrong.”

It’s not unusual for splashy musicals like “Something Rotten” to have multiple quick changes. But the production’s sheer number of wardrobe pieces makes it stand out from other recent shows.Ìý

It’s somewhat fitting, though, that the musical has as many costumes as it does. After all, the irreverent musical comedy written by John O’Farrell, Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick is a celebratory send-up of musical theatre.

Set in Elizabethan England, the show follows two brothers (played by Mark Uhre and Henry Firmston) who set out to challenge and usurp William Shakespeare (Jeff Lillico) by writing the world’s first musical.Ìý

For costume and set designer Michael Gianfrancesco, planning the production’s visual esthetic takes place months before rehearsals even begin. Not only do the costumes have to look authentic, but they also need to be easy to change into in a matter of seconds and be lightweight enough for the performers to dance in.Ìý

“That latter aspect was a big challenge,” Gianfrancesco said. “We had to invent ways of creating shapes with the weight and heaviness that clothing from that period would normally have.”

Many of the costumes are crafted to help facilitate the show’s numerous quick changes. Instead of finicky buttons, for instance, Gianfrancesco uses fake ones to cover zippers or snap fasteners, which are faster and easier to use.

Other costumes that look as if they’re made up of two separate parts are instead sewn together as one piece. During the change, these costumes are placed on the floor.ÌýThe performers step into the piece and pull it up over their shoulders like overalls, before zipping up or snapping into place the rest of the costume.Ìý

Though many of Gianfrancesco’s designs for the musical are original, some of the pieces repurpose existing material from past productions, which are stored in the Stratford Festival’s sprawling costume warehouse.

It’s especially convenient given that “Something Rotten!” features countless Easter eggs and passing references to classical Broadway musicals, many of which have previously played at the festival, including “The Sound of Music,” “Rent” and “Crazy for You.”

“The amazing thing about theÌýwarehouse is that we’re able to go in and get all these costumes for productions we’ve previously done and that are mentioned in this show,” said Gianfrancesco, who designed some of those old costumes that have been given a second life, making brief cameos in this new production.Ìý

During the show, the backstage area is a hectic and crowded scene, filled with actors, stage managers and other production crew. Nine dressers help prepare each of the actors’ wardrobes and help them change into and out of their costumes.

“It’s about finding the efficiencies,” said veteran dresser Kim Cunik, who’s been with the festival for 43 seasons and assists with 37 quick changes in this production. “Work smarter, not harder.”

Indeed, quick changes requireÌýcareful planning and co-ordination. Before performances began, there were three rehearsals solely dedicated to practising the quick changes, ensuring every dresser and actor knew where they needed to be and what they needed to be doing at any given moment backstage.Ìý

Co-ordinating these costume changes at Stratford’s Festival Theatre poses its own set of challenges. Because of the theatre’s thrust stage design (with a pair of entrances that lead into a tunnel underneath the audience), it can take up to 30 seconds for an actor to travel from one exit to the next entrance. If an actor has 45 seconds between scenes, that travel time could mean they have 15 seconds to change.Ìý

For stage manager Cynthia Toushan, who ensures every performance runs smoothly, “Something Rotten!” has some of the most challenging costume changes of any production she’s ever managed.Ìý

“As a friend said, there’s always a mountain to climb in each show,” she said. “You just identify what’s the mountain. Well, in this one, it’s the quick changes.”

When they’re pulled off successfully, with every cue hit at the right moment, it should all appear seamless to the audience, as if it were all stage magic. “That’s the best part of the job,” said Toushan.Ìý

“Something Rotten!” runsÌýuntil Oct. 27 at the Stratford Festival’s Festival Theatre, 55 Queen St., Stratford, Ont. Visit Ìýfor tickets and more information.Ìý