Mean Girls' Ashley Park Gets Ready For Her First Tony Awards Red Carpet
In her day-to-day life, Ashley Park is a pure bohemian flower child. “I love a flowy Free People dress and my favorite article of clothing right now are my distressed, ripped jeans from Alice & Olivia or my Converse sneakers,” Park, who plays Gretchen Wiener in Mean Girls on Broadway, tells InStyle.com the morning after the Tony Awards. “Both me and Gretchen have a soft spot for Kate Spade. We both love a halter neck and a statement piece. Every piece of Gretchen's outfit is a statement piece. She tries a little too hard to coordinate; it's very sweet.”
Park made her Broadway debut in 2014 in Mamma Mia!, but really made a stamp on the Great White Way when she played Tuptim in the revival of The King and I. This Tonys season, she was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical.
Having virtually grown up in the musical theater world (she was a musical theater student at the University of Michigan and performed in her high school musicals before that), Park is used to playing dress up. But something felt a bit different about last night’s costume change:
“For a performance, I have the same people every day helping me get into hair and costume, and a set schedule after our half-hour call,” Park explains. “Jimmy brings my wig, Margiann presets my costumes as my dresser, and I do my [own] make up. For an awards show, there are a number of other hair and make-up stylists involved in prepping me and instead of getting into a costume that I wear every day, I'm getting into a special outfit specifically for that evening!”
To the Tonys, Park worked with celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger who dressed her in a custom, tulle Pamella Roland gown.
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“The color and texture and shape is something that I've never worn before,” Park says of her ultra-glam moment. “It was the first dress I tried on in my second fitting and everyone in the room was unanimous that it was the one. I am very drawn to unique and vibrant colors and I wanted to take a risk since it was my first Tonys carpet.”
Erlanger paired the plum gown with Jimmy Choo heels (“that are superrrr high but with a chunky heel, so that the heels don't get stuck in the tulle,” Park tells us) and H. Stern rings that matched the moon and stars theme. “I felt like I was wearing a garden on my gown that feels like air, and with the sky on my hands.”
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Let's Get it Started
Where am I? Who am I? What’s happening?? Just finished our Sunday matinee of MEAN GIRLS and so thankful for my amazing glam team who got this sleep-deprived, uber-excited Tony nominee ready for the red carpet! We used a lot of Chanel and MAC makeup to find a look that I could also perform as Gretchen Wieners in on the telecast during our show’s performance!
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The Makeup
My makeup artist Min Min and I discussed a demure and fresh, yet glam, look for the night. I didn’t want my hair or makeup to overpower or be too heavy for my essence as a person. I love the colors we ended up choosing together.
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The Team
The dream team! Glam squad extraordinaires: Erin Taylor for hair and Min Min Ma for makeup. They are headed to Radio City Music Hall to set up backstage for my quick change out of my Gretchen look back into this Tony’s look after our MEAN GIRLS performance! They are magicians!
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Accessories Shot
My Pinterest moment from the night!!
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About to Head Out
I get a lot of practice running and dancing in heels during our show, and these Jimmy Choos were perfect for this occasion. I knew tonight would be a lot of standing and walking so I was going to have to move quickly. Comfort AND style are key. By 4am, I didn’t see any blisters on my feet and had done a massive amount of dancing with my cast!
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Pinterest: Eat Your Heart Out
I was mesmerized by the H. Stern rings—there is something gorgeous, grounding, and ethereal about the moon and stars. I love the combination of the sky on my hands paired with the airy tone of the dress.
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Date Night
Me and mom!! She is the least stage mom ever, and I’m so excited she gets to be my date tonight!
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The Glam(mest) Squad
Dress: Pamella Roland
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Jewelry: H.Stern
Clutch: Amanda Pearl
Styling: Micaela Erlanger
Hair: Erin Taylor
Makeup: Min Min Ma
Nails: Essie