#19 - Emilio Sosa: Dressing the Dream, One Stitch at a Time

Welcome to an incredibly moving and full-circle episode of *Entre Acts* with host **Linedy Genao**! This week, Linedy sits down with a true titan of theater design and visual language, the legendary six-time Tony Award nominee **Emilio Sosa**. The moment is deeply personal for Linedy, as Emilio was the original costume designer who shaped her very first wardrobe for her Broadway debut in *On Your Feet!*. The two proudly Dominican artists sit down for a game of dominoes, breaking down why a major coffee spill on a silk bodice during intermission is vastly preferred over a last-minute tear right before the curtain rises. They also talk about the art of a perfect bodega breakfast—two eggs fried medium on rye toast with butter and an iced coffee. In the heart of the conversation, Emilio opens up about navigating the daunting, lean cycles of design work, which require artists to secure contracts six months to two years in advance. He shares a brilliant piece of career advice passed down to him by director Kenny Leon: always split your creative energy across three distinct buckets—television, film, and theater—to build a sustainable artistic life. Emilio reveals a hidden archive of his own multi-faceted career, reflecting on the experience of competing on *Project Runway* to secure on-camera credits and expand his personal brand. Emilio discusses his meticulous creative process, hilariously admitting that his eyes function like a literal computer scanner that can spot a half-inch hem asymmetry from sixty feet away in the back of an orchestra. He takes a nostalgic look back at crafting the magnificent, frothy, 1959 Havana-inspired Christian Dior look for Linedy's show-stopping "*Mi Tierra*" number. Finally, Emilio delivers an exclusive preview of his highly anticipated upcoming Broadway musical, *Wanted*, tracking the wild, high-fashion Western world of 1893 South Texas inspired by John Galliano's 1990s Dior collections. **Emilio Sosa** is a legendary six-time Tony Award-nominated and Emmy Award-nominated costume designer, fashion pioneer, and tireless advocate for theatrical equity. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the Bronx, Emilio has spent decades defining the visual aesthetic of the American stage. His massive design credits include the Broadway productions of *A Raisin in the Sun*, *Sweeney Todd*, *On Your Feet!*, *Gettin' the Band Back Together*, and Motown the Musical. Beyond his spectacular structural work with garments, Emilio is a monumental figure in theater administration and advocacy, having successfully served as the Chair of the American Theatre Wing and currently serving as the Chair of HOLA! as the organization celebrates 50 years of amplifying Latinx voices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices