Belchertown seamstress keeps Celine Dion in stitches
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BELCHERTOWN - In performance, Celine Dion is known for her frequent clothing changes and, as the Boston Globe noted, the singer's "blinding glitz quotient has not dimmed a single sequin for her current tour."
Not surprisingly, dressmakers are drawn to Dion like moths to a flame.
One of them is Belchertown seamstress Andrea Zax, who was among a throng of dressmakers to attend the kickoff of Dion's current tour at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Aug. 12–13.
"She changed constantly," said Zax, who returned from the gig late last week.
Dion, perhaps best known for her soaring rendition of "My Heart Will Go On," left "no big note" unsung, a Globe reviewer wrote. "Even when she wasn't front and center, there was never a dearth of stimulation, be it her own costume changes, the intricate lighting, the video imagery or her cadre of dancers, deployed judiciously. And she had enough flat screens to start her own sports bar."
Zax mainly tackled the dancers' clothes, although she did work on one of Dion's white-beaded dresses.
"They're high-end, designer dresses, heavily beaded things that really glisten in the lights. Very fitted," Zax said. "She likes her clothes tight."
Team effort
About 10 people worked to create costumes on three machines, including Zax's Bernina, which she thinks is the best sewing machine available.
"They had one, too," she said of the model.
The group operated democratically, with everyone pitching in to get the work done, whether by machine or by hand.
Most of those running the machines travel with the show, but they needed a couple of extra hands and contacted Zax through her Web site www.zaxwear.com.
She estimated there were about 200 people working on the show.
Dion brought a chef to cook for them. "It was huge. We ate in shifts, because everyone couldn't fit in the dining room at one time."
Zax's main charge was to alter clothes. "Basically what they said was they wouldn't have been able to have any of the new clothes if I hadn't been there."
Zax attended the concert both nights. "I have to say after working on the show all day, it was definitely emotional to see her up there and to be a part of this whole thing - that one person could command so much attention. You marvel at her voice."
Although she wouldn't have pegged herself as a diehard Dion fan, Zax said, "I didn't realize how many songs I know that are hers, that she was the one doing them."
She did get to meet Dion. "She's so beautiful and cordial," Zax said. "She's very sweet, and all of her songs are about love. What is there not to like?"
Mary Carey can be reached at mary.carey@att.net.
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