Many people are interested in the tattoos worn by celebrities. Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox have practically made a career out of showing off their tattoos on the red carpet. However, most celebrities with tattoos have a lot of trouble in the make-up room trying to cover up that art so it doesn't show on the screen. The situation is even worse for people who perform on Broadway. After all, you can always airbrush out the small smudges on a Hollywood star. Broadway celebrities are being looked at straight on and the make-up coverage doesn't always do enough to get rid of the ink.
That's what has been noticed by Laura Benanti who is playing Gypsy Rose Lee in the new Broadway musical Gypsy. Benanti has a tattoo on her lower back of a butterfly. Considering that Gypsy was a stripper, she's got to bare that back as part of her act. And that means that she needs to spend a lot of time with an expert make-up artist to try and erase any sign that a tattoo is on her body.
People who are interested in performing in live theater, whether on Broadway or off, might want to think twice about getting a tattoo. And they might want to consider tattoo removal if they've already got some body art. In a profession where you have to show off your body - and that body has to fit a certain role - there might not be as much room for self-expression as the actor would like to believe.
Question of the Day: Do you think tattoo removal is a good idea for someone interested in pursuing a Broadway career?
