How the Costume Designer for ‘Wicked’ Spends His Sundays

Paul Tazewell oversaw a staff of 140 as the costume designer for the movie version of the musical “Wicked.” In January, he was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the film, which included a gown for Ariana Grande that required 225 hours of work and 20,000 beads for the bodice. He also designed the suits worn by the movie’s computer-generated animals.

Mr. Tazewell, 60, moved to Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights neighborhood in 2018, shortly before his husband died. The proximity of his two-bedroom apartment to Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where he frequently walks on Sundays, has helped him grieve.

“They’ve been my go-to for processing a lot of things,” he said.

Mr. Tazewell, who won a Tony for his work on “Hamilton” and an Emmy for “The Wiz Live!,” is currently designing costumes for “Non-View,” a Steven Spielberg film.

D.I.Y. DOGS The first thing I do, and indeed the first thing I do every morning, is my yoga stretching. I don’t go to a yoga studio regularly, but from YouTube instructors and studios I’ve been able to put together my own form of wake-up yoga. It lasts about half an hour. I do downward dog probably five times, which gets a lot of blood flowing to my head and prepares me for the rest of the day. It’s a way of centering my head and my body, maintaining my physical well-being. My thought is, if you don’t use it, you’re going to lose it. Especially at 60.

TO-GO CUP I go into the kitchen and make a French press coffee. I try to get one in before I head to the park. If not, there’s a lovely cafe and bakery in the neighborhood, Ciao Gloria, and I sometimes meet my friend Deb there so we can walk the park together. If I’m alone, it’s more of a speed walk. I’ve got long legs. I’ll do a loop and then head back home.