Oscar-nominated Paul Tazewell has been designing costumes for Broadway, Regional Theater, Film and Television, Dance, and Opera Productions for close to thirty years.
He began his Broadway career with the groundbreaking musical, ‘Bring in Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk, directed by George C. Wolfe. Paul is known for his work with both of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning, Original Broadway productions of Hamilton and In the Heights.
Most recently, Paul has designed costumes for MJ and Stephen Spielberg’s film West Side Story which earned him an Oscar nomination, and the upcoming Broadway production Mr. Saturday Night.
Other Broadway credits include Ain’t Too Proud; The Color Purple; Dr Zhivago; Memphis; Caroline, or Change; Elaine Stritch at Liberty; Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam; Lombardi, and Magic/Bird. Revival work includes Side Show; A Streetcar Named Desire; Jesus Christ Superstar; Guys and Dolls; A Raisin in the Sun and On the Town.
In the United States and across the globe, Paul has designed for such renowned companies as The Metropolitan Opera, The Bolshoi Ballet, The English National Opera, Theatre du Chatelet, The Public Theater, The National Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Guthrie Theater, Arena Stage, Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, and many more.
Paul’s feature film credits include “Harriet” for Focus Features and “Hamilton” for Disney+. TV credits include the HBO Original Film; The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks starring Oprah Winfrey, and both The Wiz! Live, and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert for NBC.
In 2016, he received an Emmy Award for NBC’s The Wiz! Live, as well as a Tony Award for Hamilton. Other notable honors include two Lucille Lortel Awards, four Helen Hayes Awards, a Princess Grace Foundation Fellowship, and The Princess Grace Statue Award.
Paul holds a MFA from New York University and a BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts. He has been privileged instructing students as a guest artist at both New York University and North Carolina School of the Arts. From 2003-2006, he held a faculty position at Carnegie Mellon University.