Iconic Broadway costume designer Patricia Zipprodt (1925-99) tells her own colorful story from a tumultuous childhood in Depression-era Chicago to Bohemian New York in the 1950s, becoming one of the 20th century's most celebrated designers. Told with Zipprodt's acerbic humor and delicious wit, If the Song Doesn't Work, Change the Dress charts her journey to 1950s Greenwich Village, America's literary and artistic Bohemia. Tracking her career as it plunges into the developing Off-Broadway movement, and charting her personal and professional failures and successes collaborating with the biggest artists of the day - Jerome Robbins, Hal Prince, and Bob Fosse - making her one of the most recognizable, and award-winning, designers of 20th-century theatre. Published in full color, this illustrated memoir includes pictures from Zipprodt's own archive including sketches, drawings, and photographs of her work from some of the most significant shows of the 20th century, including Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, Chicago, and Pippin, and her work with such American theatre giants as Jo Mielziner, Irene Sharaff, José Quintero, Boris Aronson, Tony Walton, and Joel Grey, who provides a personal foreword to the memoir. Zipprodt's posthumous collaborator, theatre design historian Arnold Wengrow provides a vivid epilogue about her final battle with cancer. Drawing from her archive at the New York Public Library and Museum of the Performing Arts, he amplifies her recollections with letters, oral histories, and interviews she gave over the years to offer a portrait of an artist consistently working against the grain. If the Song Doesn't Work, Change the Dress will delight readers interested in Broadway, ballet, opera, and the history of costume design. Her lively anecdotes about New York theatre and working in Hollywood provide a rich insight into the life and work of a celebrated female creative giant of American theatre. “It is easy – a no-brainer, really – to recommend this book to anyone who loves the performing arts. It is also relevant for anyone pondering a career in theatre and film! Savor her memories, mainly reprised in her own voice – and keep the legacy of this remarkable and talented woman as vital as she was in person.” ― Live Design “Her significant contributions to the development of Off-Broadway theater, her distaste for Hollywood, the job interviews she suffered through, the industry giants she worked with (including Jerome Robbins, Hal Prince, and Bob Fosse), and the struggles and successes of her career are presented in twelve chapters of vivid autobiographical anecdotes written in her naturally engaging, open, and witty style.” ― DC Theater Arts “A work of art in itself, celebrating and showcasing Zipprodt's creativity.” ― LouReviews “This memoir will leave readers with a profound appreciation for the immense creativity, discipline, and dedication required in theatrical costume design. Zipprodt's storytelling is as vivid as her designs, offering invaluable insights for aspiring designers and seasoned professionals alike.” ― CHOICE Patricia Zipprodt (1925-99) was one of Broadway's pioneering costume designers, working with legendary directors Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Hal Prince, and Mike Nichols on the iconic musicals Fiddler on the Roof , Chicago , Cabaret , and Pippin , and the movie classic The Graduate . Arnold Wengrow was the founding artistic director of the Theatre of the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 1970 and retired as Professor of Emeritus of Drama in 1998. He is the author of Robert Redington Sharpe : The Life of a Theatre Designer ; Observe and Show: The Theatre Art of Michael Annals ; and The Designs of Santo Loquasto.