Hedwig and the Angry Inch in 4K

Based on the smash Broadway production, itself inspired by the memoirs of burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee, this earthy, dazzling musical features Natalie Wood as Louise Hovick, a timid, aspiring actress shoved into the spotlight and transformed into “Gypsy” by her brash stage mother, Rose (Rosalind Russell). Orry-Kelly designed elegant gowns for Wood’s shy character as she enters the world of burlesque under the stage name Gypsy Rose Lee. Long silhouettes and removable accessories emphasize her coy, ladylike presence. Like Lee’s performances in real life, striptease in the film involved relatively modest costumes, capitalizing on the power of suggestion. See one of Orry-Kelly’s creations in Stories of Cinema: Identity before seeing the film on the big screen.

Nearly retired tap dancer Bill “Corky” Williamson (stage and screen legend Bill “Bojangles” Robinson) recounts the welcome he and his 15th New York Regiment band received when they returned from Europe after World War I in this star-studded studio musical. Brimming with more than 20 songs, Stormy Weather features performances from Cab Calloway; the Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold), who dazzle with a mind-boggling staircase dance routine; Fats Waller; and Lena Horne, who plays the young Corky’s girlfriend in a star-making performance. Visit Stories of Cinema: Identity to see a gorgeous silk, lamé, sequin, and glass bead costume worn by Horne during one of her nightclub performances in the film.

A precursor of sorts to the beloved Technicolor classic White Christmas (1954), Holiday Inn marks the first on-screen pairing of crooner Bing Crosby and hoofer Fred Astaire. The two play versions of themselves and compete for the affections of a young singer at a winter resort. On view in the museum’s exhibition Stories of Cinema: Identity is a lavish satin costume with gold embellishments designed by Edith Head for Astaire’s character to wear in a number celebrating George Washington’s birthday, one of many holiday-themed musical performances. The film earned Oscar nominations for Scoring of a Musical Picture and for Story, and won for Original Song for “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin.

Content warning: This film contains a scene with a blackface performance.