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"   Photo: Courtney D&amp;#039;Alesio  Since its founding in 2005, the Citizens Band\u2014an eclectic group of singers, dancers, actors, and musicians\u2014have used Weimar-inspired cabaret to tackle a plethora of sociopolitical hot topics. Their most recent cause: the plight of refugees. At the Hammerstein Ballroom this past Saturday, leading ladies Karen Elson and Sarah Sophie Flicker (pictured above), along with the rest of the troupe, took the stage in &amp;quot;The Past is a Foreign Country&amp;quot; to promote the USA for UNHCR&amp;#039;s new Blue Key Campaign. Featuring a set of characters dealing with wartime drama and displacement, &amp;quot;The Past is a Foreign Country&amp;quot; included musical numbers like &amp;quot;Gasoline&amp;quot;\u2014a commentary on the escalating cost of oil and gas\u2014and a revamped rendition of &amp;quot;Over There,&amp;quot; the famous World War I ballad. Despite the serious subject matter, the Citizens Band added a heady dose of fun to the production, thanks in part to elaborate costumes and glittery makeup.  Makeup maestro James Boehmer has worked with the cast for several years and says the aesthetic for the performance was based on One Arabian Night, a 1920 film starring femme fatale Pola Negri. To complement the exotic headbands, turbans, and clothing by Electric Feathers, Boehmer chose a warm color palette. &amp;quot;Usually with the Citizens Band I use cooler hues\u2014silvers, grays, blacks, and blue-reds\u2014because it feels more 1920s,&amp;quot; he says, &amp;quot;But this time I&amp;#039;m going with colors of the dessert\u2014bronzes, golds, and coppery clays\u2014to create a different feeling.&amp;quot; Check out our behind-the-scenes slideshow to see what else Boehmer has to say about Elson and Flicker&amp;#039;s looks!    Priming the Face  http://fashion.elle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/01_sized.jpg  &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s like a colorized black-and-white picture,&amp;quot; says Boehmer of the Citizens Band&amp;#039;s signature look. &amp;quot;You cover the face with foundation and powder to diminish the features so that the makeup really pops where you put it. I&amp;#039;ll start with really deep browns to sculpt and shape the face, especially around the eyes to make that round, hollowed-out `20s look.&amp;quot;       Finishing Touches  http://fashion.elle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Applying-Eyelashes.jpg  For a modern edge, Boehmer added sparkle to Elson and Flicker&amp;#039;s eyelids. &amp;quot;We opened up the eye and kept the lid pale so that we could glue on sequins and glitter\u2014they really catch the stage lights,&amp;quot; he says. In the case of Flicker (shown here), Boehmer also added a healthy dose of false fringe. &amp;quot;Sarah really likes long eyelashes,&amp;quot; he says.      Inspiration Board  http://fashion.elle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Inspiration.jpg  Besides Pola Negri (pictured in top row, far left), Boehmer&amp;#039;s deep-set &amp;#039;20s eyes and contoured makeup were also influenced by Clara Bow (top row, second image from right) and other silent film stars.       Finishing Touches  http://fashion.elle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/The-Citizens-Band.jpg  Besides drawing a &amp;quot;long, dark, pencil-thin brow&amp;quot; over Elson&amp;#039;s natural arches, Boehmer also warmed up her cheeks with rouge (&amp;quot;Because she&amp;#039;s fair, Karen likes to have a good amount of blush&amp;quot;) and painted on a deep-pink lip.      Finishing Touches  http://fashion.elle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/The-Citizens-Band-Two.jpg  Boehmer chose a bolder lip for Flicker because of her darker coloring.      Showtime!  http://fashion.elle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/The-Citizens-Band-Three.jpg  Flicker describes her refugee character in &amp;quot;The Past is a Foreign Country&amp;quot; as a &amp;quot;ditzy dreamer and woozy flapper.&amp;quot;       Showtime!  http://fashion.elle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Karen-Elson.jpg  Elson, who also plays a refugee, took on the role of a soldier&amp;#039;s wife and young mother.                  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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