Rob McClure Advises Would-Be Charlies to ‘Spin That Cane’ for an Authentic Chaplin Halloween Costume

If you've already donned the mask as the Phantom or squeezed into Spandex as one of the Mamma Mia! Dynamos, it's time to consider a hot new Broadway-themed costume! This year, Broadway.com decided to go straight to the stars of some of your favorite shows for detailed guidance in creating the eye-catching outfits they wear on stage eight times a week. Next up, Chaplin star Rob McClure shows fans how to create a ‘20s-era Halloween costume inspired by the iconic Little Tramp duds worn by Charlie Chaplin in his films.

Why would the Charlie Chaplin's Tramp make a good Halloween costume?
If you want immediate recognition, the Little Tramp is an iconic Halloween choice.

Please list three essential elements to create the costume and tell us why each of the three things is important.
You need big shoes, baggy black pants, a tight jacket, a bowler hat, a cane and of course, the signature moustache. If you cant find a moustache, feel free to paint it on. If you really want extra credit, you can use makeup to make your skin black and white, like we do in the show.

What’s the key behavior or attitude needed to be believable as the Tramp?
It's important that you practice the iconic duck walk and spin that cane with abandon! 

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a child?
My mother was always great at homemade costumes. I was the Terminator one year, and she used aluminum foil on one side of my face. It worked! Good thinking, Mom!

What’s your most memorable Halloween?
I decided I was going to scare trick-or-treaters one year by dressing like a scarecrow, putting a mask on, stuffing my costume unevenly with leaves and newspaper and pretending to be inanimate until unsuspecting kids came near the porch. Then I'd jump up and scare them. It was a blast, until a kid twice my age got so scared that he punched me in the stomach. He went with "trick," I guess.

What will your costume be this year?
This year I am going as a member of the Dharma Initiative from Lost. God, I loved that show!