Las Vegas may be known for its glitz and glamour, but behind the curtain is where the real magic happens.
No one knows this better than elite makeup, wig, and hair artist Kerry Lacy. The Dallas native, who came to the Entertainment Capital of the World decades ago, has truly made a name for herself by visually transforming performers from regular people into dazzling, larger-than-life stage characters that command a spotlight.
Currently serving as the wig and makeup lead for Cirque du Soleil’s "Michael Jackson ONE" at Mandalay Bay, Lacy is bringing her backstage secrets out into the open at the International Beauty Show-Las Vegas.
There, she’ll share how dimension, placement, and pro techniques can take a look from ordinary to worthy of center stage.
From Performer to Pro Artist
Before she became a sought-after expert in the world of performance beauty, Lacy started her career with a different kind of spotlight.
“I was once a performer — a dancer for many years — and that’s what brought me to Las Vegas,” she says. But as she began learning new skills in hair and makeup, her career took an unexpected turn.
While perfecting her beauty artistry, Lacy took on job after job until she landed her first high-profile client. “I ended up booking Gladys Knight! I became her hair and makeup stylist for about 15 years.”
Lacy's work with the Empress of Soul opened doors for her, especially in Vegas’ thriving theater scene. “I started getting into more theatrical shows, like Broadway.”
She worked on "Phantom of the Opera" at The Venetian, followed by major Broadway tours including "Wicked," "Shrek," and "The Lion King," where she became department head for hair and makeup.
While Lacy is still the go-to glam artist for celebrity clients such as Vivica A. Fox and Jane Krakowski, her career has brought her back full circle to the Las Vegas Strip, where she started back in 2014, to direct the wig and makeup art for Cirque du Soleil’s "Michael Jackson ONE."
The Creative Challenge of Theatrical Makeup
For Lacy, the key is knowing why makeup looks play such a critical role in the audience experience, and how to achieve a variety of effects.
“We don’t have the Jumbotrons to project a lot of the details,” she explains. “So we have to make the makeup read from off the stage so the audience can clearly see the artists’ expressions.”
And there's always more than one way to achieve a desired effect. “I like to play around with different techniques of how to achieve the same look,” Lacy says.
“The artistry of understanding creative ways to do what we do, and the interpretation of how we do it — it’s great to be able to play around with those things.”
In the theatrical makeup class she’s teaching at at the International Beauty Show, Lacy provides behind-the-scenes techniques for creating dimensional, long-wear looks that meet the needs for stage makeup.
One pro tip she imparts is a technique too often overlooked for delivering makeup that holds up under hot lights and energetic performances: “A lot of times people don’t use a double layer,” she says.
“We use creams and then we add colored powders on top. It makes the makeup last a lot longer, and it reads off the stage.”
Her class isn’t just for those who want to work in theater. More and more, the techniques Lacy has long used for years backstage are showing up on social media, in mainstream beauty, and at theatrical fashion events such as the Met Gala.
“The crossover is great!” she says. “From stage to street, you’re able to add to or take away and achieve the same look.”
Kerry Lacy will be teaching "Bold Dimensional Theatrical Makeup" at the International Beauty Show-Las Vegas from June 21-23, 2025. Register here.