Quick-change artists on Broadway

Susan Fallon, aka Fallon, is a dresser on the Broadway show "On the Twentieth Century," at the American Airlines Theatre, Manhattan, May 7, 2015.

Susan Fallon helps actress Bahiyah Hibah with a quick change for "On the Twentieth Century," where many of the costumes have been rigged with snaps, magnets and other tricks that shave seconds off the process.

Susan Fallon, wardrobe supervisor for "On the Twentieth Century," is something of a traffic cop backstage at the American Airlines Theater, where she coordinates some 260 costumes.

Susan Fallon helps actress Bahiyah Hibah with a quick change during "On the Twentieth Century," in which many of the costumes have been rigged with snaps, magnets and other tricks that shave seconds off the process.

As wardrobe supervisor at "On the Twentieth Century," Susan Fallon finds herself working with 260 costumes in a tiny backstage space not really designed for big musicals.

As wardrobe supervisor for "On the Twentieth Century," Susan Fallon finds herself working with 260 costumes in a tiny backstage space not really designed for big musicals.

The serious hoop skirts Kelli O"Hara (pictured here with Ken Watanabe) wears in "The King and I" require offstage booths for changing because the gowns simply don't fit in the dressing rooms.

The serious hoop skirts Kelli O"Hara wears in "The King and I" require offstage booths for changing because the gowns simply don't fit in the dressing rooms.

Five of Helen Mirren's changes in "The Audience" happen onstage, including one in which Mirren's dresser, Spencer Kitchen, gets her into this enormous--and heavy--coronation dress.

In mere seconds and thanks to a team of dressers, Helen Mirren makes the change into this voluminous coronation gown. Pictured with Mirren is Elizabeth Teeter, who plays the young Elizabeth.

"There are no screens, no trick photography," says Spencer Kitchen of the quick changes Helen Mirren is required to make in "The Audience." What's different in this show is that some of them happen on stage.

In "The Audience," Helen Mirren portrays Elizabeath II from ages to 26 to 88; here she's with Rufus Wright, who plays David Cameron.