Working Wig Magic at Crowning Glory in Wilson

Behind the counter of Crowing Glory—her Wilson wig shop and hair salon —Dawn Morello had a list, detailing all the type of work she'd done.

She's made scraggly-bearded guys into jolly Santa Clauses, and given pompadours to "about four Elvises."

Five of her wigs made it into a movie called The Perfect Age of Rock and Roll.

Earlier this month, she turned beardless Wilson Area High School students into Jewish villagers in tsarist Russia for Fiddler on the Roof.

"Your creation of wigs and beards for this program has turned our actors into true characters," the cast wrote in its program.

Crowning Glory marks 40 years in business this year, no easy feat in a neighborhood that has about 10 other places to get your hair cut.

Morello has done hair extensions, helped patients with cancer and alopecia, and done work for funeral homes.

And of course, there's her regular wig work, which she showed off in a book of photos.

"You can't tell where I did it, can you?" Morello asked.

This might be the point where a reporter would be tempted to tie what Morello does into something larger, to address questions of hair and identity. She wasn't having it.

"I'm not a well-spoken person as far as hair goes," she said. "But I know everything about it."