Let me introduce you to Nina Randall Bahoudian, the talented costume designer behind the visually stunning production of Club Vegas: The Spectacle which opens at the Athenaeum Theatre this Thursday evening, in Melbourne. With a passion for creating unique and eye-catching costumes, Nina has dedicated her career to bringing characters to life through her intricate and detailed designs.
For Club Vegas: The Spectacle, Nina was tasked with designing costumes that captured the glitz and glamour of a Las Vegas show. From sequined dresses to elaborate headdresses, every detail was meticulously crafted to ensure that each costume was a true work of art. The amount of time and effort that went into each costume was staggering, but Nina was committed to creating a visual feast for the audience.
Many of us, if not all, that love musical productions are completely mesmerised by the intricate and stunning costumes on stage. We find ourselves wondering about the creative process behind those costumes, and the incredible amount of time and effort that goes into bringing them to life.
Up Close & Personal with Nina Randall Bahoudian Costume Designer & Executive Producer For Club Vegas: The Spectacle.
Can you tell me about the inspiration behind the costumes for Club Vegas the Spectacle?
Nina says, “The collection of Club Vegas the Spectacle costumes has been carefully curated from several lavish grand stage shows that I previously designed and created for our shows at Jupiter’s casino (now The Star). Additionally, there are new be-jewelled pieces which I have made exclusively for this season of Club Vegas, drawing from the same inspiration that being… glamour, elegance, beauty and over the top glitz, dazzle, and eye-candy. This collection of costumes is a rarity these days, audiences will never see costumes like these as nobody makes extravagant costumes these days, the cost is too prohibitive.
How do the costumes enhance the overall experience for the audience?
This is an incredible rare opportunity for audiences to see these spectacular vintage costumes…you’ll never see anything like these again built for stage. It was a different era when millions of dollars were spent on costumes for the sake of beauty, glamour, and extravagance! Audiences will be left be-dazzled by the hundreds of Swarovski encrusted pieces and the endless colourful feathers which adorn the costumes…it’s a tribute to the authenticity of the Las Vegas showgirl costumes!
What are the most challenging aspects of creating the costumes for this production?
Several factors come into consideration…stage size, practicality to suit music and choreography, timing of costume changes etc.
How long have you been a costume designer?
I have been designing and making costumes since the early 1980’s. In the early years I would make all the show costumes for our productions, in fact there are many of these costumes included in this season.
However, during the era of Dion & Randall’s contracts as show producers for the big Jupiter’s shows, the shows developed and grew in scale, and it was physically impossible for me to make all costume sets and pieces as we would have up to 40 + performers in each given show season.
Therefore, I continued to design, source globally and buy all the jewels, diamanté embellishments, fabrics, components, co-ordinate all the different specialized feather dyeing to match colour fabrics etc. ready for my team to make and construct to my designs and under my close supervision.
Although, I couldn’t stay away from the actual making and construction so, I would wait until my team left the work room and, in the evenings, sneak into the work room…”my dream playground” and make or complete certain costumes. The girls would come in the next day and joke that the ‘night fairy’ had come around!
How do you ensure that the costumes are both visually stunning and practical for the performers to perform in?
I have an in-depth knowledge and four decades of experience when it comes to the practicality/wearability and visual aesthetics of stage costumes to ensure that the costumes work seamlessly with the choreography and artists movement. There is also consultation with the choreographer to address any potential issues that may arise… in most cases the choreographers make the necessary choreographical adjustments to accommodate.
How many hours would it take to create the costumes for this show?
This depends on the complexity and the intricacy of the detailing. In saying this…all the costumes are highly detailed…there’s never enough bling! My moto is more is more when it comes to jewels and feathers! Each piece is created for a close-up wow-factor photography rather than minimalistic embellishments seen from a distance. Some costumes can take weeks to complete from design to construction, especially the large headdresses and feathered back-braces worn by the dancers. Attention to detail is paramount!
As you watch the performers take the stage in their dazzling costumes this coming Thursday night at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne, take a moment to appreciate the incredible talent and dedication of costume designer Nina Randall Bahoudian. Nina’s creativity and skill bring characters to life in ways that words alone cannot capture. So next time you find yourself marvelling at the costumes in a production, remember the countless hours of work that went into creating them, and be sure to show your appreciation for the unsung heroes behind the scenes.
Words by Nina Randall Bahoudian
Written by Melinda Sullivan
Images provided by Dion & Randall productions.
To purchase tickets please visit https://clubvegas.com.au
