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^uJfflumi$ha^not is a\ ailabj^fi^^^i?·n^ndJiunaS??^ at University Libraries. Additional digitization is available upon request. Please contact Special Collections to request additional digitization egai Sunday, June 22,1997/Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Sun/5J Costumes - From 1J JfBut 16 .years is 16 year?, and fthen the ,show reopens later this ?╟≤ week, showgoers will see com-:, lletely new costumes in the first ,, let. Joel Fischman, the-, show?╟╓s executive producer, says the Mardrobe overhaul will continue fn stage? over the next year or so. If The show?╟╓s ?╟úSamson and Peli-< Hah?╟Ñ number is being redone, but the costumes won?╟╓t be in. the Slow-until October or November,, fKschman says.. Similarly; .the. gjotanic?╟Ñ number will be updated later this year or early next year. ^However, ?╟≤ Fi-schman is , coy I ^put ?√ß exactly what showgoers will see in that new first act. |,?╟úi don?╟╓t want to give-too much avyay,?╟Ñ he says, ^ut it?╟╓s really going to be based on the showgirl.?╟Ñ ^Jubilee!?╟Ñ will, Menefee agrees, beta Celebration of the Las Vegas ihowgirl. In ft?╟╓,?╟╓viewers will see ?╟úa More traditional look for,^the showgirls ?╟÷ more Sophisticated, long gloves and jewelry, more Ike grown-up. women than you See in most shows;?╟Ñ ^'.?╟újJubilde!?╟Ñ harkens back to the j classical Europe&n-style cabaret show, he explains, and the wom-?║U in it aye ?╟únot little go-go girls. They?╟╓re grown-up women (who: ?╟ Backstage?╟╓ From 1J (jlaus wandered onto the set. He Wasn?╟╓t. disruptive? oi^ rude, but ?╟ %d9rable,?╟Ñ according to Connie; ?╟úLvsaid, .'?╟ I think our Santa'isfj ap^gkered.?╟╓ ?╟Ñ | ?╟úWe just about fell' off bur 9bopls,?╟ÑGbry adds, j And there was..the time Richard Hatch* the former ?╟úBattlestar |^ibctica?╟ÑJhUartthtob, substitUt-e*d for Gary; but was unaware the show; also' was broadcast on television. caine onto the set straight front the shower,, dripping lyet. , ?√ß ^ut I tell "you, he dried out nicely,?╟Ñ says Connie, who was ?╟útVuite taken*1 by Hatch. ?╟úHe?╟╓s still I Idniflsome.?╟Ñ r ; jflFhere, also was the- time last j ye?r when Gary and Connid1 bought Howard Stem Was on the phone talking to them abput fiheir guest. that night; Marty 4tlen. It turned out to be an imitation of Sternr "Connie, sent a tape ?╟≤ of the. f show to , the real Stemjithankhig' him for calling ipi. Stem' turned around and played the tape on his show. ?╟╓ ?╟ It?╟╓s been an interesting Jive years we?╟╓ve been on the air,?╟Ñ says |Sfary. backstage?╟Ñ began in 1990 on pie Business? Radio Network, but two-years later Connie camfe on,| board as ,cp-host because .Garv^ dance beautifully , and look gorgeous, and that?╟╓s the way* they?╟╓re being presented.?╟Ñ ?√ß ?√ß Menefee has been working on costume designs for the first act for 'about rfcwo years. Designing costumes for a Las Vegas production show requires a seamless melding of aesthetics and practicality. Not only must the costumes fit the, theme, music and choreography of each.piece, but the designer must make sure the dancers can do what they need to do ?╟÷ dance, descend' a staircase, simply make their way gracefully from one side of the stage to the other ?╟÷ while wearing them, In the case of ?╟úJubilee!?╟Ñ the sheer size, of the cast presents a ?╟╓ challenge, Menefee says. ?╟úThe thing that?╟╓s hard is when you do a big staircase number and all the women (look) differ-?ent,?╟Ñ he explains. ?╟úThe first 16 (designs) are really fun to draw. The next 16 are a little more ;dif-ficult, and the 16 after that are .miserable. You cannot think of another place to. put a feather on a woman?╟╓s body. ?╟úBecause we have such big costumes and this is such a huge show on a big stage you have to 'fill,'onb'of the biggest problems is to make the scale proper, but not make it so jt?╟╓s either ridiculous looking ?╟÷ which I?╟╓ve' seen happen on shows -f* or that the women are uncomfortable.?╟Ñ Then, turning designs into reality isn?╟╓t as easy as just stopping by .'the local Wal-Mart to pick up1 some fabric and a few sequins. * - ?╟úSee all of these- ostrich feathers??╟Ñ Menefee asks, pointing toward the wall of a fitting room backstage awash with ostrich feathers dyed in hues no real ostrich would consider wearing. ?╟úThis isn?╟╓t all of them; this is just for one section of the opening, and it took dlmost a year to farm these feathers,?╟Ñ Menefee says. ?╟úJust to get an order this-big takes so much lead time, because you have to call people in j Philadelphia who prepare the feathers for me, and they have to call South Africa and say, ?╟ We need BO pounds of male ostrich feathers,?╟╓ or *We need 120. pounds of male ostrich feathers,?╟╓ because all of the feathers in tbe opening are being replaced.?╟Ñ g After creating designs and finding materials comes the task of finding somebody who , can turn it all into a one-of-a-kind piefce of stage apparel. ?╟úTechnically, it?╟╓s hard,?╟Ñ Menefee pays. He picks up a hat with a brim wide ^enough to simulta- ' neOtfsly blind two innocent pedestrians bn an average city sidewalk. ?╟úBy the time' this hat is finished, 48 people will have touched it." 1 , ( ( ?╟úThere ate people who do the wire framing for us.'There are' milliners who make the entire hat. There are embroiderers who do (the embroidery under the brim). The fabric comes from Germany; the jewels come from Czechoslovakia.?╟Ñ 1 ?╟úIt is wild, a lot of the arts that go together with, this,?╟Ñ Menefee says. ?╟úThe spring-steel man who did the spring steel for. us in the original show is dead, the people who did embroidery on the original > shbw are deceased. And unless handcrafts Ike this are perpetuated, they die but.?╟Ñ Spring steel? Yep, because,?╟╓ de-1 : spite how fragile and delicate the costumes appear, designing them and turning them into reality involves as much engineering as fashion design. ?╟úIt?╟╓s like making the Brooklyn Bridge,?╟Ñ. Menefee says., ?╟úIt is engineering.?╟Ñ For instance, see that spangly bra over there? ?╟úWelding,?╟Ñ Mene-' fee says. ?╟úThe Whole bra is wblded. .'? ?╟úMost of the sIoW is welded. The hat is welded spring steel, the bra is welded metal. And the, headpieces, this is all welded jewelry on their heads." ; .v -It?╟╓s a good thing, too, considering the nightly wear and tear each piece of clothing, from shoe to bra to headpiece, will suffer. Yet, for all of this durability, the dothing must be comfortable enough for the performers to wear without discomfort or. danger. Imagine a showghT wearing a headdress that weighs about 16 pounds and adds about 3 feet to her height, then imagine that showgirl walking down a staircase in 3-inch heels, Menefee says'. ?╟úI don?╟╓t want them hurt,?╟Ñ he says. ?╟ You don?╟╓t want to put somebody in something so precarious . to wear that they feel uncomfortable.?╟Ñ | The men in the cast will look a bit different when ?╟úJubilee!?╟Ñ?╟ reopens; too. How? ?╟úWell, first of all, they?╟╓re all going to look like men now,?╟Ñ Menefee?; says, laughing. Fischman asked Menefee to move away from the timeworn tights-and-boots look for the male dancers in the'show, i Menefee admits that, at first, he -couldn?╟╓t'^?╟╓.understand Fischman?╟╓s objection. ?╟úI was just %i' such a mind-set in the Way they?╟╓ve traditionally looked ?╟÷ the-French cabaret type of thing ?╟╓ ?·2.j that I wasn?╟╓t thinking, ?╟ What are we all gearing in America now??╟╓ ?╟Ñ he says. who was searching for a partner, .liked the on-air chemistry between the two. ?╟úThere?╟╓s a lot of duos out there like us, but I guess what makes put^sh&vsr unique is that we?╟╓re comihg-from- Las Vegas,?╟Ñ Gary ?says.' ?╟úIf we were coming from Peoria, III., or1' someplace in South Dakota it probably wouldn?╟╓t be as popular as it is.?╟Ñ ?╟úBackstage?╟Ñ moved to the Imperial Palace from the Business Radio Network studios on Paradise Road two months after Con-?╟?nie joined", first ensconcing itself in the Strip resort?╟╓s sports book. .The noise level was too high ?╟╓ there, however, so the show ; moved to a souvenir stand out-''side- the. ?╟úLegends in Concert?╟Ñ showroom. People waiting in line ,jto see the impersonator' show were entertained by the duo, but traffic tended to back Up and the program soon was moved to the Duesenberg Room, site of the auto collection. 1 , There, the audience ^ changes frequently, Gary says. , ?╟úIt?╟╓s people visiting the auto collection who come wandering in and they7 see these very recognizable people sitting up there with us and so they sir down and watch and see what goes on,?╟Ñ he ^ays. ?╟úAnd the audience changes throughout the '-.two hour? that S JULIO GARCIA, MJX, FAC.S. Is Pleased To AnnounceThd Addition Of mmmBarbara lynnhhs Licensed Aesthetician Skin Care Consultant Specializing In The Biomedic Skin Care Program For Appointment Call 363-2808 3017 W. Charleston Blvd. ?╟≤ Suite #80 653 Town Center Drive ?╟≤ Suite #608 ?╟≤ Summerlin "Staying Strong" Mature Women's Issues Speakers: James Snyder, M.D. Lisa Lijj?║y, A.RN. National Osteoporosis Foundation Menopause, Mammography, Osteoporosis ?╟  June 28, 1997 ?╟≤ 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.fn/-?╜Palace Station, Conference Room Please RSVP by June 27,877-5115 Continental Breakfast Provided jJSOur Health fdfleation and Wellness Department offers this and many other programs1 designed-to* ? everyday health care needs. I ONE WEEK ONLY Jam 22-Jtne 2t THE ARTS AND CRAFTS STORE?╟Ñ we re on. In late 1994, the show, was, televised for the first time, with the hosts wearing large microphone headsets that made them look as if they were piloting the space shuttle. They now have lapel mikes, ?╟úThe unique thing about the show is that neither Connie or 1 -have any prepared material in front of us,?╟Ñ says Gary, a former radio newsman who has interviewed seven presidents and a slew of celebrities in his career. ?╟úWe dp not use prepared questions, We do' not use scripts, everything is totally off the cuff. We just sit and talk as if we were in somebody?╟╓s living room.?╟Ñ Gary says he doesn?╟╓t even know who Hie guests are going to ^ be. ?╟úI like it to be as much a sur-' prise to me as it is to the people there,?╟Ñ he.says. Gary and Connie have received their share of pats on the back for their efforts, including the Southern California Motion Picture Council?╟╓s Golden Star Halo award for their contributions to the world of entertainment.. And < Gary recently was named to the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Famei j Still, Gary says, the show is not ?╟úout there to make any big waves, It?╟╓s just fun.?╟Ñ ?║jj Connie agrees, SUMMER CLEARANCE SAVINGS Hurry In! Clearance Limited To Stock On Hand. No Rain Checks. All Sales Are Final On Clearance Merchandise. 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