Bill Campbell Costume Designs (MS-00588)

Costume designer Bill Campbell created elaborate designs for a number of notable revue shows in Las Vegas, Nevada throughout the 1960s. During this time, Campbell designed extravagantly detailed costumes for two of Donn Arden's revues that were staged in the Crystal Room at the Desert Inn in Las, Nevada. Arden's Las Vegas spectaculars included Hello America, a wholesome tribute to America that received accolades in the Congressional Record for its positive portrayal of the United States, and the dynamic Pzazz!. These early shows generally featured lines of girls, exquisitely costumed and gracefully elegant. Bill Campbell created a variety of design sketches for the showgirls and dancers in these two shows, often designing custom outfits specifically for each individual dancer.

Donn Arden was a choreographer, producer, and director known for creating extravagant production shows that combined spectacular scenery and disaster with sequined and feathered showgirls. In 1958, in collaboration with Frank Sennes and the Paris Lido, Arden brought his Paris Lido show to the newly opened Stardust Resort and Casino on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. The topless showgirls were a sensation, and Arden became world famous for his extravagant productions. Arden spent more than sixty years in entertainment, working in showrooms all over the world from the 1930s to the 1990s.