Tap the arrow to listen in your favorite podcatcher & Subscribe!
Hey hey! Are you ready to deconstruct the showgirl some more? In these special episodes, we have talked about how There are no more showgirl shows with Alison Kravenko in ep 056, Physical requirements and expectations with Brenda Barrett in episode 60, and Art vs. selling out with Andrew Branche in ep 062.
Today, we continue the deconstruction of the Showgirl and dive into my favorite subject, costumes! And of course, I couldn’t have found a better guest than the master of Showgirl costume design, Pete Menefee! Emmy award winning designer, Pete Menefee, started his career in entertainment as a dancer. After 12 years of using his body as his medium, he transitioned in the role of sketch artist and then costume designer.
He has worked on the Showgirl spectaculars Donn Arden’s Hello Hollywood, Hello and Jubilee! He has also spent many years working in Hollywood for some of the industry’s biggest names, Anne Margaret, Shirley MacLaine and Juliet Prowse to name a few. He has also worked as a designer for the Radio City Rockettes and countless ice shows with his incredible talent.
Pete and I deep dive about the Showgirl costumes he designed for Jubilee! talking about the materials choices, how many artisans worked on a single costume and how he feels about his costume designs being tampered with. He shares a special story at the end that I was privileged to hear in person this past summer when I met Pete for lunch with my friend Sheri Lewis, host of Bluebells Forever podcast, in his backyard oasis in the Hollywood Hills. Enjoy this episode about the incredible costumes that made the Showgirl even more dazzling to watch!
Wondering how to support the continuation of this podcast? Become a Member!
Get exclusive and early access to videos, episodes and posts about Showgirl History, Costume Making & Inspiration and more from Athena’s sparkly world.
Your contribution helps support the creation of more FREE Showgirl content! It’s a WIN-WIN for everyone!
Love the stories! Keep doing more productions Athena.