Bejeweled Brilliance: An Interview with Shadou Mintrone

Upon first steps into the cherished Can Can theatre, a whirlwind of impressions greets both newcomers and devoted regulars alike. Amidst the initial moments of any show, the first question is where to direct your focus first. Is it the evocative play of lights, painting the stage for the imminent adventure? Or, perhaps it's the magnetic pull of the music, seizing your attention from the very first note. 

While your eyes dance around the room, soaking in every element, there is, however, a thought that will undoubtedly pop into your head at least once (if not every 15 minutes) at a Can Can production… “Where the h@%! do they get all these fabulous costumes?!” Well, dear readers, hold onto your metaphorical bedazzled hats–unless you’re Nicholas Bernard who literally has a  collection of bedazzled hats–because this article is all about the intricacy and sheer brilliance that goes into Can Can’s costuming.

If we were in Oz, this would be the exact moment we’d pull back the curtain and unveil the woman behind every handmade crystal-encrusted bra, shimmering garter, and eccentric headdress…our very own Shadou Mintrone. Suspected to have a few extra hours in the day that we mortals have yet to unlock, Mintrone shares the incredibly intricate process that goes into designing the showwear for all your favorite Can Can performances.

Read on to learn more about the ingenious mind-shaping the vibrant world of costume design and even how to score a pair of costume pasties for yourself.

Wonderland (2022), Photo by Nate Watters

THECANCAN.COM: Hand-stitching bejeweled costumes must be an intricate and time-consuming process. Could you walk us through your creative process from conception to the final creation of these stunning costumes?

Shadou Mintrone: If it's a new show, Chris, Fae, Jonny, and I will sit down and go through the concepts of the story. We will often start with a Pinterest board and a big conversation about the vibe, theme, and color palette.

I’ll start sourcing materials anywhere from three to four months before the show. I’m lucky that they trust me to do it, and just let me play. The backstock is literally in my house. Shadou laughs. Even just knowing aesthetically what the shows are going to be like makes it easier to do the sourcing year-round. Even if we don’t use it in the current year, we’ll use it eventually. I also make some things from scratch. With the Crimson and Clover show, all those chaps are hand-stitched from the get-go. I’ll end up starting a whole collection of Western garb since Crimson and Clover was so specific and very “rhinestone cowboy.” It’s a hot trend right now, but it’s also always a challenge to find stuff that you can move in and also that’s not cheaply made.

Crimson and Clover (2023), Photo by Nate Watters

By the time we get into tech, under the lights in full costume, sometimes I have to totally scrap some of the pieces, or I’ll find something better last minute which is part of the stress–and the fun, right?

THECANCAN.COM: How long does it take you to hand stitch some of your infamous pieces?

Shadou Mintrone: It really depends on what the item is. A lot of pieces I've been routinely creating for a long time. Garters, for instance; I can whip those out in probably a half-hour from start to finish. The more unique pieces, like the chaps I made over the summer, take hours.

The rhinestoning is really what takes the longest amount of time. Right now I'm currently, as we speak, rhinestoning a top hat. These take about eight to ten hours per hat. Nicholas Bernard has five hats in the Wonderland show. It varies depending on what the item is and how much I have to do to it. I don't make everything from scratch because I don't think anybody could with the time we have. It’s not only year-round performances that we’re costuming, but we’re also performing.

Most times I can start with a base for something, then I’ll adorn it or edit it–hem, fix, take in, let out, the list goes on. As the shows have gotten more and more developed over the years, the more we all want to bring our A-game to every aspect of the show.

THECANCAN.COM: Each Can Can show has its unique theme and vibe. How do you adapt your designs to reflect the essence and atmosphere of each show while maintaining the signature style of Can Can?

Shadou Mintrone: I begin creating with the awareness that not everything I make will be utilized. For instance, during House of Hearts last year, I knew the color scheme was centered around reds and pinks, and we had already assigned roles before rehearsals. However, the final costume needs only become clear during rehearsals. To get a head start, I start to embellish bras, briefs, or garters with rhinestones. I also have a stockpile of unused garments from previous years that I can pull from. As we progress through rehearsals, I’ll start matching individual costumes to specific numbers, considering what's required for each performance.

Costume pieces in our productions must be easy to put on and take off due to our constant movement onstage. They also need to allow for flexibility and mobility. These factors guide my choice of fabric and style, as well as the era or theme we're aiming for. In House of Hearts, for example, set in a Queendom, opulence and regality dictated our costume designs. With shows like Wonderland, where a lot of costumes are already good to go from the year prior, adjustments are made to accommodate the new cast. This year, for Nicholas’ character, our extravagant ringleader, I created rhinestone hats, frilly tuxedo shirts, sparkly jackets, and elaborate bow ties.

Thinking about our previous show, Lola, the giant handmade headdresses stand out. Jonny and I conceptualized them together, after which I crafted them using papier-mâché and paint. The colossal cheetah he wore over his shoulder involved spray foaming the interior, constructing a brace, and then adorning it. Bigger projects like that are always a team effort. 

The music serves as inspiration for choreography, which, in turn, influences costume design. Whether it’s a sensual or funny dance or a moment of stillness during a song, our costumes need to engage the audience. Can Can's costumes often become characters in their own right. The set, lighting, sound, storyline, and choreography collectively set the show's tone. Interestingly, our initial Pinterest board frequently evolves into something entirely different by the show's end.

Lola (2022), Photo By Nate Watters

THECANCAN.COM: The costumes at Can Can are not only visually stunning but also need to be functional for performers. How do you balance the aesthetics with the practical aspects of the costumes?

Shadou Mintrone: There’s some trial and error in every show, but since I’ve been doing this for such a long time now, I know a lot of those battles before I walk into a show. That being said, we’ll often have to change some things at various parts of production. Maybe a number needs to convey something completely different, or sometimes what looks good in my living room doesn’t look great under stage lights and vice versa. In some cases, I’ll have to completely change a fully designed costume. I’m used to that process, but I’m still sometimes surprised by the things we end up scrapping. I think it’s the same as having to scrap a dance number, Chris having to scrap a song, or Jonny having to scrap an entire apparatus that doesn’t work for the scene. You have to get over that emotional hurdle and just move on to the next thing because the show has got to get done.

Wonderland (2023), Photo by Nate Watters

Another thing people may not realize is that these costumes get pretty beaten up throughout the show run. We sometimes do these shows for months, and some costumes will have to last seven or eight shows a week for four months. We’re hard on our costumes because we have to quickly change all the time, and we’re ripping everything off. The longevity of the fabric has to be taken into consideration. A lot of things we wear are spandex or lycra because, if they’re not, they will literally rip in half. Especially the boy’s pants. We used to call Jonny the “Blowout King" because he would just blow through whatever pants he was wearing. Shadou laughs.

This is Halloween (2023), Photo by Nate Watters

One of the costumes I worked really hard on ages ago is the dress that Oogie Boogie wears in This Is Halloween at Triple Door. It’s all hand-stitched beading. It took me over three weeks to make and looks gorgeous on stage, so we obviously keep it in the show. But, every night a bead pops off or something happens, so I’m constantly fixing something with that dress. It's worth it because she only wears it for two and a half weeks, so I can deal with that. That’s something I have to consider as well because I can’t intentionally add something that could pop off on stage and we could slip on it. We’re the stage managers of our shows and the janitors of our shows. We’ve tried to wear something like a pearl necklace before, but the minute that thing breaks, everybody is in trouble.

Wonderland (2023), Photo by Nate Watters

THECANCAN.COM: Any admirers of Can Can's costumes would love to own a piece of your stunning work. What's the process for someone interested in acquiring one?

Shadou Mintrone: Yes, absolutely. People often ask me after shows, and I always give them my business card and say they can just email me. I'm always happy to work with people one-on-one.

I've done a couple of pieces for folks outside of Can Can over the years. Just recently, I did a male and female set of a cheetah print bra and booty shorts for a couple going to Burning Man this past summer. I'm sure it got really muddy because Burning Man was a disaster that year. Shadou laughs. I've also done funny things like a couple of years ago, somebody purchased a celebration package for their sister. They wanted her on stage to put on a bra that had pasties on it. So, I made this bra that had what looked like pasties with tassels so she could put it on over her dress. So, yes, I absolutely will do custom stuff.

I've also made custom pasties for people. I do custom garter sets and bras–you name it, I'll do it. The only thing I always ask people to understand is that if you need it tomorrow, I probably can't do it. But, if you need it in a week, I'm happy to pause what I'm doing and prioritize it. The biggest thing people also don't quite realize is the price point for a custom piece. You can go to Target and get a bra for $14.99, but it's a plain bra for $14.99, and that's what you get. So, I’d like people to understand that the reason Etsy or a shop that has customizable stuff is not always that cheap is because somebody's taking the time to do it, and it's not coming from a factory.

THECANCAN.COM: Your hand-stitched, bejeweled costumes have become iconic. What’s your process for creating smaller-scale pieces providing fans a chance to take home a bit of the Can Can magic you create?

Shadou Mintrone: I usually try to craft one to two sets of pasties each week, experimenting with various colors and designs. Lately, I've been working on tasseled pasties adorned with heart or snowflake charms that can be twirled.

I'm constantly trying to one-up myself. A couple of years back, during the Halloween show, I introduced a pearl version of Jack Skellington pasties to the merch booth. Normally, there's a less expensive foam pasty available for single-use purposes. However, I thought, what if there are super fans who would appreciate a more elaborate version? So, I created opulent pearl Jack Skellington faces and intricate rhinestone Sally faces, both of which became popular and sold out.

This success led me to realize that this approach works. Each year, I try to introduce something new. Recently, I designed spider web pasties with dangling spiders, which were a hit. Even Oogie's large spider pasties are a must-have item at the merch booth.

I start working on these projects a couple of months ahead, trying to get as much done as possible. Every night, I receive feedback from the merch team on what is sold, and I work to replace those items. I’m always updating the front merch table, and I have a backup stash at home. Crafting pasties is more intricate than people realize, involving around 15 steps—layering, sewing, painting, drying, gluing, rhinestoning, glittering, and boxing—taking several hours in total. It's a labor-intensive process, for sure.

Eager to try on some of the magic? You can shop Shadou’s handmade creations online and at our boutique.