Leeton's Robyn Hutchinson and Cynthia Arel are in line for an accolade that could put their name in lights.
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The pair have been nominated for a Canberra Area Theatre (CAT) award in the best costume for a musical or variety show after their work on community production The Wedding Singer in Griffith.
The Wedding Singer took to the stage last year and, as a result, is in line for several awards at the upcoming gala presentation event on February 18.
Representatives from the awards attend shows such as The Wedding Singer that are being staged throughout the region, with Mrs Hutchinson and Mrs Arel nominated for their outstanding work when it came to putting together all of the outfits and costumes for the shows.
![Leeton's Robyn Hutchinson (keft) and Cynthia Arel have been nominated for a prestigious Canberra Area Theatre award. Picture by Talia Pattison Leeton's Robyn Hutchinson (keft) and Cynthia Arel have been nominated for a prestigious Canberra Area Theatre award. Picture by Talia Pattison](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/cMJhfEv9TADJPBxPT74Wz7/f751243d-772c-44ef-98d0-cdfd72a500a6.jpg/r0_143_4032_2410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The 80s-themed production presented the pair with many opportunities for creativity, but it was also a mountain of work to bring to life.
Hundreds of costumes were sourced for the show, with Mrs Hutchinson and Mrs Arel ably assisted by sewist Katie Hume during the process.
"To start the process we have a meeting with the director, talk about what their vision is, how they want things to look," Mrs Arel said.
"From there we go out and gather ideas.
"For The Wedding Singer, it's set in the eighties, so we looked at the fashion from that era, other productions and what they have done and we just started gathering items.
"We had a bit of a colour scheme that we were looking for.
"Most of our costumes came from op shops, people's wardrobes and that sort of thing.
"It was quite a big process.
![Robyn Hutchinson (middle) with sewist Katie Hume (left) and Cynthia Arel on the set of The Wedding Singer in Griffith last year. Picture by John Silvestro Robyn Hutchinson (middle) with sewist Katie Hume (left) and Cynthia Arel on the set of The Wedding Singer in Griffith last year. Picture by John Silvestro](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/cMJhfEv9TADJPBxPT74Wz7/476c570b-5d8d-460e-b3af-a7d38323e4d0.jpg/r0_0_2048_1151_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"We measure all of the cast, there are people of all shapes and sizes and you're looking at how they can move in these costumes.
"There's singing and dancing, so they need to be able to move comfortably."
Accessories of course were also a big part of outfits and the costumes itself were a huge part of the production, helping to bring the story to life as it burst onto the stage to be a feast the eyes and ears.
Both Mrs Arel and Mrs Hutchinson said they were honoured to be nominated for a CAT award, saying it was exciting to have their names among other talented individuals from the region.
The Wedding Singer was the first time the pair had worked together exclusively on costumes, but in the past they had both been part of the Henry V production in Leeton in different roles, as well as then moving straight onto the Lords of the Soil short film after The Wedding Singer finished its stage run.
Mrs Hutchinson said costumes were an integral part of stage productions.
"I think certainly with The Wedding Singer the costumes reflected that time in fashion, I know there would have been a lot of reminiscing from audience members," she said.
"It can also be a pretty nerve-wracking experience as well when it comes to the costumes. Will it work?
"Will everything look good together?
"There's always going to be something that goes wrong during a live performance as well, so it's a lot of problem solving and thinking on your feet."
The awards will be held at the Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, February 18.