Video: Previous Legacy Robe Recipients Reflect on the Tradition in New Equity Documentary

Actors’ Equity Association has shared a mini-documentary all about the Legacy Robe ceremony, which has been a Broadway staple for 75 years.

The ritual of the Legacy Robe takes place on opening night on the stage of every Broadway musical that has a chorus. It began in 1950 when Bill Bradley, in the chorus of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, persuaded Florence Baum, a chorus member, to let him have her dressing gown. He then sent it to a friend, Arthur Partington, in the chorus of Call Me Madam, on opening night, telling him it had been worn by all the Ziegfeld beauties.

Arthur added a rose from Ethel Merman’s gown and sent it to a chorus member on the next opening night of Guys and Dolls. It was then passed from show to show in a haphazard way and was often presented to a friend of the previous recipient, or awarded to a chorus member based on popularity. Through the years the passing of the Robe became a specific ceremony with official rules stating how it is presented, worn and paraded on stage.

Equity spoke with Legacy Robe recipients from years past to look back on the long lasting Broadway tradition, how the ceremony and robe have changed, what it means to be apart of such a small community, and more. Watch the full video here!