The Legacy Robe

On Broadway in 1950, Bill Bradley, a chorus member, or gypsy, as they were then called, in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, sent a robe to a chorus member of CALL ME MADAM as an opening night present. This friend decided to keep the joke alive by affixing a memento of the show to the robe and sending it to a chorus member of GUYS AND DOLLS.  It gave birth to a Broadway tradition that continues to this day.  As the robes have filled up with show memorabilia, they are retired and a new robe starts out “naked”. Some of these robes have even made their final destination into the Smithsonian Museum.  In 2018, Broadway's Actors' Equity Association voted to rename its robe the Legacy Robe.

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Our robe started its journey when Sandy Brewer presented it to Betty Steagald at the 2000 Awards Banquet. Since the first presentation was not connected to a show, Betty chose to affix a large red oval patch explaining the robe’s procedure. The criteria for our Legacy Robe is different from the robe traveling on Broadway. Our robe is for all Clio Cast & Crew mainstage productions, not just musicals.  The recipient can be anyone who has worked on the show and is awarded at the discretion of the presenter.  Recipients then attach a four inch patch of their design that includes their name, title, month and year of the show.  Then it's their turn to select the recipient for the next show!