Broadway's Gypsy Robe: Ugly as Sin
In the novel THE ORIGINAL CAST (1986), a backstage drama about a Broadway musical, there's mention of the Gypsy Robe. It's a robe sewn with momentos from past shows that's passed from chorus member to chorus member as an honor. Each new recipient sews on some little doodad to commemorate their show.
It sounded sweet. But then I [italic]saw[/italic] it.
All they do is sew some big logo from their show on it! Yuck. I mean, it would be cool if they each added some tiny piece of a costume, with interesting embroidery or something creative ... but it just looks like a mish-mash billboard.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | April 15, 2019 3:53 AM
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How dare you call it the Gypsy robe, it's not PC anymore. It's the Legacy robe.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | April 14, 2019 4:29 PM
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Whatever it's called, I am officially underwhelmed.
I'm hoping they were more creative in the 1950s, when it all started. The item sewn on the first one was apparently a feathered flower from an Ethel Meman costume. That sounds a lot more personal and unique.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | April 14, 2019 4:37 PM
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Most of the time, there are big empty white areas with the show name written because they haven't finished the swatch yet.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | April 14, 2019 4:39 PM
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Obviously OP has been living under a rock as it is no longer called the Gypsy Robe.
The robe is featured in a dance sequence in Tootsie which gave me a chuckle.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | April 14, 2019 4:41 PM
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The character who gets it in the novel I read (whose author danced in the original BRIGADOON and a bunch of other shows) mentions the momento has to represent something that flies. (Maybe that goes back to the original feathered rose?)
[quote]Will lifted out a faded, graying, pink satin dressing gown. Bejeweled, trimmed with feathers, lace and tassels, it was garish and sparkling with a life of its own. Known in the business as the gypsy robe, it was passed from show to show to the male dancer selected by the special dancers designated 'gypsies' by their peers.
For years it just went to guys? Well, that sucks.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | April 15, 2019 3:42 AM
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[quote]a faded, graying, pink satin dressing gown. Bejeweled, trimmed with feathers, lace and tassels, it was garish and sparkling with a life of its own.
I'm wearing mine now.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | April 15, 2019 3:53 AM
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