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Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!

By: Apr. 07, 2013
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The company of Kinky Boots just celebrated their opening with the Gypsy Robe ritual with the company's recipient Charlie Sutton. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the event and brings you full photo coverage below!

The Gypsy Robe began in 1950, when Bill Bradley, in the chorus of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, borrowed a dressing gown from Chorus member Florence Baum and sent it to a friend in CALL ME MADAM on opening night Oct 12, 1950 saying it was worn by all the Ziegfeld beauties and would "bless" the show. A cabbage rose from Ethel Merman's gown was added and the robe was passed along to next Broadway musical on opening night. The tradition evolved so that the robe is now presented to the "gypsy" who has performed the most Broadway musicals on a chorus contract. Along the way, the robe is decorated, painted, patched, stitched, and signed by everyone in the show, becoming a fanciful patchwork for an entire Broadway season.

Recognizing their cultural and historic value, Gypsy Robes can now be viewed at two of Equity's Offices. The National Headquarters in New York now houses two of the historic Robes. The second floor Audition Center's newly designed case displays the Robe from the 2006-2007 season, which was dedicated by the ACCA to the memory of Patrick Quinn. The 2007-2008 Robe, dedicated to Broadway veteran Adrian Bailey, can be viewed on the fourteenth floor Council lobby.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Harvey Fierstein & Jerry Mitchell

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Cyndi Lauper

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Hal Luftig, Cyndi Lauper & Daryl Roth

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Cyndi Lauper with son Declyn Wallace Thornton and husband David Thornton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Jerry Mitchell & Stark Sands

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Jerry Mitchell & Stark Sands

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Harvey Fierstein

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Jerry Mitchell

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Daryl Roth & Cyndi Lauper

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Hal Luftig & Cyndi Lauper

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Daryl Roth, Cyndi Lauper & Declyn Wallace Thornton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Jerry Mitchell & Cyndi Lauper

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Harvey Fierstein & Joey Taranto

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Billy Porter documenting the ceremony

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient fron 'Cinderella') with Charlie Sutton & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Broadway Debuts: (Top) Sandra DeNise, Eric Leviton, Timothy Ware, Kyle Taylor Parker (Bottom) Jonah Halperin, Marquise Neal & Cole Bullock

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient fron 'Cinderella') with Paul Canaan, Charlie Sutton, Kyle Post & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient fron 'Cinderella') with Charlie Sutton, Stark Sands, Harvey Evans, Daryl Roth & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient fron 'Cinderella')

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Billy Porter documenting the ceremony

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient for 'Cinderella') with Charlie Sutton & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Eric Anderson, Annaleigh Ashford, Marcus Neville & Celina Carvajal

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Andy Kelso & Tory Ross

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
John Jeffrey Martin, Billy Porter, Daniel Stewart Sherman & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient for 'Cinderella'), David Westphal & Charlie Sutton with Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient for 'Cinderella'), David Westphal & Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient for 'Cinderella'), David Westphal & Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient for 'Cinderella'), David Westphal & Charlie Sutton with Conmpany

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient for 'Cinderella'), David Westphal & Charlie Sutton with Conmpany

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Linda Mugleston (recipient for 'Cinderella'), David Westphal & Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Daniel Stewart Sherman, Billy Porter, Charlie Sutton & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Jerry Mitchell, Nathan Peck, Jennifer Perry, Tory Ross & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Billy Porter, Jerry Mitchell, Jennifer Perry, Andy Kelso & Tory Ross

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Kyle Post, Stark Sands, Joey Taranto & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Kyle Post, Stark Sands, Joey Taranto, Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Kyle Post, Stark Sands, Joey Taranto, Daryl Roth & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Jerry Mitchell, Jennifer Perry, Andy Kelso & Tory Ross

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Harvey Fierstein & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Stark Sands

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Kyle Post, Stark Sands, Joey Taranto & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Harvey Fierstein, Jerry Mitchell, Nathan Peck, Jennifer Perry & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Jennifer Perry, Andy Kelso & Tory Ross

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Harvey Fierstein & Jerry Mitchell

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Harvey Fierstein, Jerry Mitchell, Jennifer Perry & Tory Ross

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Joey Taranto, Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, Cyndi Lauper, Adinah Alexander, Marcus Neville, Eric Anderson, Annaleigh Ashford & Company

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton with Harvey Fierstein, Jennifer Perry, Andy Kelso & Tory Ross

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton & Billy Porter

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Cyndi Lauper

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Cyndi Lauper & Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton & Harvey Fierstein & Jerry Mitchell

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Harvey Fierstein, Charlie Sutton & Jerry Mitchell

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton & Jerry Mitchell

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Jerry Mitchell, Cyndi Lauper, Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton & Harvey Fierstein

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Jerry Mitchell & Cyndi Lauper

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Cyndi Lauper

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton, Executive Director of AEA Mary McColl, AEA President Nick Wyman

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton, Executive Director of AEA Mary McColl, AEA President Nick Wyman, AEA Eastern Regional Director Thomas Carpenter

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Jerry Mitchell, Cyndi Lauper, Charlie Sutton & Harvey Fierstein

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton & Billy Porter

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton & Billy Porter

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Jerry Mitchell, Stark Sands & Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image
Charlie Sutton

Photo Coverage: Inside the KINKY BOOTS Gypsy Robe Ceremony!  Image




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