Maria Briggs, Broadway Performer and Lundstrum Performing Arts Student, Awarded Legacy Robe

Maria Briggs, a Broadway performer, Minnesotan and former Lundstrum Performing Arts student was recently awarded the Legacy Robe for the opening night of Elf on Broadway where Briggs is a cast member. The Robe is awarded to a member of the chorus with the most Broadway musical chorus credits.

The ritual of the Legacy Robe dates to 1950. Today, the Robe recipient puts on the robe, circles the stage while cast members reach out and touch the garment for good luck, and then visits the theatre's dressing rooms to bless the show. The Robe is later presented to another actor at the next Broadway musical opening night.

Briggs went to the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists high school where she met Lundstrum’s artistic director Kerry Casserly, and participated in her musical theatre dance class. Briggs later studied at Lundstrum, taking part in their intensive Broadway Arts Conservatory program, and later teaching. She moved to New York City to continue training at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and pursue what has become a highly successful Broadway career.

“I have so many wonderful memories of being at Lundstrum,” recalled Briggs, “especially learning how to become a triple threat artist. Of course, I learned that from my amazing teachers who worked with Broadway greats — Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Jerome Robbins and Susan Stroman, just to name a few. Lundstrum gave me the stepping stones to my Broadway career. That and hard work is why I’m here today.”

Maria Briggs has performed in nine Broadway shows including Spamalot, The Music Man, Mean Girls, Anastasia, Frozen, Cats and Hello, Dolly. Among her many other credits are a national tour of Irving Berlin's White Christmas and performances at St. Paul’s Ordway Center for Performing Arts in Chorus Line, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and Singin' In the Rain.

Lundstrum Performing Arts, Minnesota's premier educational program for dance, voice and drama, is located in North Minneapolis at 1617 North Second Street off Broadway Street, Minneapolis, MN  55411. 

Lundstrum Performing Art’s mission is to cultivate a love and knowledge of the performing arts so that young people will discover their unique gifts, develop their depth of character, and imagine new possibilities for their lives, ensuring access for all students through scholarship support. Since 2000, Lundstrum Performing Arts has proudly served thousands of students from diverse backgrounds. We are committed to serving students in our immediate North Minneapolis neighborhood through on-site programs and school partnerships; currently, 25% of students reside in North Minneapolis. Students of color comprise 40-55% of Lundstrum’s student body in any given year, and nearly 40% of students receive financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships and waivers funded by generous gifts from Lundstrum benefactors.