“I'll never forget being presented with the Gypsy Robe* for Miss Saigon. When I was a little girl and dreamed of being on Broadway, I never thought I'd have a moment like this: running around the stage in a special robe surrounded by a cast of some of the most talented and passionate people I've met, a creative team whose names I've known since I could read, and beloved gypsies from other shows who I used to be just an intimidated fan of but now can also call my friends. I've learned so much from many a fabulous 'Gypsy,' and I'm thrilled to wear this robe for my seventh Broadway show! As an Asian-American actor, I'm very proud to have done a balance of shows on Broadway where I needed to channel my heritage, and also shows where the plot was unrelated to my race or ethnicity. The legacy of Miss Saigon and its many companies paved the way for actors like me to have those opportunities, so receiving the robe for this show felt extremely meaningful. The cherry on top of it all was that it was ALSO my birthday, so it was a trifecta of things to celebrate: an opening, a birthday, and the Gypsy Robe! Can't wait to pass on the robe to Amélie On Broadway at their opening and carry on this tradition!"
Name: Catherine Ricafort
Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA
First Broadway Credit: Mamma Mia! (2011)
Professional Training: University of Southern California, B.S. Industrial & Systems Engineering, minor in Musical Theatre; California Dance Theatre in Westlake Village, CA
Year Joined Equity: 2009
How I Got My Equity Card: I got my Equity card playing the role of Connie on the national tour of A Chorus Line, so I have Baayork Lee and Bob Avian (who I just got to work with here at Miss Saigon) to thank!
Number of Broadway Chorus Contract Credits: 7
Fun Fact: I'm quite obsessed with the characters Hello Kitty and Gudetama!
![Catherine Ricafort does the ceremonial three laps around the stage. Photo by Walter McBride.](/aboutequity/awards/Robe/RobeRecipientsBlog/MissSaigon2017/SaigonGypsyRobe2.jpg)
Catherine Ricafort does the ceremonial three laps around the stage.
![Catherine Ricafort with fellow cast members of Miss Saigon. Photo by Walter McBride.](/aboutequity/awards/Robe/RobeRecipientsBlog/MissSaigon2017/SaigonGypsyRobe5.jpg)
Catherine Ricafort with fellow cast members of Miss Saigon.
Watch the video of the ceremony.
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Following a decision of Equity's National Council and based upon the recommendation of the ACCA and National EEO Committees who felt the former name was no longer appropriate, Equity members were surveyed and picked the designation "Legacy Robe" to use for the Robe starting with the 2018-2019 theatre season. Read more