Hugh Laing as the Prodigal Son

[rg]

Laing performed in Balanchine's THE PRODIGAL SON sometime after Jerome Robbins danced the title role in the 1950 rival at NYCB.

these two photos document what the costume was like in the 1950s, tho' i understand from those who saw the ballet during these years that the costume(s) changed, and that, for example, Francisco Moncion did not wear the same one Laing wears as the Prodigal at the start of the ballet.

the staff in the photo from the ballet's last scene would seem to be, perhaps, the photographer's prop. its rough edges etc. differ from the smoother, rounded prop most associated with the scene. (there are photos of Robbins with a prop much more like that used today and less like this one.)

as can be seen, Laing's early scene costume is more like that made for Lifar in 1929 and like that re-made for the Dance In America filming with Baryshnikov.