Cloak worn by George M. Cohan in the role of 'The Vagabond" in the play The Tavern. Cohan wore this cloak in the 1930 traveling revival of the show. The cape is made of green wool with a broad collar and metal hook fasteners at the throat. The Tavern is a farcical melodrama set in a tavern where a set of eccentric characters seek refuge from a winter storm.
Cohan was an Irish-American lyricist, composer, librettist, actor, dancer, director, and producer whose prolific output and popularity earned him the moniker "the man who owned Broadway." Cohan wrote hundreds of popular songs including "Over There," "Give My Regards to Broadway," and "You're a Grand Old Flag," and he wrote, produced, and starred in dozens of plays that found great success on Broadway in the early 20th century. A versatile and tireless talent, Cohan appeared in vaudeville, musicals, plays, and feature films, helped create the modern American "book musical," and was one of the founding members of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). For his contributions to wartime morale, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt awarded Cohan the Congressional Gold Medal in 1940, making him the first performing artist to earn the award. James Cagney portrayed Cohan as an energetic, patriotic theatrical prodigy in the Oscar-winning 1942 biographical film Yankee Doodle Dandy, and Joel Grey portrayed him in the 1968 Broadway musical George M., both productions celebrating his legacy as a theatrical genius.
