Playbill.com's 2012 Broadway Holiday Gift Guide

By Playbill Staff
December 6, 2012

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the Broadway theatre fan on your list? With the holidays just a few weeks away, Playbill.com has put together a 2012 holiday gift guide for your theatregoing loved ones.

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Playbill Ornaments from the Broadway Cares Collection: The Playbill ornaments are sure to be this holiday season's hot new collectible. This is the first set in an annual series of limited-edition ornaments celebrating Broadway's longest-running musicals. The ornaments in this set feature the Playbill covers of The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Les Misérables, Chicago, A Chorus Line and The Lion King. Each ornament is made of gold metal and resin, and comes with bright red silk ribbon for hanging. Click here to order.

Broadway in a Box: The Essential Broadway Musicals Collection – a 25 CD Boxed Set: Broadway in a Box is the perfect gift for fans of Broadway musicals. The 25-CD set features the original cast recordings of 25 classic musicals that are essential to any Broadway fan's collection. The compact discs are packaged in mini sleeves featuring the original album cover art and are accompanied by a 60-page book packed with show descriptions, cast lists, musical numbers, recording session photos and more. From Oklahoma's "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" to "Last Midnight" from Into the Woods, Broadway in a Box guarantees hours of listening and is the perfect introduction to the distinctive sound of Broadway. Click here to order.

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Stephen Sondheims' Company Filmed Live in Concert with the New York Philharmonic DVD: The New York Philarmonic's concert production of Stephen Sondheim's Company was performed and filmed in hi-definition April 7-9, 2011, at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Directed by Lonny Price, the critically acclaimed concert featured an all-star cast that included Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer, Christina Hendricks, Martha Plimpton, Anika Noni Rose and Craig Bierko, among others. In case you missed the star-studded production — or you just want to relive some of the standout moments from Company — get the DVD, which features Harris' rendition of "Being Alive," LuPone's show-stopping "The Ladies Who Lunch" and the iconic title song, among others. Click here to order.

"Broadway's Carols for a Cure 2012, Volume 14": Now in its second decade, "Carols for a Cure" has become a staple on every theatre lover's wish list. With the best voices from the worlds of Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies, this two-CD compilation of holiday standards and original songs is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. The 14th edition of this annual holiday CD, which benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, mixes holiday classics and brand-new original material. This two-CD set includes the companies of Evita, Once, Peter and the Starcatcher and Newsies, among others. Celebrity guest stars include Ricky Martin, Cyndi Lauper and Perez Hilton. Click here to order.

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"Showbiz, A Novel": The debut novel from award-winning Broadway producer Ruby Preston offers a fictionalized account of opening-night intrigue, backstage romances, Broadway gossip and colorful characters that inhabit American musical theatre. "Showbiz, A Novel," according to Dress Circle Publishing, "follows Scarlett Savoy, the under-appreciated apprentice to the brilliant but ruthless 'King of Broadway.' After four years in Manhattan, Scarlett is finally on her way to becoming a Broadway producer in her own right. But when a shocking suicide turns Broadway on its head, Scarlett finds herself at the center of the storm as everything she thought she knew about the business of Broadway begins to unravel. A chance meeting with an influential gossip columnist sparks romance ­ but can he be trusted? Scarlett is forced to decide to what lengths she'll go, who she's willing to become, and what she'll sacrifice, to achieve her Broadway dreams." Click here to order.

The Ultimate Playbill Binder: A devoted theatregoer always needs a place to keep his or her Playbill collection. This custom-made, three-ring binder uses archival quality materials to perfectly preserve Playbill magazine collections for years to come. Click here to order.

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Broadway Cares Classic Collection Shower Curtain: Who wouldn't want to sing in the shower behind this? The Broadway shower curtain includes logos from 42nd Street, Annie Get Your Gun, Avenue Q, Beauty and the Beast, Cabaret, Chicago, A Chorus Line, Company, Fiddler on the Roof, Finian’s Rainbow, Grease, Gypsy, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Kiss Me, Kate, Les Miserables, The Lion King, Little Shop of Horrors, Mamma Mia!, The Music Man, The Pajama Game, The Phantom of the Opera, The Producers, Rent, The Rocky Horror Show, South Pacific, Sweeney Todd, Sweet Charity, West Side Story and Wicked. Click here to order.

The 2011-12 Playbill Broadway Yearbook: The new edition of the annual Playbill Broadway Yearbook includes chapters on 70 Broadway shows — every show that ran during the season! In addition to headshots of all the actors who appeared in Playbill, the book has photos of producers, writers, designers, stage managers, stagehands, musicians, ushers — even Leonardo, the "SM" fish who is the backstage mascot at Jersey Boys. This year's roster tops 10,000 names. Click here to order.

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The Broadway Cares 2012 Show Logos Snow Globe: Tony-nominated designer Anna Louizos created this globe, which plays "Give My Regards to Broadway" when wound. Show logos include Anything Goes, Bonnie and Clyde, The Book of Mormon, Chicago, Evita, Follies, Ghost The Musical, Godspell, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar, Leap of Faith, The Lion King, Lysistrata Jones, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, Memphis, Newsies, Nice Work If You Can Get It, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Once, The Phantom of the Opera, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Rock of Ages, Sister Act, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and Wicked. Click here to order.

TKTS Gift Certificates: If your theatregoing friend purchases discount Broadway and Off-Broadway show tickets through the TKTS Booth, let them choose the show with TKTS Gift Certificates. Gift certificates are available in denominations of $25, $50 and $100, so you can give the gift of theatre during the holidays. The gift certificates work like cash at all three of the TKTS Discount Booths (located "under the red steps" in Father Duffy Square on Broadway and 47th Street; Lower Manhattan at South Street Seaport; and Downtown Brooklyn in 1 MetroTech Center at the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Street Promenade). Click here to purchase.

	"Glee: The Complete Third Season"

"Glee: The Complete Third Season": Gleek out with the complete third season of the Fox hit musical series "Glee," which stars Spring Awakening star Lea Michele, How to Succeed's Darren Criss, Cotton Club Parade's Amber Riley, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Naya Rivera and Diana Agron as the students of McKinley High. Guest stars in the season included Idina Menzel, Whoopi Goldberg, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Ricky Martin, among others. Season Three captures the New Directions as they head to Nationals and prepare for graduation. Click here to purchase.

The Music of Smash: Sheet Music Collection: Every musical theatre enthusiast must be prepared to belt out "Let Me Be Your Star" this holiday season or have a 16-bar cut of "Let's Be Bad" for his or her next audition. This collection of sheet music from the NBC musical drama "Smash" features tunes composed by Tony Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. "The Music of Smash" features sheet music to every song on the first season's "The Music of Smash" album plus the bonus selection "Never Give All the Heart." Song titles include "Touch Me," "Stand," "Who You Are," "Crazy Dreams," "Beautiful," "Haven't Met You Yet," "Shake It Out," "Brighter Than the Sun," "Let Me Be Your Star," "20th Century Fox Mambo," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Let's Be Bad" and "History Is Made at Night." The book also includes color photos from the show. Click here to purchase.

	Patti LuPone
	Photo by Ethan Hill

Sardi's Gift Card: Before you take your special someone to a Broadway show, have dinner at Sardi's, the famed eatery in the heart of New York City's theatre district. The restaurant, located at 234 West 44th Street, is known for the hundreds of caricatures of show-business celebrities that adorn its walls. You may also catch some of Broadway's best hanging out at the restaurant's Second Floor! Click here to purchase.

The 2013 Playbill Cruise: Two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone and Tony nominees Howard McGillin and Norm Lewis headline Playbill's Broadway on the High Seas 3 cruise, which will set sail Aug. 4, 2013, from Stockholm, Sweden. Playbill's own Seth Rudetsky will return as musical director and performer. The 10-day luxury cruise has become a hit with hundreds of theatre-loving travelers since its inaugural voyage in September 2011. The third installment of the popular trip aboard the Regent Seven Seas Voyager will make stops in Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki (Finland), St. Petersburg (Russia), Tallinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia), Visby (Sweden) and Berlin (Germany) with the trip ending in Copenhagen (Denmark) on Aug. 14, 2013. Call (866) 603-8485 or click here for more information.

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"The Book of Mormon: The Testament of a Broadway Musical": The brand-new companion book to the Tony Award-winning hit show from the creators of "South Park," Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and Tony Award-winning composer Robert Lopez. This new coffee-table book is a celebration of the making of Broadway's The Book of Mormon, in which the authors, production team and entire original cast recount their experiences as they grew their show from the initial idea to opening night on Broadway. Features include the complete book and lyrics annotated, the full creative team and cast, along with more than 700 photographs and illustrations. Click here to order.

Broadway Baby Onesie: Your child will be singing "Broadway Baby" from Stephen Sondheim's award-winning Follies in no time! Dress your child, niece, nephew or favorite kid in Broadway gear early on with this Broadway Baby onesie. The 100 percent cotton knit onesie comes in either white or baby blue and fits ages 6-12 months. Click here to purchase.

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"Performance of the Century: 100 Years of Actors' Equity Association and the Rise of American Theater" : Robert Simonson's new hardcover book commemorates AEA's 100 years of advancing, promoting and fostering the art of live theatre. The 240-page book, which features a foreword by AEA president Nick Wyman, is illustrated with historical images and over 200 color and black-and-white photographs. In "Performance of the Century," according to Applause Books, "Simonson recounts how Equity stared down not only obdurate producers, but also segregation (on and off the stage), the political turmoil of the blacklist years, and the challenge of the AIDS epidemic, when its members formed what would become Equity Fights AIDS." Click here to purchase.

Once Original Broadway Cast Recording: The Broadway cast recording to this season's Tony Award-winning musical is a must have. The score includes all of the beloved songs from the critically acclaimed film written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova as well as the two new songs "Abandoned in Bandon" and "Ej Pada Pada Rosicka." Once, which stars Tony winner Steve Kazee and Tony nominee Cristin Milioti, took home eight 2012 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Click here to order.

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Newsies Travel Mug: "Seize The Day" when you're on the go with the Newsies travel mug. The mug, featuring a spill-proof lid, includes cast members from the new Broadway musical, the show's logo and "Sieze the Day." Newsies, the new hit Disney musical, took home 2012 Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Choreography. Click here to purchase.

Broadway Poster Frame: PlaybillStore.com's custom-made frames for Broadway window card posters display all 14" by 22" Broadway window card posters and are available in black, silver or gold. Don't forget to buy a brand-new poster for inside! Click here to purchase.