We can’t go to Broadway this holiday season, but there are many ways to celebrate theatre with friends and family. Check out our favorite holiday gifts of 2020!

FOR THOSE LOOKING TO GET INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT FROM THE COMFORT OF HOME:

Get tickets to see Andrew Lincoln (AMC’s “The Walking Dead”) as Ebenezer Scrooge in this year’s Old Vic: In Camera version of Jack Thorne’s A Christmas Carol. Directed by Matthew Warchus, the festive favorite returns for its fourth year and this time will be streamed live from The Old Vic stage in London. As with previous OLD VIC: IN CAMERA streams, the empty auditorium will be the show’s backdrop, but this production will be, for the first time in the series, presented as a full-scale show with live musicians, theatrical lighting, set and costumes, and with a cast of 18 performers. In total, 80 freelance creatives, actors and musicians will be employed to create this year’s production. The production will play 16 live performances December 12–24, 2020. Visit www.OldVicTheatre.com to book tickets.

FOR EVERYONE THAT MISSES GOING TO A BROADWAY SHOW RIGHT NOW:

A subscription to Encore Monthly, the only national lifestyle glossy magazine focused solely on celebrating the American theatre from the fan’s perspective. Its inaugural January/February 2021 issue hits mailboxes in the new year. Available exclusively in the United States by mail at the special “intermission” rate of $29.95/year. www.encoremonthly.com

FOR THE LITTLE ONES:

The stage-centric children’s book Broadway Baby, from author Russell Miller and artfully illustrated by the award-winning Yoko Matsuoka. Follow along on Baby’s truly theatrical journey from his crib to the heart of New York City, with nods to many elements that make live theatre so special. A special hardcover limited edition is available in the US exclusively through the Playbill Store ($24.95), with a portion of proceeds donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO IN THEIR QUARANTINE BUBBLE:

Order your very own Moulin Rouge! The Musical Jigsaw Puzzle for $30! What puzzling times we live in, Bohemians! Calm your quarantine nerves with this gorgeous puzzle, and bring the spectacular home. A portion of the proceeds from every puzzle will go toward Broadway Cares’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund. Click here to order!

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF BROADWAY:

Dancing Man, a Broadway Choreographer’s Journey by Bob Avian with Tom Santopietro. The Inside Story of the Most Popular Broadway Musicals from Bob Avian, the Tony Award-winning Co-Choreographer of A Chorus Line. Candid, witty, sometimes shocking, and always entertaining, here is the ultimate up-close and personal insider’s view over the past fifty years of legendary shows like Company, Follies, Ballroom, Sunset Boulevard, and many more. “It’s mind-blowing!” – Patti LuPone

Available on Amazon and at fine booksellers.

Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genius of Gwen Verdon, A New Documentary, written and directed by Chris Johnson and Ken Bloom. Broadway’s greatest dancer, Gwen Verdon changed the face of Broadway choreography over forty years. Through rare footage of Gwen Verdon performing in shows including Can-Can, Damn Yankees, Sweet Charity and Chicago and others, along with personal reminiscences from fellow cast and family members, Merely Marvelous is a glorious look at Broadway through the career of one of its biggest stars. Available on DVD at MerelyMarvelous.com and streaming on Amazon. 

FOR THEATRE LOVERS WHO WANT TO SUPPORT THE BROADWAY COMMUNITY:

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund is helping entertainment professionals meet coronavirus-related expenses and other challenges brought about by the pandemic. Your support is providing urgent additional resources for the vital social service programs of The Actors Fund, including emergency financial assistance, health insurance, counseling and the operation of The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. Click here to make a donation.

You can also support BC/EFA by ordering the latest addition to its Broadway Legends ornament series, the incomparable three-time Tony Award-winning icon Glenn Close. Donning her signature turban and Art Deco-inspired cloak, the collectable ornament features Close as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Order here.