BWW JR: Help! I Have One Day to Buy Gifts for Theatre Lovers!

Why, why, why is it always the mom who has to do all of the gift-buying?  I work.  I take care of the kids.  I produce spare hours by magic when the day is over and there's work left to be done.  Why is it MY responsibility to make sure nobody thinks we are too rude to give gifts?  Just when all this extra holiday responsibility is piled on my plate (shopping, holiday card mailing, end-of-year-tipping, packing, cooking and shopping, shopping, shopping!), that's when the kids are off school and all the babysitters in NYC go on vacation.  I'm even late with this article!  It was supposed to be in last week.  But hopefully the rest of you are as late with your holiday shopping as I am and this information is coming just in time.

 Here are BroadwayWorld Jr.'s top gift suggestions for the theatre lover in your life.  All of them available without having to see a show:

1.THE BE A BROADWAY STAR GAME

This had my daughter and I rolling (although maybe it was a little funnier to me).   This theatre-geek-friendly board game tests your theatre knowledge, luck and sense of humor as you try to be the first to advance from acting school to the Broadway Hall of Fame.  Along the way you might get lucky by snagging an agent or a roll in your first Broadway show, unless you get sick from mercury poisoning or wind up auditioning next to your enemy from theatre camp.  The game sells for $39.99 and can be ordered here.

2. BROADWAY GREEN ALLIANCE WATER BOTTLE FROM ECO PLUM

Let everyone know that you love three things: Broadway, the environment and water.  This 18oz stainless steel water bottle customized with the Broadway Green Alliance logo looks cool and does good.  Net proceeds from the sale of this bottle go to the Broadway Green Alliance, an industry-wide initiative that educates, motivates, and inspires the theater community and its patrons to adopt environmentally friendlier practices.   The environmentally-friendly consumer site EcoPlum  ("Where it Pays to Buy Green") sells it for $16.00 here.

3. MARY POPPINS AND LION KING GIFTS FROM DISNEY THEATRICAL

OK, so your child wanted to see Disney's hottest shows this season and you didn't visit my Facebook page for discounted tickets.  Here's the next best thing.  Grab some Lion King or Poppins swag, stick it in the stocking and attach a promissory note for future tickets.  In addition to being able to purchase Disney on Broadway gifts online, in theaters, and at the Times Square Disney Store, there's a new shop inside of FAO Schwartz dedicated to Mary Poppins and The Lion King that will be right inside the main entrance to the store.   My favorite items include the Mary Poppins Bear, Mary Poppins Umbrella/Carpetbag ornament, Lion King Zazu ornament and Simba Plush toy.  I also LOVE my Mary Poppins mug ($15).  I drink my tea out of it every morning and am occasionally inspired to Tweet about it.  These are great ways to bring some of the magic of Disney's Broadway shows home, and a great distraction until you figure out how to get your family into the actual show!  If you can't make it to the store, purchase online here for Mary Poppins gifts and here for Lion king.

4. THE PLAYBILL BINDER

Admit it.  You have a huge collection of every show you've ever seen from the original Chorus Line to Sister Act.  They're all in a drawer somewhere, collecting dust, hiding from your kids who might want to cut them up and make collages.  Here's a way to keep them fresh and organized so that you can leave them to your kids when you die and embarrass them from the afterlife.  The Playbill Binder, from Playbill (of course) is a custom-made three-ring binder that uses archival quality materials to attractively display, organize, and protect your Playbill collection for years to come.  It sells for $33.95 and can be found HERE.

Erin Leigh Peck is a New York based actor, writer and mother. She has performed on and off Broadway, in regional theatre and on tour, in films and on television. She most recently appeared Off-Broadway in The Toxic Avenger Musical and can often be seen on television in various commercials. Erin's play Mother of Mine is a contemporary 'dramedy' about pregnancy, parenthood and postpartum. She is the proud and busy mother of two extremely awesome kids. Please visit her web site, www.ErinLeighPeck.com.

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