12 Tips for Having A Broadway Holiday!

It goes without saying that we all need a LOT of Christmas now. And though our spirits are bruised and gatherings this year may be small, or nonexistent, that's no reason to lose your holiday spirit.

If you're still nursing your blues over a lack of Broadway and cursing the coronavirus that took it from you, what better way to brighten up your small or solo celebration than with some theatrical flair?

How can you throw a little Broadway holiday into the holiday mix? Find out here with our tips for theatre-filled festivities!

**Celebrate safely with these CDC Holiday Guidelines**

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Food

Buddy the Elf's Christmas Confections

As we know, elves generally try to stick to the four food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup. Add some sparklejollytwinklejingley to your dessert table this year with some maple cookies inspired by Buddy the Elf's highly inadvisable diet staple. If those don't satisfy your sweet tooth, check out these candy-coated Breakfast Spaghetti Cupcakes or Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins Loaded Cookies to round out your well-balanced elf diet.

Grinch Grub

If 2020 hasn't left you feeling a little Grinchy, you haven't been paying attention. In the spirit of holiday isolation why not add some greenery to your celebration with these tasty treats inspired by Dr. Seuss' cantankerous Christmas caper. If Whoville is more your scene, check out these traditional Who recipes for Roast Beast (a feast the Grinch can't stand in the least) and their patented holiday staple Who Hash that will have you ready to Welcome Christmas the Whovillian way.

Meet Me in St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

If you're anything like me, your Christmas traditions include weeping annually at Judy Garland's performance of 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' in the classic film, Meet Me in St. Louis. And if, perchance, you'd like to experience your yearly catharsis with an on-theme dessert in 2020 ('cause you know that song is gonna hit way harder this year), I suggest the traditional St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake. A signature confection that St. Louisans swear by, this sugary, sticky, buttery confection will melt your Christmas melancholy as you muddle through the conclusion of both the film and 2020.

Sugar Plum Fairy Fare

Just reading the words "Sugar Plum Fairy" instantly brings to mind plucked violins, the magical twinkle of the glockenspiel, a curling clarinet, and...dessert. In honor of Tchaikovsky's iconic holiday ballet, The Nutcracker, add some flair from The Land of Sweets to your dessert landscape with some gorgeous cupcakes, cookies, and hot chocolate all inspired by the undisputed balletic queen of candy.

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Drinks

Clarence the Angel's Mulled Wine

"Mulled wine, heavy on the cinnamon and light on the cloves." So goes the iconic drink order of second class guardian angel, Clarence, in the Christmas tearjerker classic, It's A Wonderful Life. Though this beloved tale is known primarily as a film, the title has been adapted for the stage numerous times, including a 1985 musical by Sheldon Harnick and Joe Raposo. So this season, ring a bell and cozy up with a mug of this heavenly aromatic winter fave (and don't forget an extra dash of cinnamon!) 'Atta boy, Clarence.

White Christmas Cocktail

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, bring the blizzard indoors with a white holiday cocktail! Check out these snow-inspired beverages including a white martini, the classic white Russian with a salted caramel spin, or this snowy white cocktail that are sure conjure fantasies of Christmas in Vermont with Bing Crosby. For the kiddos, try this White Christmas punch or a white hot chocolate!

Collins' Squatters Stoli Cocktails

"This boy could use some Stoli." When it comes to 2020, truer words have never been spoken. To bring a little Christmas cheer to his destitute pals in Rent, ex-MIT professor and anarchist, Collins arrives at Mark and Roger's apartment with a bottle for his buddies. Though on stage they drink it straight, out of styrofoam cups (and if that's your preference, that's your business) you can class it up a bit by following these Stoli holiday cocktail recipes. It's December 24th 9 PM Eastern Standard Time somewhere!

Scrooge Hooch

It isn't surprising that months of isolation has left some of us feeling a little Scroogey. But like Dickens' perennial antihero, we still have time to turn it all around. Part of Ebenezer's new lease on life involves inviting his bookkeeper Bob Cratchit out for a bowl of Smoking Bishop. This traditional Victorian Wassail is another spin on mulled wine and is said to have been a favorite of Dickens himself. Turn your humbugs into hugs with a visit from this Christmas 'spirit'!

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Activities

Victorian Parlor Games

Be the Frasier Crane of your friend group this year with some traditional parlor games as advertised in the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. Treat your guests to a couple of rounds of 'Yes or No', 'Blindman's Bluff' or any of the other fun family frolics detailed here to conjure a cozy Christmas Day that even Scrooge couldn't resist. Cottagecore merriment shall abound.

Christmas Karaoke

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear, so sing out Louise! Head on over to YouTube and make use of their extensive selection of free Christmas karaoke to get the family in the Christmas spirit. If we're being really honest, we all know Christmas songs are just a Trojan horse for the show tunes you will inevitably end up singing.

Holiday Play Reading

If 2020 hasn't given us enough drama, bring some to the holidays this year and gather your quarantine pod or your Zoom crew for a play reading! If Dickens isn't your scene, opt for something more modern like Langston Hughes' Black Nativity, The Long Christmas Ride Home by Paula Vogel, or sing along to The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical. For you purists, check out new takes on classics like Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol or the Pride & Prejudice adaptation Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly.

Stream A Show

After a truly traumatic year that has seen our industry under siege, local and regional theaters around the country are in desperate need of dollars to keep their lights on. In the spirit of giving, eschew the movie this year and opt for streaming a performance instead.

In addition to the completely beguiling and magical one-man A Christmas Carol, starring Tony-winner Jefferson Mays (details for which can be found here), theatres, dance companies, and symphonies across the nation (and the world!) are offering streamed plays, musicals, and concerts of their own. Visit BroadwayWorld's regional pages for more information on how to stream content from arts organizations in your area (or be serenaded with a holiday concert with BroadwayWorld Events!) and keep the heart of the arts beating until the curtains rise again.