A holiday season shopping list for the Broadway lovers in your life
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Okay, I know that technically Thanksgiving hasn’t happened yet and we’re still definitely feeling those spooky season vibes, but I can’t pretend that I haven’t noticed the holiday decor starting to pop up around town. In fact, I saw a whole holiday section this morning while I was grocery shopping!
Soon we’ll be singing along to the holiday stations on the radio, sipping eggnog by the fire, and decking the halls. But, oh no! What if you haven’t gone gift shopping yet? Where will you get the millions of gifts you need for your friends and family and coworkers and pets and neighbors? And even more importantly, what on earth will you get for the fellow theatre-lovers in your life?
Given our current pandemic circumstances and the subsequent difficulty of shopping for presents in person, I decided I wanted to create a solid list of options for the holiday season. Let’s be real, Amazon doesn’t actually need any more of our money. I’m pretty sure they’ll be just fine without me. What if this holiday season we took our money to the many wonderful small businesses that exist online instead?
The best thing about this list is that every single business is owned and operated by a theatre artist, creator, technician, writer, or administrator of some kind. By purchasing from these businesses, you are not only finding unique gifts that you can’t find in person, but you’re also supporting theatre workers in a time when our industry could not be more of a challenge.
So let’s see what we can buy this year! In no particular order of importance:
Broadway-themed earrings!
Where to find them: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeMagicDesign
I am seriously obsessed with these Broadway playbill earrings from Creative Magic Designs on Etsy! Featuring Hamilton, Hadestown, Dear Evan Hansen, and more, this shop has all the latest hits. I know this is supposed to be about giving other people gifts, but I’m going to have to grab some Fun Home earrings for myself this year…
Musical theatre nail decals!
Where to find them: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/NailingBroadway
Okay, I didn’t even know nail decals were a thing. I’m clearly not great with nail decor... But theatre nail decals? How cool is that?! There are little Mean Girls decals with the Burn Book and the iconic pink shirt, and tiny Sweeney Todd decals with meat pies and razors! I am so in. And, this particular shop also features theatre-themed art prints to brighten up your home.
Broadway scrunchies!
Where to find them: https://scrunchies4theatre.com/
These scrunchies are incredibly cute and there are so many musicals to choose from (including my favorite of the bunch: an adorable Elf The Musical scrunchie that says “sparklejollytwinklejingely!”). But my favorite thing about this company is that these products are sold to raise money for The Actors Fund and Acting for Others, two fantastic charitable organizations supporting entertainment workers in these challenging times. This is a great way to support some great theatrical causes!
Pop figures meet Broadway!
Where to find them:
Okay so this online store has a whole lot of everything from drinkware to sweatshirts to facemasks, but I think what really makes it especially unique are the Funko Pop-inspired theatre pins and stickers! Searching through this wonderful website, you can find all of your favorite characters in the classic pop figure style from the Phantom to Usnavi to Dr. Pomatter. So cute! And the coolest thing about this shop? The artist behind the designs has made custom dolls for all sorts of stars, including Lin Manuel Miranda, Ben Platt, J. Harrison Ghee, Mark Ballas, Laura Dreyfuss, Andy Karl, and almost the entire cast of Hamilton!
Handmade theatre crafts!
Where to find them: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/showbydesign
Postcards, art prints, jean jackets, face masks, pencil cases, key chains… If you’re looking for creative stocking stuffers for the theatre lovers in your life, this is the place to go! Scrolling through this shop, I can’t help but smile. You can tell that this artist is passionate about every single piece they make and the exciting colors and designs are eye-catching and a whole lot of fun!
Theatre-themed tee shirts!
Where to find them: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PoorlyDrawnShirts
Yes, this Etsy shop is called Poorly Drawn Shirts. But they’re actually super cute! And I love the sense of humor. I just can’t help but chuckle at how relevant the, “I’ve done Shakespeare (on Zoom)” shirt is! Too real.
Gifts made from retired theatre backdrops!
Where to find them: https://scenerybags.com/pages/our-story
SCENERY is definitely a bigger operation than many of the businesses on this list, but it is truly one of the coolest theatre gift ideas I’ve ever seen. And the best part is that they are another wonderful company supporting a great cause! Every bag and accessory is made of a retired theatre backdrop, meaning every single product is truly one of a kind. And for every item sold, a minimum of 10% of the profits are donated to TDF to support bringing children to the theatre. What a beautiful way to have a piece of theatre to take home with you!
Gifts crafted by talented Designers!
Where to find them: https://www.miseenscene.org/gifts
Last but certainly not least, is an exciting and collaborative website called Mise en Scène. While most of the items on this website are not theatrically themed, the creators behind them are no stranger to the stage. This is a community-sourced space for talented scenic and costume designers to share and market their work. Not only are there all sorts of gifts for both theatre and non-theatre people alike, but it’s a beautiful way for theatre artists to support themselves financially and a great way for us to find well-made, beautifully designed products for all of our gift-giving needs!
If you like what you see on this list, fill up your virtual shopping cart and finish up your holiday shopping! I also encourage you to find all of these shops on social media and to take some time to explore some of the other wonderful theatre-themed businesses on the web. This is certainly not an exhaustive list.
There are amazing artists all over the world who are creating the Broadway gifts of our dreams, and I can’t wait to support these talented creators this winter and beyond!