From songbooks to sound systems to the inner mental workings of Stephen Sondheim – when it comes to finding a gift for the musical theatre lover in your life, the options are varied and plentiful. Here are 10 of our favourites.
Best gifts for musical theatre lovers
The Musical Theatre Card Game
'Designed in London by theatre nerds, for theatre nerds' (as its creator Stage Insider puts it), this game puts Broadway fans through their paces, testing their knowledge of 52 musicals from classics like Les Misérables and My Fair Lady (some of the best stage musicals ever) to modern hits such as Six and Hamilton.
Luckily, though, you can choose whether you want intense one-on-one battles, or a more laid-back test of group knowledge.
Musical Theatre Scratch Off Poster
Keep track of the musicals you’ve seen and loved with this Bucket List Scratch Off poster. Featuring the top 100 greatest musical theatre shows from the West End and Broadway, it spans the history of musicals from classics such as Phantom of the Opera to contemporary hits such as Six: The Musical. It also allows you to record which you’ve loved and which you’ve hated with a five star scratch off rating system.
Dream Fun Popular Singing Wireless Bluetooth Microphone with Speaker
This karaoke microphone, which comes in a range of colours, is the perfect gadget for singing along to favourite musical hits, thanks to its compact, user-friendly design. Just switch it on, connect via Bluetooth to your phone, then search for favourite songs on YouTube or your phone to unleash the full singalong potential of this nifty, surprisingly inexpensive, little device.
Musical Theatre: A History
John Kenrick’s 2008 book takes as on a whistlestop tour of stage musicals, from the productions of the ancient Greeks and Romans, to Jacques Offenbach in Paris during the 1840s, to Gilbert and Sullivan in England, to music halls in America, eventually landing on Broadway’s Golden Age and the works of Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber - amongst others. Thorough and full of anecdotes, it’s a great overview of an art form much older and more steeped in tradition than we might at first assume.
Buyagift West End Theatre for Two Gift Experience Box
This theatre gift box provides two people with tickets to a top London show of their choice at one of ten London theatres, from the Novello Theatre to the Apollo London Theatre - home to Wicked. The vouchers are valid for two years, and the booking process couldn’t be easier: just choose your show, date, time and seat (typically in the Grand Circle or Royal Circle) then hit ‘book’!
First 50 Broadway Songs You Should Play on the Piano
Pianists who also love musical theatre will appreciate this gift, which includes 50 Broadway hits in arrangements for the piano. Among the offerings are Cabaret, Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, Edelweiss, Getting to Know You, Hello, Dolly!, I Could Have Danced All Night, I’m Gonna Wash That Ma Right Outa My Hair, Ol’ Man River….you get the picture.
The arrangements are simple enough to appeal to beginners, but also allow room for improvisation and elaboration, making this a great buy for anybody who wants to belt out some songs round a piano with a few friends.
Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major Decisions
Sondheim fans might be intrigued by this series of interviews - conducted by Mark Eden Horowitz - in which Stephen Sondheim discusses the craft of musical composition, writing lyrics as well as thoughts about his own work.
The scope is vast, covering many of the composer’s major works, among them Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, Passion and Assassins, with sections devoted to the film adaptations of works such as Sweeney Todd, as well as a chapter on Bounce - the former title of Sondheim’s Road Show. All in all, it makes for a fascinating insight into the mind of a pivotal figure in 20th century music theatre.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda, the Musical Piano/Vocal songbook
With its ingenious lyrics, infectious tunes and gleefully wry sense of humour, Tim Minchin’s musical take on Matilda deserves a whole entry devoted to it. This new folio comprises 12 songs from the recent Netflix adaptation, including ‘Still Holding My Hand,’ which was written exclusively for the film. All are arranged for voice and piano with chord symbols.
Sony Sound Bar
With preset modes including Cinema, Music and Voice, this wireless soundbar provides cinema-grade balance and sound. Just connect your phone or any other device via Bluetooth to play your music wirelessly.
Alternatively you can connect via audio cable or flash drive. Includes a subwoofer and two rear speakers for a crystal clear, three-dimensional audio experience, all connected to a wireless receiver.
Why not check out our audio section for other gift ideas
Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall DVD
Despite being seen by over 130 million people, for a long time the stage show version of Phantom of the Opera was not available on DVD - until this release. Filmed in the Royal Albert Hall to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1986 musical, this Cameron MacKintosh production is nothing if not spectacular, featuring top-notch soloists, a supporting cast and orchestra of over 200, and some special guest appearances.
