Gifting through theater...

It's not just for the holidays, this gifting thing :), and the nice thing about theater-themed gifts is that they are generally suited for any gift-giving time.  

I know what you're thinking, but I pinkie swear that this is not an elf-serving gift grab.  It just occurred to me that my own love of all things theater  might be helpful for those of you attempting to choose gifts for other theater-lovers.  Many gifts that I think would greatly please a theater-lover are easy to order, easy to wrap and sure to earn you a place in someone's heart.  If you're having trouble finding just the right present, here are some things you might consider (and even if your giftee is only a fan of a particular show, you can find targeted treasures by show as well!):

• For the holidays, theater-themed ornaments from Playbillstore.com: (gift certificates are also available):

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• For the memorabilia-saver on your list, from Playbillstore.com:

• Or perhaps you know someone who just saves their tickets to all sorts of events: theater, concerts, galas, their child's recitals.  Uncommongoods.com, which has a wonderful selection of creative and unique gifts, has this ticket stub diary available.  You may also find it other places, but I like this merchant, so I'm linking to them this time :).
  

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• Gifts that give from the online store for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS:   

(BCEFA store is closed from 12/21-1/2, so these won't work for Christmas, but some are available from Playbillstore.com)

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• Gift certificate to a theater in the giftee's area:  below are links for The Kennedy Center in DC, New York City Center in NYC and Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia.  In some cases, the theater may use one particular ticket service, such as Telecharge (Lincoln Center for example) or Ticketmaster (Signature Theatre in Virginia) and then a gift certificate to that service may be an option.  I have had a good experience with Telecharge gift certificates (see next idea).

• Gift certificate to Telecharge.com (source for many Broadway shows~but not all); this would work for someone who you know is planning a trip to NYC and wants to see a show.  But if you think they're leaning towards seeing a particular show, check that show's ticket link first to confirm the service being used.

• Books, cast recordings, DVDs:  For these categories, I'd check Amazon.com first as the return policy is apt to be better. You can search by show or just search "theater" or "Broadway." If you'd like to give the gift of music and are not sure what cast recording the person would like (or has already), an iTunes gift card to purchase Broadway cast recordings will work fine.  Below is a sampling from current offerings on Amazon.

• And I have to throw a toy in the mix for good measure!  The "Be a Broadway Star" board game is a fun choice for a range of ages!

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• If you know that your giftee attends a particular theater with regularity; e.g., The Public Theater or Lincoln Center in NYC, The Kennedy Center in DC, Signature Theatre in Virginia, many theaters have membership programs that aren't ticket subscriptions, but instead offer a range of benefits such as discounts, hotline access, priority ticketing, etc.  They are usually less expensive than subscriptions, and still benefit the theater.  Below are some links to membership pages.

• If your recipient is also a generous soul and appreciates donations made in their name; and you know they frequent a particular theater in their area, I can't think of a theater that wouldn't appreciate a donation, especially the smaller theaters that depend on local support.  Most theater websites have a page devoted to donations.  Below are three examples of regional theaters with links to their donation pages: The Keegan Theatre in DC; The Vineyard Theatre in NYC and The American Repertory Theater in Boston.

Personally, I've received, and given, many of the above and been very happy with the results on both sides.  There are some that are more difficult to give than others if you're not completely certain of your giftee's personal taste (memberships, donations), but if you can ask a few pertinent, discrete questions, you may be able to narrow down your options.  Here's hoping you get standing ovations from anyone lucky enough to receive a gift from you!!