BroadwayGirl NYC - Page 5

December means the holidays, and the holidays mean lots of special events in the world of Broadway! For an extensive list, BroadwayWorld's calendar has all multiple options for every day of December and beyond. Since no one can be everywhere at once, here are this holiday season's official BroadwayGirlNYC picks for the best of NYC theatre events! (On December 12, you'll have to flip a coin.)

Happy Thanksgiving! I've loved spending this year with you, and it seemed only fitting to share some specific thanks, along with the stories that inspire them. I'm so thrilled to be heading into the Winter and continuing another amazing theatre season, along with all of you.

In pondering buzz, I've realized something that surprises me: I often have a better time at shows that have been reviewed as 'bad' or 'mediocre' than I do at productions that have been called the greatest thing to come to Broadway in years. Bottom line: sometimes going in with low expectations can lead to a surprising night of entertainment.

Have I been a bad BroadwayGirl? Before November 5, the last show I saw was Sister Act in September, which at the time was the last production I needed to see before I could celebrate the fact that I'd been to every single show on Broadway.

In honor of the most theatrical holiday, I want see your #BwayHalloween costumes and hear how you're using theatre to inspire your spooky celebrations. Please tweet me photos of your costumes & parties (from this year AND past years!) -- and on November 3 I'll be sending out a Halloween Broadway prize pack with items from at least 20 different Broadway shows.

Broadway is more than just the theatres. Broadway is an industry, yes -- but also an energy; a culture; a way of life. Here are the spots to which I turn on the days I can't afford a ticket; or when I'm on my way uptown but want an infusion of theatrical energy; or on a night after a show when I'm just not ready for the evening to be over.

In October 1998, Joe's Pub opened at the Public Theatre near Astor Place in New York City. Thirteen years later, it's an institution -- and this week it opened again.

My iPod is packed with showtunes: according to iTunes, I could listen to cast albums for almost two weeks non-stop without ever repeating a song. And yet I continue to purchase more all the time. Recently I've found myself mining the depths of Broadway history, diving into popular shows from decades past as well as some that weren't quite so well received, and learning to savor the intricacies of recordings made long before the digital era.

This week I introduced the hashtag #BwayConfessions. Hundreds of fans (and stars!) posted their confessions. Some are moving, and others are hilarious; some contradict each other while others echo each other eerily. Many involve secret dreams... and a satisfying number take pride in dreams-come-true. Here are the confessions of Broadway fans everywhere! Some of the confessions are moving, and some are hilarious; some contradict each other while others echo each other eerily. Some are adorable and innocent; a few are on the darker side. Many involve secret dreams... and a satisfying number take pride in dreams-come-true. The below are a few of my favorites. I hope you're as amused, touched, and inspired by them as I have been. And don't forget to tweet your own #BwayConfessions or leave them in the comments below.

What a weekend for the Broadway community: Every single Broadway & Off-Broadway show was canceled, due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene. Even with the theatres closed, I knew it was going to be Broadway that got me through the storm. Here, a selection of my favorite Broadway-related YouTube videos.

When I'm not at a show, I keep my eyes and brain busy by learning as much as I can about Broadway from my favorite books on the subject. My current favorites range from fiction to memoir to history. Here are the books that I'm currently keeping close by.

You may have seen my tweet this week as I tried to refrain from hyperventilating on a subway platform: 'It's 7:55 and I have an 8pm theatre ticket and the subway won't come and I am FREAKING OUT!!!' There is no panic like the panic of being late to a Broadway show.

How in the world do Broadway actors do it? I'm talking about the music: how do they sing through the same cast album so many times in a row and be able to get it out of their heads when they're done? I'm plagued by an album-long earworm: the 2009 Revival Cast Recording of one of the greatest musicals of all time: HAIR.

Do you ever hear a line in a Broadway show or song that reminds you of ANOTHER Broadway show or song? With thousands upon thousands of Broadway cast albums, there are many themes, lyrics and song titles that are reminiscent of each other. More and more, I'm finding myself drawn to them. I find myself amazed and amused by the similarities, and that is how the twitter hashtag #BwaySongMashup came to be.

If you've never been to the theatre with a kid or two, do it. There is little more wonderful in the world than watching a production through the wide eyes of a child.

Theatre is a living art; cast & crew give it breath. We must give thanks to all who make our shows each night. Even those we do not see. xo This is the tweet I sent last night before bed, after spending several hours poring through news about a death at How to Succeed in Business. The New York Times reported that a stagehand died after taking an overdose of drugs. An aura of sadness wafted through the Broadway community, and as a result, I began to ponder -- and pray -- about all of the people behind the scenes.

Last year, the 2010 Tonys Drinking Game was a big success. This year, you guys contributed even more suggestions - each of which is funnier and more clever than the last! So finish up the preparations of your Tony Night Menu, and grab a bottle. It'?s time for?... The 2011 TONY AWARDS DRINKING GAME!!!

It was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon in New York, and I was sitting at a small, iron table just south of the TKTS red steps in Times Square. Over my shoulder, the line grew for half-price tickets; I watched tourists gaze up at billboards that I imagined were larger than the buildings in many of their home towns. The sun -- after so many cold months in New York City -- felt incredible on my shoulders. And I smiled, knowing that it was matinee-day, and that I had more some thirty-odd Broadway shows within a five-block radius to choose from.

The Tonys are less than three weeks away; have you started planning your bash yet? Every year, I throw a big party complete with themed food based around the titles of the nominated shows. I've been planning my menu since last July -- but in case you haven't gotten started yet, feel free to borrow from mine. Doesn't it sound delicious?

Last week, I created my Tony Categories that SHOULD Exist and posted nominations in ten categories. You spent the week voting, and now it's time to announce the winners! Everyone who voted (and then tweeted me at @BroadwayGirlNYC) was entered to win a BroadwayGirlNYC Prize Pack. I've chosen that winner as well. And here they are...