Broadway
Countdown to Christmas Day Our Holiday Gift Guide: Give The Gift of Broadway With A Little Giving On The Side
Every year people panic to find the perfect gift. We at T2C have been collecting idea’s all year long to bring you the perfect gift guide at all price levels. When you’re at the end of your rope trying to find the perfect Christmas present this year, come to this guide for some great suggestions.
Producer Dori Berinstein and creator Justin “Squigs” Robertston announced today the 2021 edition of the fan-favorite The Lights of Broadway Showcards. The highly anticipated new edition contains 129 new cards featuring illustrations of Broadway’s brightest stars, shows on and Off-Broadway, historic theaters, iconic opening numbers, and more.
The Lights Of Broadway Showcards™ pays tribute to the new and notable on Broadway, as well as the legendary and revered. Actors and actresses, writers, directors, designers, personalities, organizations, theaters and related locales, theatre lore, traditions, and tall tales. Each card comes with fun facts to learn and share, highlighting the stuff that makes this vital, collaborative, and exciting art form thrive. New editions are published semiannually.
In addition to the core cards, the 2021 edition also contains a rare roster including additions to the Ensemblist, Golden Age, If It Only Runs A Minute, and Broadway Up Close Theater card series. To view all of the cards in the 2021 edition and to purchase, please visit thelightsofbroadway.nyc.
Artist and creator Justin “Squigs” Robertston said, “after such a long period of darkness in theaters around the world, it feels like such a celebration as Broadway stage lights are glowing and curtains are rising once again! In this 2021 Edition – dubbed the ‘Curtain Up! Light the Lights! Edition’ by our collectors – we herald the return of gathering together for shared stories and new possibilities.”
“We’re so excited to get this special Edition out into the world. Squig’s work is truly breathtaking. It’s a beautiful celebration of all things theatre,” said producer Dori Berinstein.
A portion from all of The Lights of Broadway Show Cards will benefit charities close to the collective heart of the Broadway community including. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids and The Actors Fund. This year’s edition also brings back the cards’ Giving Back program, featuring special signed cards Ashley Park, Eva Noblezada & Reeve Carney, Jennifer Simard & Christopher Sieber, and Rob McClure, each highlighting a different charity. This year’s Giving Back stars have chosen to highlight Broadway Advocacy Coalition, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Darkness Rising, and Spread Ari’s Light, respectively.
The Broadway Advocacy Coalition unites artists, experts, students, and community leaders to use storytelling and artistry to combat systemic racism. Led by a team of visionary artivists, educators, and advocates, BAC is creating a new way to collaborate towards a just world. broadwayadvocacycoalition.org.
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to achieving prevention and a cure for breast cancer. They provide critical funding for cancer research worldwide to fuel advances in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, metastasis and survivorship. Learn more at BCRF.ORG
Darkness Rising is a mental health awareness nonprofit offering free community wellness workshops geared toward people of color, inspirational cover songs, visual albums, and concerts created by Black Broadway and theatre professionals; inspiring conversations about mental health, addressing issues which directly affect the Black community, connecting attendees to resources, and erasing the stigma. Learn more at darknessrisingproject.org
Spread Ari’s Light Foundation was founded in memory of Arianna Dougan, who was diagnosed with cancer at age three and lost her battle eight years later. Ari loved to dance and her parents found that the dance therapy she received while in treatment had a tremendous impact on her well-being and brought joy into her all-too-short life. This inspired SAL to bring dance and movement therapy programs to other young cancer patients and critically ill children. Learn more at spreadarislight.org
Art
Ahead of the Broadway Opening of Lempicka The Longacre Theatre Is Showcasing Art Work By Tamara de Lempicka
The Longacre Theatre (220 W 48th St.), soon-to-be home of the sweeping new musical, Lempicka, is showcasing a curated selection of renowned artist Tamara de Lempicka’s most famous works. Eschewing traditional theatrical front-of-house advertising, the Longacre’s façade now boasts prints, creating a museum-quality exhibition right in the heart of Times Square. The musical opens on Broadway on April 14, 2024 at the same venue.
The Longacre’s outdoor exhibition includes works of Self Portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti) (1929), Young Girl in Green (1927), Nu Adossé I (1925), The Red Tunic (1927), The Blue Scarf (1930), The Green Turban (1930), Portrait of Marjorie Ferry (1932), Portrait of Ira P. (1930), Portrait of Romana de la Salle (1928), and Adam and Eve (1932).
Starring Eden Espinosa and directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Carson Kreitzer, book and music by Matt Gould, and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.
Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come.
Young Girl in Green painted by Tamara de Lempicka (1927). Oil on plywood.