Top 10 Holiday Gifts for the Producer In Your Life . . . or YOU!

‘Tis the season!  Turkey and Trimmings . . .and Tourists!

And . . . of course, gifts!

If shopping for that special Producer in your life has got your spreadsheets in a knot, fear not, below you’ll find 10 Great Gift ideas, well, that I’d love to get . . . so I figured they’d love to get them too!

And if you are a Producer or Want-To-Be-A-Producer, well, here’s where that “share” button comes in real handy.  Just email this blog to your special Santa Clause and say, “If you love me, you’ll get me everything!”

And if that doesn’t work, you can just do what I do.  Buy stuff for myself and justify it by saying, “I’m doing my part to stimulate the economy!”  :-)

1.  Season 1 Of Smash on DVD

Smash is to Broadway Producing as Grey’s Anatomy is to being a Doctor.  But it’s fun, so who cares?  Buy it for about $35 on Amazon.

2.  A Montblanc Pen

The pen truly is mightier than the sword, especially when it’s a fancy pen.  Seriously, whip out one of these suckers at a meeting and people will know you mean business.  Broadway business.  Most people wouldn’t buy them on their own, which is why they sure make great gifts.  Buy it for about $300 on Amazon.

3.  Be A Broadway Star Board Game

Take Monopoly, mix it with Life and add a dash of Show Tune Charades and you get Be A Broadway Star (or BABS for short).  A recent price reduction (now only $29.99) makes this the perfect holiday stocking stuffer for your Broadway lover.  And yes, full disclosure, I created it.  Buy it for $29.99 on BeABroadwayStar.com.

4.  Final Draft Software

Take it from someone who didn’t use Final Draft who now does.  You write faster with it.  Period.  Make your Writer/Producer more effective.  Buy it for $173 from Amazon.

5.  A Ticket to TEDx Broadway

Show your Producer-to-be that you think they are part of the future, by getting him or her into the Broadway conference of the future, TEDxBroadway.  It’s the ultimate educational and networking gift on this list, as the audience will be full of boldfaced names.  Buy it for $100 from TEDxBroadway.com.

6.  A Custom iPhone Case

Remember my Godspell iphone cover?  I can’t tell you how many comments I got on that sucker.  So let your Producer show off his show pride with a custom case!  Buy it for $40 from Case-Mate.

7.  “Trust Me!  I’m A Theater Producer” Coffee Mug

Hahaha.  Buy it for $18 from CafePress.

8.  Classes and Seminars from CTI and us!

Give your Producer the gift of continuing education by enrolling them in one of the Commercial Institute’s seminars or one of ours.  Buy ‘em from The Commercial Theatre Institute or us.

9.  Subscription to Entrepreneur Magazine

Magazine subscriptions are great inexpensive gifts that keep on giving.  And reading Entrepreneur keeps me on the cutting edge of the business world, not just the Broadway world.  Buy it for $11.97 from Entrepreneur.

10.  Tickets, tickets and more tickets.

Theatre tickets are expensive.  Which is why they make great gifts.  Give a Telecharge.com gift card, and your Producer picks what they want to see.  And you’ll be giving back to the biz at the same time.  Gift cards can be a small part of your own personal Broadway stimulus package.  Buy it from $25 at Telecharge.com.

In case nothing suits your fancy on the above list, then check out some of these honorable mentions:

- Microsoft Excel for Dummies
- Any of the five great books on the right hand side of this page
- “Trust Me” Tote
- Fancy business cards
- Gift certificates to any Broadway eatery like Sardi’s, Joe Allen’s, Bond 45 or Angus
Got a great idea for a gift for a Producer?  Let me hear it in the comments below.  And happy shopping!

(Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below!  Click here then scroll down to say what’s on your mind!)