Checklist · 11 picks · 3 categories
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Theater kids come in two types that often overlap: the ones who perform and the ones who know every cast album by heart.
This list covers both. The 16 picks come from Playbill, BuzzFeed, Classical Music magazine and Time Out New York, and every one is a product those outlets named. You will find songbooks for singing and piano, games for rehearsal breaks, books about how musicals work, and a few ways to keep Playbills and memories. Tip: check which shows they love before buying a songbook, since each one covers a single score. If you are not sure, a trivia game or a history book is a safe bet for almost any musical theatre fan.
Who this is not for. Skip this list if you want merch for one specific show; the BuzzFeed and Etsy-style fan gear lists go deeper on single shows like Wicked or Hamilton.
| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Piano Vocal Selections Songbook | mid | $25-50 | hamilton fans who sing or play piano | 1 outlet |
| Six Vocal Selections | budget | $15-25 | singers who love Six | 1 outlet |
| The New Broadway Fake Book | mid | $25-50 | players who want many shows in one | 1 outlet |
| First 50 Broadway Songs You Should Play on the Piano | budget | $15-25 | beginner pianists and singalongs | 1 outlet |
| Matilda, the Musical Piano/Vocal Songbook | mid | $15-25 | matilda fans who sing or play piano | 1 outlet |
mid songbook · Piano vocal selections
Best for hamilton fans who sing or play piano
Playbill lists it among the music books for kids learning to sing or play an instrument. It appears in both of Playbill's gift guides for musical theatre kids.
Picked by Playbill gift of music for musical theatre kids.
$25-50
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budget songbook · Vocal selections
Best for singers who love Six
Playbill lists it for kids learning to sing, in both of its gift guides for musical theatre kids.
Picked by Playbill gift of music for musical theatre kids.
$15-25
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mid songbook
Best for players who want many shows in one
Playbill lists it for kids learning to sing or play an instrument, when you do not want to pick one show.
Picked by Playbill gift of music for musical theatre kids.
$25-50
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budget songbook · 50 songs
Best for beginner pianists and singalongs
Classical Music magazine lists it for the piano player, with 50 Broadway hits arranged for piano. The arrangements suit beginners but leave room for improvisation and embellishment.
Picked by Classical Music musical theatre gift.
$15-25
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mid songbook · 12 songs
Best for matilda fans who sing or play piano
Classical Music magazine lists the folio of 12 songs from the Netflix adaptation, including one written for the film, arranged for voice and piano with chord symbols.
Picked by Classical Music musical theatre gift.
$15-25
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Musicals: The Complete Books and Lyrics of Sixteen Broadway Classics | splurge | $50-100 | serious fans who read scripts | 1 outlet |
| Musical Theatre: A History | mid | $25-50 | theatre nerds who like history | 1 outlet |
| Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major Decisions | mid | $25-50 | older teens who love Sondheim | 1 outlet |
| A Is for Audra | budget | $15-25 | younger kids who love Broadway | 1 outlet |
| Home Work by Julie Andrews | budget | $15-25 | mary Poppins and Julie Andrews fans | 1 outlet |
splurge script collection · Two-volume box set, edited by Laurence Maslon
Best for serious fans who read scripts
Time Out New York's theater gift pick, which calls it a gorgeous two-volume box set with the complete book and lyrics to 16 musicals.
Picked by Time Out New York gift for a theater geek.
$50-100
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mid music book · 2nd edition by John Kenrick
Best for theatre nerds who like history
Classical Music magazine calls it thorough and full of anecdotes, covering stage musicals from ancient Greece and Rome through Broadway's Golden Age and later works.
Picked by Classical Music musical theatre gift.
$25-50
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mid music book · By Mark Eden Horowitz
Best for older teens who love Sondheim
Classical Music magazine calls it a fascinating insight into the composer's mind, made up of interviews about composition and lyric writing.
Picked by Classical Music musical theatre gift.
$25-50
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budget picture book · Broadway alphabet book
Best for younger kids who love Broadway
BuzzFeed lists it as a children's book that teaches kids about Broadway leading ladies. The writer calls it colorful and inclusive.
Picked by BuzzFeed musical theater gift.
$15-25
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budget memoir · Memoir
Best for mary Poppins and Julie Andrews fans
BuzzFeed lists it as Julie Andrews's book on her Hollywood years, covering Mary Poppins and Victor/Victoria.
Picked by BuzzFeed musical theater gift.
$15-25
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mid bluetooth microphone · Several colours
Best for sing-along sessions at home
Classical Music magazine calls it compact and easy to use, and says it connects to a phone by Bluetooth for singing along to songs from YouTube or the phone.
Picked by Classical Music musical theatre gift.
$25-50
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means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Spot a mistake? A broken link, a wrong price range or an outdated pick: tell me at hello@allsetlist.com and I'll fix it.
Playbill suggests vocal selections songbooks for kids learning to sing or play an instrument, including Hamilton and Six. Match the book to a show they already love.
A game or a book works well. Playbill lists a Broadway trivia game and playing cards, and BuzzFeed lists the picture book A Is for Audra about Broadway leading ladies.
Playbill sells an archival-quality binder made for contemporary-sized Playbills, plus display frames and a showcase cube. A binder is the easiest start if they have a stack.
No. Several picks, such as the history and Sondheim books, were chosen by their outlets for adult musical theatre lovers and work for older teens and college students too.
USPS's recommended last send dates for December 25 in the contiguous US are December 17 for Ground Advantage, December 18 for Priority Mail and December 19 for Priority Mail Express. Retailers set their own order-by dates, so check at checkout.
