Party Theme Ideas: Throw a Broadway Party!

This post was most recently updated on December 19th, 2020

In this article: I’m sharing one of my favourite party theme ideas: a Broadway party! This is a great party theme for Broadway fans of all ages, from young performers to adults. But, you don’t need to be a Broadway expert to enjoy a party theme like this. After all, everybody knows the lyrics from at least a few musicals! Read on for ideas on how to throw a party like this – from activities to decor.

Are you looking for party theme ideas for a birthday or perhaps for a New Year’s Eve get together: a Broadway themed party! Well, I’ve got a great one to share! Recently, I threw a birthday party for my daughter with a Broadway theme (including all things acting, performing, theatre). It was so much fun to plan, and it’s on of those versatile party theme ideas that would work for kids or adults. It’s also one that’s pretty easy and affordable to pull off.

How to Host a Broadway Theme Party

For my daughter’s birthday, what started as a Broadway party theme idea was eventually expanded to include all things acting, performing and theatre. That’s because Broadway party decorations were a little harder to find than general performing arts and Hollywood decorations.  However, if you want to limit your party theme idea strictly to Broadway, there’s definitely enough inspiration in this article to focus entirely on Broadway musicals!

Party Theme Ideas: What to Do at a Broadway Theme Party

Our Broadway party was for kids, so we didn’t need a lot of planned activities to keep them happy. All they really needed was a Broadway playlist and a dance floor! Oh, and also a fun diy photo booth, but I’ll tell you more about that below! In the meantime, here are some of the things I brainstormed as Broadway theme party activities that would work just as well for adults.

How to Make Your Own Broadway Themed Photo Booth

Great party theme ideas are only as good as the smiles they create. And, the smile maker at our Broadway party was a diy photo booth with lots of fun Broadway props!  It really wasn’t all that hard or expensive to make. And, our guests had a blast. In fact, I prepared a detailed tutorial on how to make your own. You can find out exactly how to make your own DIY photo booth here.

We decorated the photo booth area with Broadway musical posters like Annie, Hairspray, and Wizard of Oz. The bright colours created a super fun atmosphere.

And, to encourage lots of fun, we provided guests with a basket of Broadway and acting-themed costume pieces and props, like theatre masks, hats, moustaches, feather boas and more. All guests had to do was pick a prop, smile and click! You can find these kinds of props at party stores, dollar stores, and on Amazon.

Broadway Party Theme Ideas: Affordable and DIY Decorations

So, now that you’ve got the activities covered, let’s move onto the decorations. Because, really, what’s a good party theme without some great party decor? For this party theme idea, I did a combination of affordable dollar store party decorations, and some easy DIY projects.

Red, Gold and Black Are Perfect

When it comes to creating a Broadway party vibe, you really can’t go wrong with red, gold and black decorations. In particular, red really plays off the red stage curtains and red chairs you’ll find in most theatres. And, lucky for us, it’s easy to find red party decorations all year long at most party and dollar stores.

Use Broadway Musical Posters

Since I couldn’t find much in the way of specific Broadway themed party decor to buy, I decided to order several Broadway show posters instead. As shown above, I put them on the walls in the photo booth space to give the area a Broadway vibe. 

Use Playbill Covers

And, here’s another easy and affordable party decor idea: use your printer to print our the playbill covers of popular musicals. Then you can attach them to a pennant garlands or use them to decorate a table.  You can see how I used them on our banners below. It was an easy and inexpensive way to get a lot of Broadway impact.

Use Musical Lyrics

Another way to infuse Broadway throughout your party decor is to print our the lyrics of favourite musicals. For example, for our table centerpieces, I used two ceramic plaques we had purchased earlier this year from the Wizard of Oz collection at Hallmark. However, you could just as easily print out your Broadway quotes or lyrics, and adhere them to card stock or wood.

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Paper Mâché Masks Create Impact

.A couple of paper mâché masks were also great props for the table. They made an instant Broadway impact, and were a nod to one of the most well known musicals, Phantom of the Opera.

I  also scattered lots of sparkly red, gold and black ribbon, and star confetti, around the table. 

.Broadway Party Theme Ideas for Table Decorations

To decorate the tables, an easy and affordable idea is to print out Broadway playbill covers and then place them in between a red tablecloth and a transparent one. .

.And, a simple color scheme of red, black and gold tableware from the Dollar Store is perfect for a Broadway party theme. If you can find theatre themed cups and plates, perfect, but they aren’t necessary to pull off this great party theme idea.

I also use some Hollywood themed party decorations too because I wasn’t being too strict about the Broadway theme. My daughter is in performing arts, so as long as this party theme idea related to acting, singing, and dancing, she was thrilled. It seems that there are a lot more Hollwood party theme decorations out there to purchase than Broadway.

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Broadway Party Theme Ideas for Food & Drink

Wondering what to serve at a Broadway party? Well, the sky’s the limit really. Since there’s not really any specific foods served on Broadway, the best plan is to use your favourite musicals to inspire your menu. Check out this fantastic article on food ideas for a Broadway themed party, including ‘Wicked’ Delicious Punch, Mary Poppins umbrella appetizers, Phantom of the Opera chocolate dipped strawberries and more: 8 Broadway-Inspired Treats to Serve at Your Next Party (Theatre Nerds).

.Best Occasions to Throw a Broadway Party

So now that you know all the things about throwing a Broadway party, what are the best occasions for this theme? It’s one of those party theme ideas that would work for almost any occasion, but I think it’s a definite winner for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or New Year”s Eve party.

And, if you’re looking for another great affordable party theme idea, check out my Paint and Sip: DIY Painting Party!

I hope you’ve found lots of inspiration in this article. If you do throw a Broadway party, let us all know about it in the comments.

Until next time,

K.

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