From singing in the shower to singing at the shower, this rendition of Broadway Baby will be the talk of the town. It’s musically jam-packed, since guests will be instructed to come prepared to sing for their supper. Don’t let stage fright limit the guest list — the performance-challenged can take on other roles, like master of ceremonies, stage manager, or props coordinator.

All you need to make this shower happen is a pregnant mommy and a piano player — either friend or for hire. Best of all, the party can be modified to work for adults or families with children simply by changing the time, tweaking the menu, and adjusting the song selections.

Color Palette and Decor

For this shower, the decorating palette is more about drama than color. Deep jewel tones of ruby crimson, emerald green, sapphire blue, and amethyst purple will provide a stunning backdrop for this performance. Add some sparkle with gold, copper, or silver — but not all three — it’s too distracting.

Candelabras, piano shawls, and velvet runners add richness and sparkle to the décor, making it a sophisticated adult evening soiree. Sheet-music coasters, piano-key napkins, and a note-worthy martini or mamatini (see recipe here), and you’ve got yourself a swanky shower.

If your audience is on the younger side, change up the colors by going primary — red, green, blue, and purple to make it more kid-friendly. A shimmer curtain, available at many craft or party stores, is a great backdrop for a family sing-along. Add tambourines, maracas, and bells to allow all the “kids” to participate, even if they are too shy to act or sing.

The Perfect Game or Activity

Make your guests sing for their supper! In order to make this shower the best it can be, you will need to do some extra coordinating before the guests arrive. Tell guests what you will have available for them to use, for example, a piano player, a piano, a drum set, a hand-held microphone.

Let guests know what they will need to bring — props, sheet music, costumes, and so on, when you send out the invitations. Ask guests to R.S.V.P. with their performance piece so the musicians can prepare. A response phone call or e-mail is essential to give you a firm number for actors and audience — you don’t want to be short chairs or seating.

If you have a master of ceremonies, work out the order of acts in advance with him or her. It takes a little foresight and planning to make the evening flow more smoothly. Intersperse up-beat songs and routines with quieter ones to keep things moving. The piano player can invite the audience to sing along with old standbys between acts.

On shower day, allow enough time (usually about a half hour) beforehand for the “artistes” to bring in and set up any special equipment they will need. Most singers don’t like to perform on a full stomach, so the show should be the first act.

As an added and interesting “Ta-Da,” have each entertainer spotlight their gift by presenting it to the mom-to-be as they conclude their number. Applause, applause, and dinner is served. Plan to open gifts during coffee after the meal.

Gifts That Work with This Theme

As with the other Broadway-themed showers, gifts that play on the new parents’ musical interests are perfect. Here are some other ideas that will work with this theme:

• Baby-sized baby grand piano

• Baby chandelier

• Broadway onesies

• Puppet theater

• Musical mobile

Favors

It’s a theater tradition to give flowers to the actors after the show. This favor is a rose with a flavor; they are made from chocolate kisses! These take-aways are easy to make (even preteens can help put them together), and they can serve as décor—display them in a cut-crystal vase on the piano. “Kiss” each guest as they make their curtain call for the evening. Make a special bouquet to send home with the real star of the show — the mommy-to-be.