Exclusive! How Performers from Hamilton, On Your Feet and Paris Spent Thanksgiving (and What They Ate!) | Playbill

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News Exclusive! How Performers from Hamilton, On Your Feet and Paris Spent Thanksgiving (and What They Ate!) The holidays can be tricky when working on a Broadway schedule — instead of going home to see family, most performers spend time with their "show families." Cast members from An American in Paris, On Your Feet! and Hamilton as well as the Broadway Serves gang shared pictures and details from their Turkey Day.
December 01, 2015

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An American in Paris' Brandon Uranowitz
My parents host about 20 or so family and friends every year at their home in Jersey. And, this year, I was lucky enough to bring Leanne Cope, Sara Esty and Will Burton from my American in Paris family out to spend Thanksgiving with my insane Jewish family.

The menu:
My mom's cream of carrot soup with dill (which honestly sounds so disgusting, but couldn't be more delicious and autumnal).

Cranberry chutney, which gets its sweetness from apple cider and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Turkey is so obvious. BUT, I slather the entire thing (under the skin, too) with truffle butter so it's a special main event.

My boyfriend Zach made an entirely gluten-free apple pie, which might have been the best apple pie we'd all ever had in our lives.

I always make a pumpkin mousse instead of a pumpkin pie every year. Which I thought everyone loved, but I just found out that they didn't? So, cool guys.

My Aunt Irene has a fun Thanksgiving tradition that's basically a giant grab bag, and we pick in order from youngest to oldest. And, we always, always end the night with a game of celebrity. The table:

Will and Sara:

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Zach and Leanne:

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Me and Zach and turkey leg!

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Dinner:

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Me and my dad:

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More foooood:

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Pre-Thanksgiving Grab Bag:

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Double food coma:

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My brother, Rocky:

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On Your Feet!'s Eric Ulloa
We had a 4:30 AM call time, as we opened the parade, and then an 8 PM show, so making plans anywhere remotely out of town was off the table. I decided to host a quick gypsy pot luck to make sure everyone had a place to go and a meal despite our crazy schedule.

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The cast, as always, turned it out. We had a delicious turkey, a full ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing bread pudding, Arroz con gandules (had to have something Latino), and we featured pastry chef Zac Young's holiday sensation... the piecaken.

Cast family, real family, chosen family… It was a great way to take a little break in a magical day to give thanks all around.

Broadway Serves (courtesy of The Lion King's Kimberly Marable)

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We had five Broadway Serves events take place between Monday-Wednesday and on Black Friday in NYC; Wichita, KS; and Columbus, OH. 

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On Monday and Tuesday, we served Thanksgiving meals to hungry New Yorkers at NYC Rescue Mission and St. Luke's Soup Kitchen; on Wednesday, Broadway Serves volunteers out on the road with Grinch and Book of Mormon served lunch to kids at Community Kitchen, Inc. in Columbus, OH and at the Wichita Children's Home. On Friday, NY-based volunteers helped Covenant House kids celebrate Black Friday with BBQ and an open mic. On a personal note, I got to sing "Let Me Be Your Star" with one of the kids (his request!), who is definitely a star in the making, and made the experience QUITE special for all of us.

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Volunteers included Gisela Adisa, Derrick Baskin, Lisa Finegold, Cassie Nordgren, Caileigh Scott, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Todrick Hall, Paris Remillard, Daniel Evans, Evelina Nervil, Zurin Villanueva, Daniel J. Watts, Angela Polk, Bahiyah Hibah, Miquel Banket, DeAngelo Justice, Samantha Figgins, Selena Figgins, Alexandra Ncube, Joshua Breckenridge and Jennifer Wilcove. 

Jennifer Wilcove, Broadway Serves Volunteer
Thanksgiving volunteering is a precious opportunity for us to contribute to the communities that have given us so much! It's a wonderful chance to bond as an artistic troop and to express how thankful we are to be storytellers that are part of a much larger world community!

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Hamilton's Leslie Odom, Jr. 
We left for East Hampton right after the two shows on Wednesday. We wanted to make the one day off feel as long as possible! Drove back Friday morning for the matinee. Our good friends Mariska [Hargitay] and Peter [Hermann] extended the invitation to celebrate alongside their family. Nicolette [Robinson], Daveed [Diggs], Jalene [Goodwin] and I happily accepted. There was plenty of love, laughs and good food to go around. We even made it to the beach! I wouldn't change a thing. Lots to be thankful for this year.

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Hamilton's Ariana DeBose
A very Broadway Thanksgiving, hosted by Chicago's Donna Marie Asbury:

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