MICHAEL URIE

GOING TOE-TO-TOE WITH THE BEST

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

From being thrust into a school production of Fiddler on the Roof because there were no other boys around, to being a mainstay in entertainment who has appeared in about every medium - stage, TV, film, web series, viral videos, Michael Urie has seen the evolution of LGBTQ representation in the biz.

Making his first splash in Ugly Betty as Marc St. James (in a role that was originally supposed to have a very brief stay) to his most recent film, Netflix’ gay holiday rom-com Single All the Way, he has been at the forefront of making openly gay actors part of mainstream Hollywood – he, himself, coming out during his run on Ugly Betty.

ANY TIME JENNIFER COOLIDGE WAS ON SET, EVERYONE WAS LAUGHING. THE ONLY OTHER PERSON I HAVE WORKED WITH WHO MADE THAT MANY PEOPLE ON A SET THAT HAPPY WAS BETTY WHITE.

PLAYING THOSE LONG SCENES WITH MERCEDES RUEHL AS MA EVERY NIGHT WAS LIKE GOING TOE-TO-TOE WITH A PRIZEFIGHTER.

Vanessa Williams and Michael Urie in Ugly Betty. Courtesy image

Hailing from Texas, entertainment would be part of his blood early on by making feature films with his friends at home, writing reviews for his middle school paper, and seeing the touring big Broadway productions, including an early memory of seeing Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan. His free time was spent, shall we say, eclectically?

I played alone with action figures a lot! But I didn’t make my GI Joes battle, I would reenact disaster movies I loved like Jaws or The Poseidon Adventure or The Towering Inferno. I renamed my GI Joes to be actors I liked: Richard Dreyfuss, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman were all in my rep company. I also went through a major Batman phase - at one point I had five Batman posters on the wall and life-size cutouts of Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton as the Joker/Batman - my bedroom looked like a Blockbuster.

After attending community college in Texas, he was accepted to Juilliard’s prestigious Drama Division. He was a long way from home, or was he?

New York was a culture shock, but it felt that I was suddenly where I was meant to be. The first day I stepped foot in New York on a school theater trip, on a hot smelly summer day a block from the Port Authority, I knew I was home. When we got to the hotel, our teacher announced he was going from theater to theater to drop letters off confirming talkbacks he had arranged and asked if anyone wanted to tag along. To my astonishment, I was the only one who took him up on it, and we spent the next half hour running from stage door to stage door. Seeing the proximity of theaters in midtown blew my mind.

Juilliard would open his eyes to a whole new world of acting and the different methods of teaching that went with it.

It was always fascinating which students thrived in which classes - the classic beauties would have a breakthrough when they covered their faces in masks class, a great singer might struggle filling the room with their speaking voice. I waltzed into our clown class thinking I was funny, but it was my classmates who usually opted for drama who excelled. I ended up doing my best work using my imagination to create worlds from nothing, exercises where we’d be given an impossible prompt and be told to go with it - “save the children” where we imagined being soldiers in a war-torn land escaping with children in tow; another where we studied a portrait in a museum and created a whole life from it. I’m sure my years alone playing with GI Joe prepped me for that!

While at Juilliard, he studied Shakespeare, Jacobean drama, and commedia dell’arte and earned the John Houseman Prize for Excellence in Classical Theatre. He would return to that style in 2018 to play Prince Hamlet in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Hamlet in D.C. to critical praise. Studying the classics early on gave him the acting fundamentals that we would build his career on.

I use the same technique for every role and utilize the various aspects of training as needed. We spent hours on voice and speech and combat in school, which was invaluable playing Hamlet in an 800-seat theater without a microphone, but not so needed in a movie scene whispering in bed like in Single All the Way. But I did have a few scenes all alone without dialogue - which harkened back to our “private moment” exercises from school. In Torch Song, I had emotional monologues with a thick Brooklyn accent in a big space and found my voice needing to project like in Shakespeare. Without the breathing exercises we labored over in movement and voice class, I wouldn’t have had the breath support to talk non-stop and bounce around the stage for 100 minutes in Buyer & Cellar.

Temping and odd theatre jobs would keep him barely afloat before Ugly Betty came into the picture. Michael ingratiated himself to the cast and crew during his guest spot and became one of the most recognizable faces of the cast. A true Hollywood story of Michael’s is the time we went to buy his first car in Hollywood and instead of bringing pay stubs and tax returns, he showed the salesperson his picture on the ABC website. His character on the show would evolve from villain to the bestie everyone wanted, that evolution to fan favorite was a team effort.

It was organic - impulses and ideas we’d throw out on set would become part of our characters. I remember in Episode 3, Becki Newton and I had a four-line exchange in a scene where we just kept improvising more lines. After that, the writers started giving us runs like that back and forth. Vanessa and I had so many scenes together in her office. We would often come up with different ways to play physically, or variations on how we circled a desk. But the arc of Marc over the four seasons is a testament to the great writers we had - fleshed out relationships with Vanessa, America, Mark Indelicato, and of course Becki - I couldn’t have complained if I’d tried.

Urie is among the top names that come to mind when talking about accomplished out actors. Reveling in our current boom of LGBTQ representation in film, it is easy to forget the climate that existed when

Torch Song. Photo by Matthew Murphy

Buyer & Cellar Ugly Betty premiered over 15 years ago. Urie’s career almost wasn’t.

When we were doing Ugly Betty there were very few out gay actors and now there are lots! I was urged not to come out and not to play any more gay roles, but coming out and playing gay roles has been a huge boost to my career. Imagine if I had turned down every gay role since Marc St. James. I wouldn’t be on your cover! I also think there was a sense among the ‘powers that be’ back then that queer stories could not be mainstream - that straight people just wouldn’t be interested. That seems to have changed. Single All the Way could not have made Netflix’s top ten in so many countries and globally with just queer viewers!

Michael’s personality has remained down to earth. Talking with him is like sharing gossip with a bestie at happy hour, with his positive take on life, that’s just a little bit sassy. He knows full well how the business works and that acting jobs are never a constant. After Ugly Betty he went back to his musical theatre roots and made his Broadway debut in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Stealing the spotlight from his co-star Nick Jonas, his performance was charming and electric. He then starred in the brilliant one-man play Buyer & Cellar, for which he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. (Writer’s note: This is the first time I saw Urie live, immediately after seeing his performance, I went back to the box office and bought a ticket for the next night - it was that brilliant.) In the production, Michael commanded the stage and painted a very real world that was both compelling and a master class in acting.

You learn a lot about yourself alone onstage for over 600 performances - especially about how your brain and body work when you are up there. Being able to have so many at-bats taught me volumes about what you can and cannot plan for on stage. Going totally blank, audience disruptions, food poisoning ... I finished Buyer & Cellar ready for anything.

His next powerful performance was in Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song revival on Broadway. An important piece of theatre and LGBTQ history, the original production made headlines and inspired conversations about our community in mainstream media and even gave us future Golden Girls star Estelle Getty.

Torch Song was wildly ahead of its time when it first opened. When it premiered, the idea that a gay man would have a foster child was like science fiction and that a mother would say heartbreaking things to her son about being gay was commonplace. In our production, audiences didn’t bat an eye at me

Single All The Way. Photo by Everett Collection

being a dad and every night would audibly gasp at what Mercedes Ruehl said to me.

Above all the legends, gay icons, and A-listers Michael has co-starred with, sharing the stage with Mercedes Ruehl would leave an indelible mark.

Playing those long scenes with Mercedes Ruehl as Ma every night was like going toeto-toe with a prizefighter. I was certainly star-struck when I met her. But, what every diva/icon/superstar I have worked with has in common is - they love the work. I am put at ease knowing that we will gel because of the love of the work.

Michael pops up everywhere. From big studio projects to vlogs, podcasts, and friends’ viral social media videos, he is not a snob when it comes to taking a gig and supporting the artistic community. Even COVID couldn’t keep him still.

It is much harder for me to say no than to say yes. By the time I am asked, it means someone has gotten excited about me in a role, and that excites me. On the rare occasion I say no, it’s probably because I can’t actually do it due to scheduling or because I think someone else should be doing it.

I try to stay busy, so when the pandemic began, I went stir crazy very quickly. I had several projects shelved, some go away completely and with so many people and organizations suddenly struggling, projects in our living room - most of which were benefits or fundraisers - were super fulfilling.

Michael appeared in Broadway’s Chicken & Biscuits, a comedic telling of a family’s gathering for a funeral. In Broadway’s mission of representing minority voices, Urie was the only white actor of the cast. The production marked the Broadway debut of playwright Douglas Lyons as well as a large number of the cast. Unfortunately, the production was cut short due to COVID.

We were having such an incredible time and the audiences were unbelievable. I loved performing that play with those actors. We played Circle in the Square Theater, which is in the round, so the audience was all round us and at times (during the church service sections) participating. Alive every night, spontaneous, and oh so joyful.

Over the past couple of years, we have seen a shift in the beloved TV holiday movie season. Mixed couples, racial diversity, and same-sex stories have become part of the culture. One of the most popular holiday films of this past winter was Netflix’s Single All The Way, starring Urie, Philemon Chambers, Kathy Najimy, Barry Bostwick, and Jennifer Coolidge with Michael starring as a gay man returning home for the holidays with a pretend boyfriend. We’ve all done it, right?

I was impressed by Chad Hodge’s script. I had never read a Christmas rom-com about gay people and I couldn’t put it down. A lot of people have reached out to me saying how much it meant to see a movie like that with a gay protagonist finding love. And I had not realized how much playing the gay romantic lead was going to mean to me.

Michael Urie attends the 73rd Annual Tony awards. Photo by Ovidiu Jtubaru

His favorite moment from filming Single All The Way?

I mean, any time Jennifer Coolidge was on set, everyone was laughing. The only other person I have worked with who made that many people on a set that happy was Betty White. But my favorite memory was on the last day of shooting. We shot the last moments of the movie where our heroes finally kiss, and shooting this final catharsis on the last day of the shoot was so dreamy! Our crew (mostly straight, entirely French Canadian) burst into applause when we kissed - they were so invested, and we were all so proud of the job we’d done. That was the first moment I realized this movie might appeal to a wider audience. If we could get gruff Québécois gaffers to applaud two guys kissing, we were really on to something!

We have seen a lot of gay characters in lead roles as of late. Does Urie think this is a trend that the media is capitalizing on, or does he think mainstream entertainment is truly becoming inclusive of the LGBTQ community?

I think the latter! Mainstream Christmas romantic comedies are a wonderful way to show the world they can watch an LGBTQ love story and enjoy themselves, root for the protagonist, and maybe even relate to the characters.

Will there be a Single All The Way 2?

OMG so many possibilities! I would love to check back in with this family every Christmas, see who is meddling and who is single - maybe a wedding, a baby, another Christmas Pageant with Aunt Sandy … So many possibilities!

Michael’s real-life rom-com is with his partner, Ryan. The two have been together for more than 13 years. How did they meet?

We met on sort of a blind date. We were set up by a friend, but it didn’t quite materialize until two years later when another friend introduced us. The second time, the timing was right.

With Michael’s busy schedule, traveling, studying lines, and doing activist work, how do they maintain a healthy relationship - for 13 years?

We are super honest about our feelings every step of the way. We’ve both supported each other’s careers and know the ins and outs. Ryan knows when we are in a public situation I need out of and vice versa, and we can communicate with a look or a gesture.

Riding high on the success of Single All The Way, Urie will next be seen on the big screen in a blissful combination of his musical theatre prowess and always enjoyable screen work.

I can’t wait for people to see Jersey Boys, which we shot over the summer with Nick Jonas as Frankie Valli. As one of my favorite musicals, it was a dream to be in and see Des and Sergio’s creative process. People are going to flip! Nick was born to play Frankie.

And his message to his fans?

Oh wow. No one’s ever asked me that! I guess I would say thank you for liking the work - I love making it, and love making you laugh, cry, and

feel. ■

You can follow Michael on IG: @MichaelUrieLikesIt

Thompson Hotel - photos by Nick Hall

El Arco - photo by Michael Westman

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO

For those seeking a respite from the winter weather woes, look no further than Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Cabo San Lucas offers a delightful combination of warm weather, spectacular seaside scenery and a bustling nightlife scene. Vacationers can enjoy day-long excursions hiking, snorkeling, exploring quaint Los Cabos or simply sipping margaritas on the beach or at the pool. The Cape, a Thompson Hotel, is the perfect sanctuary for that winter rest and relaxation trip. The pristine hotel is situated along the coveted Monuments Beach - a destination beach favored by surfers because of a tricky left-handed break right off the coast. The property also boasts the best views of the famous El Arco, the limestone arch synonymous with Cabo. The Cape features rooms with unobstructed views of the Sea of Cortez, and has one, two and three-bedroom villas, as well as four, two-story penthouse suites with plunge pools and private rooftops. For the extra high roller, the hotel has a Surfer Villa - a two-story suite perfect for private events or even a beach wedding. Each guest room offers outdoor terraces, many with hanging daybeds which are perfect for lounging with a book during the day and star gazing by night. Copper bathtubs, leather and wood accented by blue tiles blend together for the perfect relaxing atmosphere.

The property combines an elevated urban aesthetic with a Baja-meets-Southern California surfer vibe. Guests can enjoy two pools, including a stunning infinity pool with a swim-up bar or wade in the pool built within a natural rock formation. To take the zen getaway one step further, the Cape’s intimate spa has a private outdoor cabana for spa goers to enjoy a calming spa treatment with ocean vistas.

There is no shortage of food and beverage options at The Cape. Guests can sip Palomas on the rooftop lounge and garden and enjoy breathtaking views of both the city and sea. Award-winning Chef Enrique Olvera crafted a delectable assortment of culinary delights at the hotels renowned restaurant Manta. A signature dish that earns rave reviews is their Peruvian-style grilled octopus. Following a luscious meal at Manta, guests may enjoy a sunset stroll on the beach as a perfect finale to a relaxing day.

No trip to Cabo would be complete without an oceanic adventure. Head down to the marina and for less than $100, you can find several half-day snorkeling tours. Why not plunge into the warm waters off the tip of Baja where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez? You’ll be able to bump fins with angelfish, rays, parrot fish and other colorful sea life. Most include all the snorkeling gear you will need, but the towel. Many offer snacks, open bar, and will stop at several spots along the picturesque coastline including the renowned El Arco.

SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA

Nestled in Sonoma County in Northern California, Santa Rosa is a hidden gem known for its wineries and plethora of opportunities for outdoor adventures. Santa Rosa is an ideal spot for the food and beverage aficionado wanting to explore the culinary delights of wine country.

The wine lover can venture out to enjoy over 400 vineyards in one of the greatest wine producing regions in the world and sample the flavors of Sonoma Wine Country. One of our favorites is located just a 10-mile drive from Santa Rosa in the quaint town of Graton. Nestled in the rolling hills you will find Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery. Heralded for their chardonnays and pinot noirs, this Catalan-style wine producer offers elevated tasting experiences complete with Spanish tapas on their sunny patio.

However, the city does not stop at just wineries. Santa Rosa is home to its own FeBREWary - a month long celebration of all things beer. The breweries in the town offer exclusive, limited releases of their beers including brews with cult followings like Pliny the Younger. Fans even camp out overnight for a tasting of the coveted Pliny, available at Russian River Brewing Company. The event offers a Beer Passport for the FeBREWary attendees. Once fully stamped at the various locations, beer lovers win a revered FeBREWary Olympic-style medal.

Biking in the Vineyards.

Hotel E Exterior Side Aerial View - courtesy photos

Outdoor explorers can experience an aweinspiring hike through the stunning Armstrong Redwood Forest, hit the links on lush golf courses, enjoy kayaking the Russian River, bicycling through the rolling hills, and perusing the local goods and produce at Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmer’s Market.

Travelers can stay at Hotel E - one of Santa Rosa’s new luxury boutique hotels. Santa Rosa is tucked between the Mayacamas and the Sonoma Mountains, and Hotel E is a stone’s throw from the quaint downtown Old Courthouse Square.

Santa Rosa also plays host to Sonoma County Pride which is the largest Pride festival in Northern California, outside of San Francisco. The main parade and festival takes place in the Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa in the late spring. For a schedule of events visit www.SonomaCountyPride.org

There is truly something for everyone in this town which makes it a perfect winter getaway.

THE BIG ISLAND, HAWAII

Why not venture to Hawaii on a trip inspired by the hit television show, The White Lotus? Hawaii is a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life with a robust array of options throughout its five main islands.

The Big Island is a must-visit spot with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the magic and beauty of Mother Nature and experience the local culinary scene. Located on the majestic Kohala Coast, The Fairmont Orchid Kona Hotel is an ideal spot on the Big Island to have a fabulous getaway. The resort is surrounded by 32 oceanfront acres of pristine exotic gardens, waterfalls and white sand beaches. Guests can enjoy relaxing activities like sunrise canoe voyages, floating yoga, tennis at the 10-court pavilion or golfing on their worldclass golf course. Hawaii is known for its culinary delights and The Fairmont features a variety of dining options on property with six restaurants including the award-winning dining spot, Brown’s Beach House. Try their melt-in-your mouth filet mignon with tempura Maui onions, cheddar ulu mash, grilled broccolini and wasabi crème fraiche!

A standout feature of the resort is a Spa Without Walls – the ideal sanctuary to enjoy spa services either in a private oceanfront villa or at a secluded waterfall hut. Guests can channel their inner Jennifer Coolidge and spend the day at the spa to rejuvenate from the stresses of everyday life. The spa treatments integrate ancient Hawaii traditional healing arts with locally made spa products and a relaxing natural therapeutic environment.

Hawaii - photos courtesy The Fairmont

The resort has a sunset torch lighting ceremony to commemorate the success of the day and segue into a peaceful evening. The resort’s Luana Lounge provides the idyllic spot to enjoy live music nightly, delicious Mai Tais, and a space to showcase the work of local artists. No trip to Hawaii is complete without a luau and The Fairmont Orchid Kona Hotel crafts an unforgettable luau steeped in tradition with a menu featuring locally sourced food like their kalbi beef, fresh poke, and kalua pork. After dinner and tropical drinks, you’ll enjoy hula dancers under the stars. Those with an adventurous spirit can experience snorkeling with manta rays - at night! You read that right. Led by a local guide, you’ll take a short cruise out to the manta site, where you’ll watch the beautiful Hawaiian sunset before dipping into the water to watch the majestic manta rays up close. It’s an incredible encounter with nature, plus an item to mark off your bucket list. Why not say aloha to Hawaii and good-bye to the stresses of everyday life? ■

IT’S GAME NIGHT!

THESE BOARD GAMES ARE YOUR TICKET TO EXCITEMENT THIS SEASON

BY JEFFREY JAMES KEYES

DURING THE COOLER WINTER MONTHS, THERE IS AN INCREASED NEED FOR INDOOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUN AND RECREATION. So, what better time to pick up a few board games and have them on hand to create a bit of extra amusement whenever you need it. Games inspired by movies and television are a prominent theme in our current roundup, with titles like Jaws, Back to the Future, and even The Queen’s Gambit becoming popular. And as a nod to nostalgia, order the new Blockbuster game. Tonight is “game night” y’all. Fire up that popcorn, open a bottle of wine, and clear the table, because we have some games to play in 2022.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: DICE THROUGH TIME (2020)

Ravensburger Players: 2-4 $39.99

Oh no! Biff stole the DeLorean and went on a joyride through time. Navigate through 1955 and 1985, as you team up with Doc and Marty to “repair the space time continuum before time paradoxes unravel the very fabric of the universe.” Get in the hot seat of the time machine in this fun new board game to complete events, return items, and help restore order by getting the DeLorean in the “Ready Zone” at 10:04 p.m. Is the future in your hands? There is only one way to tell. Back to the Future: Dice Through Time was designed by Ken Franklin, Chris Leder, Kevin Rodgers with artwork by Matt Taylor.

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY (2009)

Cards Against Humanity LLC Players: 3+ $25.00

Known as a party game “for horrible people,” Cards Against Humanity, could be considered a new classic game. Each round, one player asks a question from a black card, and everyone else answers with their funniest white card. Each pack comes with 500 white cards and 100 black cards as well as a booklet with game rules and some preposterous alternate rules. Looking to shake up your “CAH” playing? The Red Box offers a 300-card expansion and there are a wide variety of new expansion packs and decks including the Pride Pack, College Pack, an Ass Pack (you heard that right), and a Nasty Bundle featuring a collection of packs that’s “too nasty to sell in stores.” BLOCKBUSTER (2019)

Spin Master Ltd., Big Potato Players: 4+ $19.99

If the 2020, Netflix documentary The Last Blockbuster gave you nostalgia for blue polos, fresh popcorn, and the golden age of video rentals then we have a board game for you! Blockbuster is a new game for anyone that has ever seen a movie. Split up into two teams and go head-to-head in a quick-fire buzzer battle. Round two is basically ‘movie charades with a twist’ in which the player who won round one picks up six movie cards, gives the hardest three to their opponent and keeps the rest for themselves. The game features 200 classic movies and contains 60 category cards, and a replica of a Blockbuster parking lot. Wow! What a difference!

CATAN 3D EDITION (2021)

Asmodee Players: 3-4 $300.00

Catan first came out in 1995, and in the game, players are settlers on the island Catan. Each player competes to see who can build up their civilization faster. Your settlements grow up from fertile grain fields and your cities are tucked into the sides of majestic mountains. The Catan 3D Edition is based on terrain tiles hand-sculpted by the game designer Klaus Teuber himself. The terrain is hand-painted, and game pieces intricately designed and then antiqued to give them a historic feel. Catan 3D is a great buy for the Catan player in your life, or if you want to upgrade your worn-out set. Catan is best for 3-4 players, and it can take between 60-90 minutes to complete. If the $300 price tag is too steep, the regular version retails at $55 and it is widely available at local and online retail stores. There is an extension pack so you can play with 5-6 players, as well as the Catan Seafarers and Catan Cities & Knights Game Expansions.

ENCHANTED FOREST (1981)

Ravensburger Players: 2-6 $25.99

Ravensburger’s Enchanted Forest is a stunning game in which players go on a treasure hunt in the land of fairy tales. Theater queens might think of Sondheim’s Into the Woods a bit as they search through famous fables and stories for hidden treasure along the way. In 1997, the Wizard of Oz adopted a four-player board game, and this is essentially the same game through a different “enchanted forest.” The game, which won the 1982 Spiel des Jahres award, has been around for a while, but the updated design is just as elegant.

PANDEMIC (2008)

Z-Man Games Players: 2-4 $44.99

In Pandemic, players assume the role of skilled members of a disease-fighting team working together to keep the world safe from outbreaks and epidemics. A little on the nose? But here’s one way to proactively work together to find a cure. Matt Leacock designed the game, first published in 2007 with artwork by Josh Cappel, Christian Hanisch, Régis Moulun, Chris Quilliams, and Tom Thiel. Pandemic is the first game in a series, which includes Pandemic: On the Brink, Pandemic: In the Lab, Pandemic: State of Emergency, Pandemic: Hot Zone - North America, Pandemic: Fall of Rome, and more. It is only a matter of time before they launch Pandemic: Coronavirus, isn’t it? The fate of humanity is in all our hands, but why not save the day at game night with your friends? JAWS (2019)

Players: 2-4 Ravensburger $39.99

Relive a cult classic with this suspenseful tabletop strategy game, designed by Prospero Hall. In Jaws, one player menaces the island of Amity as the infamous great white while the other players go on the hunt as Brody, Hooper, and Quint. If the players kill the Orca they win. On the other side, if the shark attack is successful Jaws is victorious. This game is perfect for not only any movie lover, but anyone looking for a fun way to entertain dinner party guests or have the neighbors over for good old-fashioned fun. It is always Shark Week somewhere!

THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT (2021)

Asmodee Players: 2-4 $29.99

The Queen’s Gambit Netflix miniseries took the world by storm in 2020, and the Asmodee’ s fun board game gives players the opportunity to experience chess like the extraordinary Beth Harmon (without having to set foot in an orphanage). In the game, each player has their own gambit piece they move across the chessboard, with each turn planned three moves ahead. In the series, Beth’s ability to envision chess moves on her ceiling enabled her to clear her opponents’ pieces from the board and defeat them. In the game, you compete with other players to claim pieces and points from the board. Designers Rebecca Bleau and Nicholas Cravotta designed the game where in each turn, you can move your “Gambit” like a different chess piece. Channel Beth to outwit your opponents and win the game!

THE CASTLES OF BURGUNDY (2011)

Ravensburger Players: 2-4 $49.99

Looking to go castle hopping? Step into the shoes of an influential 15th century French prince in the Loire Valley of High Medieval France and do whatever it takes to make your empire flourish. Choose your path wisely, and execute strategies for academic progress, agriculture, trading, and city development. If you are someone who likes strategy and are up for a challenge, this game for you! Stefan Feld designed this game, carefully executed by artists Julien Delval and Harald Lieske. It is gorgeous, and good fun to play.

Spin Master Ltd. Players: 4+ $19.99

If you think Cards Against Humanity is tame, Tell Me Without Telling Me is the perfect option. You’ll need the right (or wrong) group of people to play this NSFW charades party game in which you split into two teams and alternate rolling the die and flipping on the timer to “show not tell” and let your team guess in categories such as people, traits, things, places, and NSFW. Don’t shy from the risqué or taboo in this game which is perfect for a Fire Island or Puerto Vallarta late night on a guy’s trip with your crew. If you know, you know, but do your friends? Break all the rules with #TellMeGame.

TICKET TO RIDE (2004)

Days of Wonder Players: 2-5 $54.99

Ticket to Ride is a popular cross-country train adventure game where players collect and play matching train cards connecting cities and claiming railway routes throughout North America. In the game, players gain points for each route, and the longer the routes, the more points earned. Each game contains one board map of North American train routes, 225 colored train cars, 144 illustrated cards, five wooden scoring markers, and a rules booklet. The game, designed by Alan R. Moon, created by artists Cyrille Daujean and Julien Delval, is part of the Days of Wonder portfolio, and takes about 30-60 minutes to play. The game won the 2004 Spiel des Jahres, the Origins Award for Best Board Game of 2004, as well as many other awards.