In our family, we took our children to New York City every year for theatre. Now we take our grandchildren to New York City for theatre. We have seen most of the following plays with our grandchildren. Their other grandparents took the grandchildren to see Annie. Grandpa and I have seen Blue Man Group and intend to take the grandchildren. Cinderella is just opening, but is on our list.
We have always been able to get great seats right on the websites listed, but then, we do plan far in advance. Although it is not preferable to sit in the first three rows for musicals and plays, it is preferable to do so with little children. The play is overwhelmingly BI
G and farther back makes the grandchildren farther removed from the action. However, with Newsies, we were told to sit a little farther back because of the set, and sat in the fourteenth row. With Blue Man Group, you all will definitely get wet in the first five rows but they give you rain ponchos! 1 P.M. or 2 P.M. performances have worked the best for us for young children who have just given up a nap. We have found them to be the best overall times, as we can go for a 5 p.m. dinner right after the show and slow the children down for a reasonable bedtime.
Always try to get aisle seats with grandchildren, even on the sides. Aisle seating makes for better viewing for little children and gives them a chance to stand if they need to without being disruptive. Aisle seating also makes it easier to leave for the bathroom quickly for intermission. Please pay close attention to the intermission start and RUN up the aisle quickly or the bathroom line is forever. Remember, grandchildren may say they do not need to go, but Grandma says we can always try to go. Remember to go before the play starts too!
There are booster seats in the lobby which are great for children up to age nine. Our nine year old grandson used a booster seat this past October 2012 when a tall man sat in front of him. We have asked people in front of us to switch seats and they have been very accommodating. Most times, though, the best seat is Grandma’s lap, both for Grandma and grandchild.
Yes, during intermission, the children will want water and a snack. I put some healthy snacks in my large purse, but, of course, bought them what they wanted. Remember, New York is expensive.
I have included www.playbill.com information about each play. I have put the New York plays in order of what I think our grandchildren’s preference is from listening to them talk about the plays long after we have seen them. Spider Man was a request two years before it opened! We got early tickets and saw the play when it first opened. Yes, there were major glitches, but our grandchildren LOVED the glitches the best. When Spiderman and Green Goblin were hanging in air suspended and the lights went on and everything stopped, our grandchildren were mesmerized. It happened a few times during the show and the children really wanted more glitches. We sat in the first few rows. When the spider was suspended over our heads, our grandchildren’s mouths dropped open. The reviewers may have found Spiderman lacking, but our grandchildren did not. The Gazillion Bubble Show was best before the creator died; his wife has taken over and it is adequate for toddlers and small children. Forget reviewers when seeing plays with children. The grandchildren have seen Lion King more than once and would probably go again! Mary Poppins was a fun play and the music is such that we have listened to the songs again and again.
As grandparents, we want to expand our grandchildren’s horizons and expose them to culture, theatre and the arts. Going to the theatre also creates a family tradition and ritual and memories made with
Joy,
Mema
Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark
Foxwoods Theatre
The epic new musical brings to life the iconic superhero Spider-Man, who as high school student Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider and develops astonishing powers.
Synopsis:
The arachnid-bitten superhero, familiar from comics and the movies, learns that with great power comes great responsibility as villains test not only his physical strength, but his strength of character.
Show Dates:
Performances from 28 Nov 2010
Opening 14 Jun 2011
Closing Open-Ended
Performance Schedule:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday @7:30pm
Friday @8pm
Saturday @2 and 8pm
Sunday @1 and 7pm
Tickets:
Box office hours: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 8pm; Closed on Sundays until performances begin
Pricing: $69.50 – $159.50
Box Office: Ticketmaster: (212) 307-4100
Outside NY/NJ/CT: (800) 755-4000
Show Run Time:
Two hours and 45 minutes, which includes one 15-minute intermission
Theatre Information:
Foxwoods Theatre
213 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
The Lion King
Minskoff Theatre
Julie Taymor’s acclaimed staging of the Disney animated film has been hailed as a Broadway landmark. The story focuses on a young lion cub’s personal journey toward his destiny as king.
Synopsis:
The Lion King tells the story of the epic adventures of a young lion cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king.
Show Dates:
Performances from 15 Oct 1997
Opening 13 Nov 1997
Closing Open-Ended
Performance Schedule:
Tuesday and Wednesday @7pm
Thursday and Friday @8pm
Saturday @2 and 8pm
Sunday @1 and 6:30pm
Tickets:
Box office hours: Monday – Saturday 10am – 8pm; Sunday noon – 6pm
Pricing: $92 – $152
Box Office: Ticketmaster: 866-870-2717
www.ticketmaster.com, www.TheLionKing.com
Show Run Time:
Two hours, 40 minutes with one intermission
Theatre Information:
Minskoff Theatre
200 West 45th Street
New York, NY 10036
Newsies
Nederlander Theatre
Based upon the real-life New York City newsboy strike of 1899, this high-energy musical tells the story of a band of teenaged newspaper boys who become unlikely heroes when they take on the biggest names in publishing. Their battle for justice and fair pay rocks the city of New York and sparks a movement for social change.
Synopsis:
Set in New York City at the turn of the century, the musical is the tale of newsie Jack Kelly, who dreams of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. But when Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise distribution prices at the newsies’ expense, Jack finds a cause to fight for and rallies his army of newsies to strike.
Show Dates:
Performances from 15 Mar 2012
Opening 29 Mar 2012
Closing Open-Ended
Performance Schedule:
Monday – Wednesday @7:30pm
Friday and Saturday @8pm
Wednesday and Saturday @2pm
Sunday @3pm
Tickets:
Box office hours: Monday – Saturday 10am – 8pm, Sunday noon – 7pm
Pricing: $67 – $147
Box Office: Ticketmaster: 866-870-2717
Group Sales info: Groups (15+): 800-439-9000
Show Run Time:
Two hours and 30 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission
Theatre Information:
Nederlander Theatre
208 West 41st Street
New York, NY 10036
Annie
Palace Theatre
The sun will come out every day on Broadway, as the legendary musical Annie returns to delight a new generation of theatregoers.
Synopsis:
The plucky redheaded orphan and her scruffy mutt Sandy make their way in Depression-era New York from a dismal orphanage to the home of billionaire Daddy Warbucks. The Tony Award-winning musical includes the songs “Tomorrow,” “Little Girls,” “Easy Street,” “NYC” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.”
Show Dates:
Performances from 03 Oct 2012
Opening 08 Nov 2012
Closing Open-Ended
Performance Schedule:
Tuesday – Thursday @7pm
Friday @8pm
Saturday @2 and 8pm
Sunday @1 and 6:30pm
Tickets:
Box office hours: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 8:30pm. Sunday 11am – 7pm
Pricing: $67.50 – $137.50
Box Office: Ticketmaster: 800-745-3000, 877-250-2929
www.ticketmaster.com
Group Sales info: Groups: (877) 686-3550
Show Run Time:
Approximately two hours and 25 minutes, which includes a 15-minute intermission
Theatre Information:
Palace Theatre
1564 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
Mary Poppins
New Amsterdam Theatre
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Nanny Mary Poppins keeps the Banks family in line with the kind of magic only she can conjure.
Synopsis:
Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, this is the story of the Banks family and how their lives change after the arrival of nanny Mary Poppins at their home at 17 Cherry Tree Lane in London.
Show Dates:
Performances from 14 Oct 2006
Opening 16 Nov 2006
Closing 03 Mar 2013
Performance Schedule:
Tuesday – Thursday @7pm
Friday @8pm, Saturday @2 and 8pm
Sunday @1 and 6:30 pm
Tickets:
Box office hours: Monday – Saturday 9am – 8pm; Sunday 10am – 6pm
Pricing: $42 – $139
Box Office: Ticketmaster: 866-870-2717
www.ticketmaster.com, www.MaryPoppins.com
Show Run Time:
Two hours and 40 minutes, with an intermission.
Theatre Information:
New Amsterdam Theatre
214 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
US
Blue Man Group
Astor Place Theatre
Signature Blue Man Group moments combine with breathtakingly fun new pieces in this updated show. Taking a closer look at the technology that both surrounds and isolates us, Blue Man Group showcases technogeek ingenuity while uniting the audience in primal, collective exhilaration.
Synopsis:
The three-man new-vaudeville Blue Man Group pounds on just about anything it can get its little azure hands on. This unique multi-sensory experience fuses innovative theatrical spectacle and powerful original music with comedy, art, vaudeville and science.
Show Dates:
Performances from 08 Apr 1991
Closing Open-Ended
Performance Schedule:
Monday – Friday, 8PM
Saturday & Sunday, 2PM, 5PM & 8PM
Tickets:
Pricing: $84
Box Office: Astor Place Box Office: 212-387-9415 or 800-BLUE MAN
Ticketmaster: 800-745-3000
Group Sales info: Groups: 212-260-8993
Show Run Time:
1 hour, 45 minutes without intermission
Theatre Information:
Astor Place Theatre
434 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10003
The Gazillion Bubble Show
New World Stages Stage 2
Guinness record-holding bubble artist Fan Yang brings his dazzling family entertainment to Off-Broadway.
Synopsis: Bubbles. Lots of ’em.
Show Dates:
Performances from 15 Feb 2007
Opening 15 Feb 2007
Closing Open-Ended
Performance Schedule:
Friday, 7PM
Saturday, 11AM, 2PM & 4:30PM
Sunday, noon & 3PM
Tickets: 212.239.6200
Pricing: $49.50 – $69.50
Box Office: Tele-charge: (212) 239-6200
Outside NY: (800) 432-7250
Show Run Time:
1 hour, 20 minutes (no intermission)
Theatre Information:
New World Stages Stage 2
340 West 50th Street
(between Eighth and Ninth Avenues)
New York, NY 10019
CINDERELLA
Theatre: Broadway Theatre
First Preview: January 25, 2013
Opening: March 3, 2013
Written by Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and original book), Richard Rodgers (music), Douglas Carter Beane (new book)
Director: Mark Brokaw
Cast: Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana, Harriet Harris, Victoria Clark, Peter Bartlett, Ann Harada, Marla Mindelle, Greg Hildreth
A re-imagined staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The classic musical is getting a new dramatic approach from Tony Award-nominated playwright Douglas Carter Beane. The first Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.