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New York Broadway Plays for Grandchildren

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


  1. Written by Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and original book), Richard Rodgers (music), Douglas Carter Beane (new book)

  2. Director: Mark Brokaw

  3. 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.





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