Broadway Archives - Page 3 of 6

January 17, 2017

Review: School of Rock on Broadway

If you’re looking for a kid-friendly Broadway show, School of Rock should be on your list.

The plot: Failing rock guitar player and overall sloth needs money to pay the rent, so he poses as his teacher roommate when offered a substitute teaching job at an elite school. He can’t teach, of course, so he starts a class band to compete in the rock competition and hopefully win enough money so he can pay his rent. The kids get into it and chaos ensues.

The pros: The kids are adorable and talented. Lots of kids (I think 13), so this is a great show for kids! The kids play their own music and of course sing as well. The cast is diverse (different ethnicities, gay couple etc.). The show is lively and the music good. The set is great too.

The cons: You’re going to have to suspend your disbelief a lot in this show. First, the main character Dewey moves very quickly to start the rock band in the classroom. Probably the first day or two. Most of the characters are charicatures and stereotypes. Against all odds, the kids are able to sneak out of the classroom to get to the competition and even though they don’t win (spoiler alert!) the crowd goes so crazy the judges change their mind. Parents discover new things to love about their kids, everyone (except the losing rock band) is happy. Continue reading “Review: School of Rock on Broadway”

December 1, 2016

Review: Is Oh, Hello on Broadway Appropriate for Kids?

I wasn’t sure what to expect for Oh, Hello on Broadway, given that I didn’t know much about the show (we had relatives in town for Thanksgiving, and they chose it). And if you’re wondering, is Oh, Hello on Broadway appropriate for kids, my answer is below. My one-liner about the show: it was a hilarious (partly stand-up) routine with two comedians who seemed to be having a great time on stage, right along with us.

The plot: Continue reading “Review: Is Oh, Hello on Broadway Appropriate for Kids?”

July 18, 2016July 17, 2016

Wicked on Broadway: Is it Appropriate for Kids?

I’ve been to a lot of Broadway theaters, but the Gershwin Theater is really made for audiences. Some theaters don’t allow you in before the show, resulting in the long lines you see when walking down the streets around Times Square. Patrons stand out in line, resulting in a rush for the restrooms, rush to get in the door, and concerns about being late even though they are already holding their tickets. So I was thrilled that not only were we allowed in early, but that there was plenty of space and things to do and see before the show (and no line at Will Call 30 minutes before).

Continue reading “Wicked on Broadway: Is it Appropriate for Kids?”

July 17, 2016August 28, 2016

An Act of God Review: Is it Appropriate for Kids?

An Act of God with Sean Hayes. Photo copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan — An Act of God with Sean Hayes.

If you’re not familiar with the premise of An Act o f God, the show is basically a monologue with God coming to you through the physical body of an actor (in this case Sean Hayes). God riffs on a whole lot of things, including misconceptions about God and the 10 Commandments. And then he introduces a new set of 10 Commandments because he’s pretty sick of the old ones and never intended those to be his greatest hits.

Continue reading “An Act of God Review: Is it Appropriate for Kids?”

June 9, 2016August 28, 2016

2017 Hamilton tickets going on sale

As you probably know, getting Hamilton tickets is not easy or affordable these days. The next block is going on sale Sunday, June 12 at 8 p.m., to the general public. Tickets are for shows January 31-May 21, 2017. They’ll start at $179 face value.

Timing coincides with the start of the Tony Awards, where Hamilton will be well represented with 16 Tony nominations (timing coincidence? I think not). So if you want tickets, move quickly, as tickets are already available this week to American Express Centurion and Platinum card holders, and you’ll be fighting against fans as well as scalpers.

If you miss this round of tickets, here’s how to get Hamilton tickets otherwise.

Good luck and let us know if you get tickets!

February 19, 2016August 28, 2016

How to get tickets to Hamilton on Broadway

Given all the kudos and (deserved) attention Hamilton on Broadway has received in the past six months alone (never mind the build-up to the Broadway opening), the big question is how to get tickets to Hamilton. I’m so glad I got mine already – I saw the show in September. My husband was horrified that I paid $120/seat for tickets in the second to last row of the balcony for a show he’d not yet heard of. I know, you’re shaking your head about how cheap $120 a ticket seems, even though the face value of the tickets was something like $46. No complaints. I’d love to see it again.

So to answer the question of how to get tickets to Hamilton for all my readers, here’s the scoop: Continue reading “How to get tickets to Hamilton on Broadway”

December 5, 2015August 28, 2016

Review: Mad Libs Live with Kids

Our family is a big fan of Mad Libs. We play them a lot – on car trips, on plane trips, on line at the amusement park…But a Mad Libs Live show off-Broadway? How would that work? Well, we got to find out. Here’s our review of Mad Libs Live with kids!

Outside the theater, you can take pictures behind this oversized cut-out, and fill in the blanks. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

The story:

Mad Libs Live features four stereotypical high school students: Continue reading “Review: Mad Libs Live with Kids”

November 18, 2015December 7, 2021

Interesting facts about the Rockettes

After seeing the Rockettes perform, I was interested in learning more about them. Here are some fun facts:

Rockettes must be at least 18 years old by August 31 to perform that holiday season

Santa's Reindeer - the Rockettes. Photo courtesy of the Rockettes. — Santa’s Reindeer – the Rockettes. Photo courtesy of the Rockettes.

They start working late September or early October and work through December. It’s a seasonal gig. Continue reading “Interesting facts about the Rockettes”

November 17, 2015December 7, 2021

Review: Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular With Kids

Every year we talk about going to see the Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and then we don’t get plan ahead and the tickets are too expensive. Or the reasonably priced tickets are at 9 a.m. or 10 p.m. – or on a weekday while the kids are in school. (Info on discount Rockettes tickets at the bottom). This year my husband’s company got a block of tickets and we scored with reasonably priced tickets to a weekend show, so we finally got to see the iconic Rockettes.

Radio City Music Hall Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

This review contains spoilers. It’s also the review of someone who did not research the show before seeing it and did not grow up in this area. Think of me as someone dropped into Manhattan from far away, for the Christmas show. It’s not part of our family history and the only thing I really know about them is that the dancers have a height requirement and they do precision dancing. That’s about it. Continue reading “Review: Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular With Kids”

June 20, 2015August 28, 2016

Review: Behind the Magic Tour – Disney on Broadway

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll see I’m a big Broadway fan (see our reviews of Broadway shows and our family friendly Broadway show page: Broadway for kids). So I was super psyched at a recent Disney Social Media Moms On the Road conference to get the “Behind the Magic” tour at the New Amsterdam Theater.

theater1 — The New Amsterdam Theater is the oldest Broadway theater in NYC. It’s owned by the city of New York, but operated by the Disney Theatrical Productions. Photo by Deborah Abrams Kaplan

This tour is open to the public to those with or without Disney Broadway tickets Continue reading “Review: Behind the Magic Tour – Disney on Broadway”