My daughter and I loved Pitch Perfect, so when I heard about In Transit, Broadway’s first a capella musical, I wanted to go. And naturally, I took her with me. The crew bringing you In Transit has some serious cred. The four writers in different combinations brought us Pitch Perfect and Frozen, and have a lot of a capella experience in other venues.
If you’re looking for a kid-friendly Broadway show, School of Rock should be on your list.
School of Rock Broadway show curtain. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
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”
Barney’s theme this year is the Love Peace Joy Project. It features work from prominent artists you may or may not have heard of. More on that below. These windows were a lot of fun.
Rob Pruitt’s cardboard monsters watching TV. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
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.
Is Oh, Hello on Broadway appropriate for kids? Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
We took our teen daughter to the Museum of Arts and Design recently, curious to check out a smaller Manhattan museum we hadn’t yet been to. I highly recommend taking the free docent tour, which lasts about an hour and gives a good highlight of the exhibits. Of course you can head back to look further before or after you’re done.
It’s not a big museum, so if you’re looking for something manageable with the kids (an hour or less), this is a good option. It’s in Columbus Circle and it’s free for kids 18 and under ($16/adult). They have a number of family programs as well, so check that out when planning your visit.
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).
If you’re not familiar with the premise of An Act of 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.
I was wandering through Soho last month and passed a store I hadn’t see there before. With a big ice cream bar in the window, of course I went inside. This is the new Magnum seasonal store at 134 Prince Street. It opened in April.
It’s glitzy and fun and would please any child and adult. Here’s how it works. At the counter you choose your ice cream type (hormone-free chocolate or vanilla), chocolate dipping type (Belgian dark, milk or white chocolate) and three toppings (they have 20 to choose from).
Magnum’s pop-up store is in Soho through mid-August. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
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.
Given all the kudos and (deserved) attention