Seeing Broadway shows with kids when you’re in New York City is part of the quintessential NYC experience. We’ve taken the kids to NYC a few times and now I’ve gotten to take each one of our boys with me on work trips, just the two of us and we’ve made doing a Broadway show with kids an easy, fun thing for us all to look forward to. With that, I’ve decided that each time we see a show I’m going to add a review to our blog with information about how kid friendly the Broadway shows are and tips for making sure everyone has a great experience.
Have you gotten to see any Broadway shows with kids? We’re fortunate that we’ve both had a lot of work trips to NYC and that our kids enjoy the theater, so we’ve seen many shows. We’ve got tips for making sure you’re choosing the right show for your family, making sure it’s appropriate to your kids’ ages, and in general good theater etiquette to get everyone through the Broadway show experience. If you have any questions about the Broadway shows we’ve seen with our kids or need additional recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and love helping others add some culture to their travels.
Why do a Broadway Show with Kids?
What I find to be the most enjoyable part of seeing a Broadway show with kids in addition to the performance is how much they are inspired by each show. I don’t mean that they’re inspired to take up tap dancing after seeing CHICAGO or learn to cast spells after seeing Wicked, but inspired to explore different areas of the arts. It never fails that immediately following seeing a Broadway show with out kids, at least one of them will have a stint of being a little obsessed with the music or setting of the show. They each get really excited to research things about the performances, from the original stories to the historical context. Heck, after we saw the Lion King on Broadway our whole family went through a big puppeteering phase. You just never know what element of watching a live performance is going to have an impact or plant a seed.
I think one of the coolest inspirations that got both of our kids was how curious they got about British history after we saw SIX on Broadway. They wanted to learn about the government, the characters from the show, and the current monarchy of the UK. I love the entertainment element, but the residual interests is the biggest win for us.
On the art side of thing, seeing a Broadway show or shows with kids is a gateway to getting them interested in the arts. Our youngest already loves to sing and dance, so this just fuels that fire, but with our oldest, he gets so interested in the set design elements and story crafting. Really, there’s no negative to helping kids experience theater, especially when it’s of the Broadway caliber.
Tips for Broadway Shows with Children
I have so much advice to share about seeing a Broadway show with kids or how to plan a great experience. First off, I think the best tip for planning a show when you’re in New York or any city with a major performance theater is to choose a show that’s good for your group. Not every production is kid-friendly, and not every Broadway show demonstrates good morals on stage. Heck, some shows can actually be pretty explicit. Before you settle on the show or shows you want to see with kids when you’re planning your Broadway experiences, read up on the different productions. Even if it’s a show or story you’re familiar with, you may be surprised by how the stage version is different from either a book you’ve read or movie you’ve seen.
Also, sometimes there will be a new production on Broadway that may interpret the style or message of the original story differently. Sometimes this can be a bit surprising, but ideally for the blockbuster Broadway shows, you’ll get a production that fits with the traditional story or known production style. Another thing to consider when choosing a Broadway show with kids is whether or not they’re going to be interested in it for the duration of the show. Some productions, like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are really long and even with an intermission may feel like a lifetime for some younger kids. But then a production of SIX is only 90 minutes in total but then DOESN’T have an intermission. And then you have Little Shop of Horrors and it’s just the perfect length and split.
Read up on the flow of the shows you’re interested in an what people recommend for the ages and interests. This will be a big help in choosing the right sort of experience for your crew. Look for comments from viewers about things like the pace of the show, when the most exciting scenes or songs happen or if somebody notes that a show “dragged on” as their reviewing it. You’ll be able to learn a lot about the viewing experience by reading others’ reviews.
Should We Dress Up for a Broadway Show with Kids?
I think that theater experiences are different for everyone. Some people like to make a night of it, have a nice dinner and then see a show, followed by evening cocktails afterwards. If you’re taking kids to a Broadway show, you might go with this approach or you may just have a good meal before hand and then arrive to your upper back balcony seats as the lights dim. There’s not a wrong way to have a theater experience with kids, but getting gussied up for a show does make it feel like a special experience.
While New York’s theaters don’t have a set dress code, ideally evening shows get a little more pizzazz and afternoon shows are a bit more chill. We do tell our kids that one way you can show others respect, especially when you come to their workplace, is to be well kempt and reflect the intent of the environment. Sometimes this means that you’re not wearing basketball shorts everywhere and sometimes it means that we’ll put on a button up shirt. When we’re doing Broadways shows with kids, we have that same approach of dressing a bit nicer than just playing tourist (unless we score unplanned tickets and we’re all in jeans and t-shirts already). It’s up to you though and it’s not worth stressing over.
Doing Stage Door after a Broadway Show
Each time we wait outside of the stage door when we see a Broadway show with our kids it’s really fun. They love getting to see the performers as regular people, getting to meet them, taking photos with the cast and just the whole experience. As parents, I think it’s really special to do with them and adds to their love of the theaters and helps them connect with an interest that they may have all their lives.
To do a stage door experience, it costs nothing and it just takes patience. After the show lets out, head outside of the main theater entrance (for most New York theaters) and there is usually a door that exits very near the primary front doors. Often there are stanchions or rails up to allow performers to exit where theater patrons are welcome to wait to say hey to the cast. While you may not get to see everyone come out this way, usually you’ll get to see at least a few people and maybe even get photos and autographs. For larger shows, you may not see the headliner come out through the stage show, but you never know.
Of all the stage doors we’ve done, SIX in NYC was the best experience. Each of the Queens came out and chatted with people, took pictures, signed autographs and were so kind. This experience absolutely had an impact on our kids.
Etiquette for Broadway Shows with Kids
We’ve seen Broadway shows with our kids that are literally designed for a young audience and then we’ve seeing shows where we forgot just how much of an adult theme the production has. In any scenario though, we always take the approach of being an non-disruptive throughout the show as possible. We are sure to have everyone use the restroom before the show begins and we’re the first ones in line for the bathroom at intermission. We do this both so that nobody misses part of the show and so we don’t disrupt anyone else’s viewing experience.
Another part of not disrupting the show for others is minimizing the sound we make. This includes talking during the show AND having snacks. We try to get the kids to save all questions until intermission or after the show, but sometimes they still need to ask while the performance in happening, so then we listen to the question and answer it at the break or end.
When it comes to noise from snacks, I am very much opposed to eating in the theater but I think I’m among the few with that thought. When we took the kids to the Great Gatsby on Broadway the people next to us were crunching away for the first thirty minutes of the show and it was so annoying. We aim to NOT be like them. To keep us from being those people we eat before the show, afternoon or evening, and maybe do a snack at intermission. Between the crinkling and crunching and chomping, it just doesn’t add to the show experience for anyone. A quiet beverage disturbs no one.
Note: nearly every Broadway show has a concession stand of some sort offering food and drinks. If you have to have something at your seat, then do what you need to do, but I personally feel that it distracts from the theater experience.
Can I take Photos during a Show?
Ummm, while I wish this wasn’t even a question, it really is an issue. If you bust out your phone to snap a photo or record video during a Broadway show there will be an usher shining a flashlight on you faster than you can say Phantom of the Opera. Both as a courtesy to those around you and to not distract the performers, photography and videos during a performance are not allowed. If you’re seeing a Broadway show with kids bringing out the phone so they can play a game to stay peaceful is also not okay. The ushers will treat this the same way, and if that’s needed to keep them seated or quiet, then it sounds like bringing them to a show wasn’t a great idea.
You CAN take photos of the stage and theater before the show and during intermission, and then when curtain call is happening. Being non-intrusive in others’ experiences is key and you’ll be allowed to snap a picture. One of the best times to get photos is actually AFTER the show when you can go to the front of the theater.
Getting Broadway Show Tickets
Thankfully I’m a big planner, so whether it’s visiting New York City with my teen or going for work, I try to get our Broadway show tickets in advance. I use Broadway Direct to get our tickets 90% of the time because you can get any show through their app or website and the interface makes it seamless for getting your tickets on your phone / adding them to your Google Wallet or Apple Pay.
You can also use services like Today Tix or Seat Geek to look for Broadway show ticket deals, but I prefer to go as direct as possible both to minimize fees and avoid any potential technical errors or scams. I haven’t been scammed on tickets ever, but I have had purchasing errors using other online ticket platforms. User error or bad interfaces, I don’t know, but I know how I confidently purchase our Broadway tickets nowadays.
You can also get Broadway show tickets in person if you’re in New York City. Some theaters will do box office window purchases in advance or same-day, and some shows even do in-person ticket lotteries. If you’re thinking about last minute tickets and want to do the lotteries, again, Broadway Direct is my pick for that. You can participate in any that are open and you can do it in as far advance as have been released (sometimes a day or two weeks even).
More NYC Fun With Kids
I used to not like going to New York City at all… and then I started bringing my kids when I had to travel to NYC for work and I love it. There is no shame in having a stereotypical New York trip with kids, whether you’re seeing Wicked or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway or you’re visiting Times Square at night to see the craziness, it’s all fun. Here are our top picks for activities with kids when you’re in NYC, and a few of them really add to the fun of having a family day in New York City.
- do the Empire State Building experience (it’s much more than just going up to the Observation Deck)
- visit the Harry Potter New York Store – it’s shopping, photo ops, Butterbeer and magical fun)
- have a meal at Ellen’s Stardust Diner – live singing all through the restaurant
- go out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
- check out the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian (I love this place)
- take the kids to the Nintendo and Lego stores
- do the Museum of Modern Art (better with kids than the Met)
- enjoy the Museum of Natural History and Central Park
If you do half of these activities paired with an awesome Broadway show like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child you’ll have a great trip to New York City with kids. For more ideas and suggestions for visiting NYC with older kids, check out our article about NYC with a Preteen. Lot’s of insights into what makes a trip with older kids fun.
Other Kid-friendly Broadway Shows to Consider
Not all Broadway shows are as kid-friendly as the Lion King, but there are some good ones… and we’ve seen them so we can share our opinions with you! Like with anything in life, you know your kids best and know what they’ll be into and down for. When it comes to choosing a Broadway show to see with kids, try to think about these three things:
- Appropriateness – every kid has a different level of maturity and every household has a different level of joking / age-appropriate comedy. Read up on a show to gauge the level of adult content before planning to take kids to it.
- Consider the timing of a show – afternoon shows are great with kids and you’ll often see more families at these shows. If you’re concerned about your kids talking in the theater and such, look for an afternoon show when other families may be in attendance too.
- Visual – kids love bright, fun shows with catchy songs and cool effects. Drab, moody shows aren’t great with kids (or me), but fun, upbeat, colorful shows are sure to keep kids’ attention.
If you’re concerned that there may be too much adult content in a Broadway show, because there often is, these shows are solid choices to see with kids and if they aren’t on Broadway in NYC at the moment, you may be able to see them as they tour. Touring productions are just as skillful, but may be slightly less grand than productions in residence due to the need to be flexible.
- any Disney Broadway show – Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, Frozen, Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins
- Christmas productions – Elf, White Christmas, A Christmas Story
- Classic Shows – Cinderella, Oklahoma, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Anything Goes, Music Man…
If you have any questions about seeing Wicked on Broadway, other shows or putting together your ideal NYC plan for your family, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and love to help other have amazing adventure
