Potato Needs a Bath: the Perfect Show for First-time Theatergoers

My son is three and like many kids his age, he has trouble staying still. But at Potato Needs a Bath—a 30-minute puppet show currently playing at the New 42nd Street Studios—he sat rapt, and only moved his little body when he needed a better view of puppeteer Shona Reppe and her colorful cast of fruits and vegetables.

Even though this one-woman show was created with two- to five-year-olds in mind, I loved it just as much as my son thanks to clever puns and a creative set with cool nooks and crannies. Here's what to expect, plus a roundup of other New York City theaters that regularly put on shows for preschoolers.

The plot is simple: Potato is a muddy spud who needs to get clean before he can join a party in his honor. But the script is funny and full of playful surprises. Potato Needs a Bath doesn't rely on audience participation to keep children engaged. Instead Reppe—a striking Scottish woman who's affectionately known as the "Fairy Godmother of Puppetry"—captivates with her comical characters. There's Madame Aubergina, a glamorous eggplant who adores fancy jewels, a pair of pears and their little son William, some baby carrots that listen to lullabies, and a plum who uses the potty, to name a few.

Reppe performs in an intimate black box theater and the audience sits on pillows strewn about the floor. Kids wear party hats that they design in the theater's waiting room before the show starts, and at the end they get goody bags with stickers and a rubber ducky.

On the way home, my son begged me to talk like "Potato's mama"—he picked up on her cool accent—and even though the show started right around his naptime, he was giddy and wide awake throughout.

Potato Needs a Bath plays at the New 42nd Street Studios through April 24. Tickets are $20. Click here for schedule.

Think your kid's ready for her first live show? Don't go into debt buying full-price Broadway tickets. Here are five local spots where you can introduce your preschooler to the wonderful world of theater without spending a bundle.

Puppetworks - Park Slope
This marionette theater hosts shows for kids ages 3 and up throughout the year. Its mounting of Alice in Wonderful wraps up this Sunday, April 17, and The Wizard of Oz begins on Saturday, April 30. $8 for adults, $7 for kids.

The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre - Upper West Side
Professional puppeteers have been working their magic with hand-carved marionettes in this Central Park spot since 1947. The theater's first-ever commissioned piece, the surreal Secret History of the Swedish Cottage, plays through June. $8 for adults, $5 for kids.

Vital Children's Theatre - multiple locations
This troupe usually bases its musicals on popular children's books, like the long-running Pinkalicious. The company is also currently mounting the original musical Awesome Allie: First Kid Astronaut through April 24. $25.

Manhattan Children's Theatre - Tribeca
This venerable kids' company is looking for a new home since it's being forced to shutter its current location at the end of this season. But you can still catch one more show in the space: The Complete Works of the Brothers Grimm (Abridged) through May 30. $20.

Literally Alive - Greenwich Village
All of this troupe's musicals are based on classic fairy tales. The Little Mermaid will be playing through May 22. $25.

Remember, there are even more shows listed in the Mommy Poppins Events Calendar!

Photo by Douglas McBride