As a hardcore theater geek, one of the things I love most about spring is the new crop of shows that blooms every year. And even though there's a lot of action on Broadway right now, there are plenty of smaller, less expensive but just as enjoyable kids' productions playing in New York City.
We've gone through all of the listings and picked out the best shows bowing on NYC stages this season. While a couple are at the New Victory (you can't really do a roundup of quality family theater in this town without mentioning 'em), we're also shining a spotlight on less well known theaters and troupes. From circus feats to fractured fairy tales, pop-rock musicals to page-to-stage adaptations, here are our top 13 kids' shows playing this spring.
Ahhh HA! – Midtown West
Through Saturday, April 14. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
The New Victory Theater
209 West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
$14-$38
Ages 4 and up
I caught this comedic circus/variety show last week with my daughter's class and really enjoyed it. Created by Portland-based troupe Do Jump!, Ahhh HA! is silly fun and super fast—if you don't like one routine, don't worry, it'll be gone in a minute or two. There's juggling, aerial work, acrobatics, ladder tricks, lots of slapstick and audience interaction, and a kicking live band. My favorite bit was the final act, when the performers create an illusion that makes them look 15-feet tall. You kind of just need to see it. Act fast:The show closes this Saturday.
Jack & the Beanstalk – Greenwich Village
Thursday, April 12-Sunday, May 6. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
The New Acting Company at the Philip Coltoff Center, 219 Sullivan Street between Bleecker and 3rd Streets
$18
Ages 4 and up
This is a bittersweet production for the hardworking New Acting Company folks: They need to move at the end of this season due to the sale of their building. But they plan to go out with a giant bang: Kathy Keane, who penned last year's popular Snow White, is adapting this famous fairy tale, and she's known for filling her scripts with clever pop culture jokes so mom and dad enjoy some laughs, too.
The Butterfly – Midtown West
April 14-May 6: Saturdays and Sundays at 2 and 4pm.
Theater 3
311 West 43rd Street near Eighth Avenue
$15 for adults, $10 for children under 13
Ages 5 and up
I've seen a few shows by Making Books Sing, and every single one has been a gem. I have really high hopes for this musicalization of Patricia Polacco's award-winning tale of an intense friendship between a pair of tweens during the Nazi occupation of France. The pals meet when the Catholic Monique finds Jewish Sevrine hiding in her attic. The musical was a hit when it debuted back in 2008, and is a great way to teach school-age kids about a difficult subject.
The Dragon Child – Greenwich Village
Friday, April 20 at 7pm; Saturday, April 21 at 2 and 7pm; Sunday, April 22 at 3pm
NYU Skirball Center
566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square South
$25-$40. Click here to save 20% on tickets.
Ages 6 and up
I want to see this from looking at the colorful photos alone! The China Children’s Art Theater combines traditional Chinese theater with modern puppetry and animation to tell the poignant tale of a dragon child raised by the 12 zodiac animals. Life is sweet until environmental hazards begin to threaten her existence. The perfect show to celebrate Earth Day, which is coming up on April 22.
The Book of Everything – Midtown West
Friday, April 20-Sunday, April 29. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
The New Victory Theater
209 West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
$14-$38
Ages 10 and up
With so many kids' shows aimed at tots, it's nice to find one that caters to tweens for a change. Based on Guus Kuijer's children's novel, this coming of age story set in 1951 focuses on a 10-year old who sees things no one else can see, and records them dutifully in his notebook. There are some heavy themes in here, including loneliness, domestic violence, religious extremism and the pursuit of happiness. But for middle schoolers it's bound to be more stimulating than your average fairy tale adaptation.
Drew the Dramatic Fool – Tribeca
April 21-May 13: Saturdays and Sundays at 1 and 4pm
Canal Park Playhouse
508 Canal Street between Greenwich and Washington Streets
$20
Ages 3 and up
Drew Richardson is a master of buffoonery adept at joking, goofing, slapstick comedy and general tomfoolery. He'll tickle your funny bone with his court jester antics. We just hope he doesn't do any spit takes—Canal Playhouse is pretty cozy and he's liable to hit you right in the kisser.
The Jungle Book – Park Slope
April 21-August 19. Click here for schedule.
PuppetWorks, 338 Sixth Avenue at 4th Street
$8 for adults, $7 for kids
Ages 3 and up
This venerable puppet theater is the perfect place to take preschoolers for their first theater experience. Founder Nicolas Coppola's handcrafted marionettes are stunning and kids get to sit on a large mat right by the stage. And what tot doesn't love Rudyard Kipling's 19th-century fables, especially the story of Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves?
Radio Jungle! a Pop Ups Puppet Musical – Gowanus
Sunday, April 22 at 12:30
Littlefield
622 Degraw Street Third and Fourth Avenues
$15 per person, $45 for a family four-pack
All ages
My daughter and I loved this Brooklyn-based pop duo's last musical, Pasta. This time around, the guys go on an ecological scavenger hunt in the jungles of Mexico along with their eccentric puppet friends. While kids will enjoy the silly sketches, parents will appreciate the catchy songs, which run the gamut from pop to rock to dance.
Up to You – Chelsea
Friday, April 27-Sunday, May 20. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
TADA! Youth Theater
15 West 28th Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue
$20-$25 for adults, $8-$15 for children
Ages 5 and up
I'm really looking forward to this musical about a tense student council election in a fictional high school. Despite being set in the late '70s, the show explores challenges facing kids today, like peer acceptance, bullying and wanting to be popular. Since it's performed by local kids and based on the experiences of composer and book writer Eric Rockwell, it's sure to feel real.
Cinderella – Midwood
Sunday, May 20 at 2pm
Brooklyn Center Performing Arts Complex, Walt Whitman Theatre
Campus Road and Hillel Place
$7
Ages 4 and up
American Family Theater mounts a live adaptation of this classic fairy tale, filled with evil stepsisters, transforming animals and a very talented fairy godmother.
Skippyjon Jones – Tribeca
Sunday, June 3 at 3pm
Tribeca Performing Arts Center
199 Chambers Street between West and Greenwich Streets
$25
Ages 4-8
National children's troupe TheatreworksUSA is behind this musicalization of Judy Schachner's picture book about a cat who dreams of being anything other than a feline. When he pretends to be a Chihuahua, he finds himself in hot water South of the Border.
If your family is looking to splurge on a Broadway show, you have two great new ones to choose from. Disney's Newsies, based on the beloved 1992 movie about the boys who hawked newspapers at the turn of the last century, is great for elementary schoolers. I took my six-year-old to see it and she left humming the catchy tunes by Alan "Little Mermaid" Menken, and asking lots of questions about unions and strikes. I called it Annie too: another period piece with lots of cute but down-trodden kids who get a happy ending.
The fast-paced Peter and the Starcatcher, based on the popular young adult novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, chronicles Peter Pan's early years. Done like an English panto, the show is filled with hard-to-follow wordplay, so it's best for older kids. (I even had trouble keeping up with it at times, and I certainly didn't bring my six-year-old.) Anna brought her 12-year-old, who adored it. Since both of these shows are on Broadway, full-price tickets aren't cheap. However you can find generous discounts on Broadwaybox.com.
