Pounding 42nd Street…

Jake and Zac have been enjoying shows since before they could talk. Living close to New York City has allowed us the luxury of seeing some truly incredible shows, many of which were on Broadway.

As the daughter of a professional ballet dancer, I grew up seeing shows and even spent some time backstage, which is why I am so in awe of theater and want to expose Jake and Zac to it.

When it comes to kids, though, Broadway can be touchy. Obviously, people pay quite a bit of money for their tickets so they do not want to be bothered by a child or toddler making noise, kicking their seat or doing basically anything that kids do. However, with a little preparation and forward thinking, kids can and will enjoy a great show as much (if not more) than their “adult” counterparts.

Some of our favorite shows lately have been Cirque du Soleil PARAMOUR, Jake and Zac were in such awe that they didn’t move an inch, their eyes were glued to the stage. They also loved Aladdin, and to be honest we picked this show specifically for Jake and Zac, but  I (and the other “adults”) LOVED it! We also saw the classic Cats revival, which had been a favorite of mine as a child.

Paramor on Broadway… Zac couldn’t take his eyes off the stage!

Aladdin on Broadway

Here are my tips for cultivating a love of theater…

First start taking kids to the theater as early as possible, just don’t start with Broadway. Let them test the water at local school productions and other shows where kids are welcome. We saw an amazing high school performance of Little Shop of Horrors, A Gazillion Bubbles, The Nutcracker and The Rockets’ Christmas Spectacular for starters.

Also, always have a quick exit strategy in place. Kids are unpredictable. I learned this lesson the hard way when we saw Spiderman on Broadway  – I’m not kidding, Jake had no problem keeping it together in Memphis but a couple weeks later lost it in Spiderman – see UNPREDICTABLE.

You will also want to make sure any show you are seeing is appropriate, some even have age limits. Jake has seen a show or two that made me blush (but I think most of it went over his head).

And, if you can, mix things up. Jake and Zac loved this helicopter ride in between seeing The Waitress and Hamilton (Zac stayed home for those two shows).

I have to mention, that we have some very generous family members that have taken us to see many of the shows we have. And, having seen both local productions and Broadway, chances are your local theater can be an amazing and affordable substitute.