Tim Stark

We are deciding which shows to see this summer with our kids and our 16 year old wants to see LES MISERABLES, but we are unsure if our 12 year old would be better off seeing another musical such as My Fair Lady. Any thoughts or opinions?

Leslie

I loved Les Miz, but I wasn't 12 when I saw it. You might tell your 12 year old the story, you might even want to read Victor Hugo's book together. At least get the CD and listen to the music in advance of going to the show.<BR><BR>But, you'll also have a good time at My Fair Lady. You might also check out Buddy, the Buddy Holly Story, which is a fun show.

TheTraveler

Hi Tim! I saw Les Miz, Sound of Music and Annie Get Your Gun in New York City with my 18 year old. She loved Sound of Music, enjoyed Annie Get Your Gun but did not like Les Miz. Maybe something light and uplifting would be better. TheTraveler

Sue

Mamma Mia (music of ABBA) was wonderful; cannot imagine anyone not enjoying it. The story is not "deep" or symbolic or anything like that, but it sure is a "feel good" show.

Sue

My friend took her 3 daughters (8, 12, 14) to see Les Miz in London and they LOVED it. But she did as Leslie said, so the kids were familiar with it. The Lion King was great, so you could consider that.

Barbara

we took my daughters to see Les Mis when they were 10 and 12 and both of the absolutely LOVED it. the other shows that both kids loved at this age were Cats and Phantom. They both are also addicted to Rent, which they saw at 11 and 14. A bit more sophisticated, but they loved that too, and memorized all the words. They key to all of these was listening to the CD in advance, so they are familiar with the music, and talking about the story in advance.

Tim Stark

Thank you for all of your helpful tips!<BR><BR>I do think that Lion King will be finished by the time we are in London (late June) and pardon me for saying this, but ABBA just does not sound like something I want to revisit. We are now thinking Les Miz, then maybe My Fair Lady for a lighter show. <BR>Do you all think that for these two particular shows we should book directly through the theatre or use one of the booking agencies?

Howard

I took my 13-year old daughter and 9-year old son to see Les Mis in London when it was new, and they both loved it. Of course, they were both theater-savvy, and had been seeing and doing shows for years. They also knew the music backward and forward. I think that with a little pre-planning (listening to the disk, reviewing the story,etc), a 12 year old will love it, and it might just change her (her?) life.

fairoaks jim

Went just last summer to London and saw Les miz with a 9, 11 and 14 year old. On the day of the show we got what they called "restricted view seats" which turned out to be front row, center. It was one of the major highlights of a two week trip to London and Paris. We also saw My Fair Lady and while they loved it, they liked Les Miz better.

Patrick

I'm not sure what you meant by Lion King being finished by the time you get there in London. Lion King is currently booking through Sept. 29. The best place to get tickets to all these shows is by calling each box office directly. They will discuss available seats, take a credit card number, and hold the tickets at the box office. There is no fee at all for this. Using a booking service will generally add a minimum of 10 pounds to the top priced seats.<BR>A good source for information on the shows and theatres as well as the actual box office numbers is www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk<BR>You can also go to www.albemarle-london.com for similar information (but they won't tell you the box office numbers as they sell their tickets at inflated prices). They do offer seating charts though and you can print one off so you will know what the box office is talking about when you call them.<BR>Enjoy the theatre in London. I know many 12 year olds who have loved Les Miz, but all the shows you have talked about are good bets.

Tim Stark

Thanks for all of the tips!<BR>I was incorrect about Lion King. Maybe we'll just have to see one more show and just skip one day day of eating!

Keith Legg

I think it really depends on whether or not you think your 12 year old will sit for 3 hours in the theatre - as I recall, the first act of Les Mis is about 1.5 - 2 hours long.<BR><BR>You could also try "Kiss Me, Kate" as a lighter offering - one of my favourites.