We are spending a few days in July in New York, and want to take our son to see a Broadway production. He likes theatre, what shows might be fun and appropriate for him? Thanks for any advice.

i would recommend lion king, it's an excellent show for all ages. Beauty and the Beast is an excellent show as well, but the story line may not appeal to your son. I have heard from friends that Mama Mia is a great show and could possible be appropriate for your son. I work in NYC, so if you have any other questions, don't hestitate to ask.

TTT

Definitely "Into the Woods", "42nd Street", and possibly "Oklahoma".

For an 11 year old boy, definitely Lion King, also Phantom. Be prepared to spend some bucks (esp for LK)--check in with your concierage.

I think it's a good idea to introduce youngsters to the biggies -- i.e., the plays who's names people will be remembering 20 years from now (look at how long Cats lasted). Your son will probably be amazed at how often he'll come across references to the big musicals as he grows up, reads more than the comics in the newspapers, and talks to his peers. "Oh yeah, I saw that play on Broadway." Yes, there is more highbrow, but for an 11 year old, I'd go for the tried and true.

My vote goes for: Lion King, Millie, Beauty & the Beast - in that order. I don't know about Mama Mia. Your child, your call. The plot is about a 20ish year old girl who is about to be married & invites 3 men who could each possibly be her father to the wedding. Apparently, her mother doesn't know who the father is either as she hopped from one to the other.

I'd vote for Lion King or Beauty & the Beast. Steer clear of Oklahoma, it's long and ponderous.

Depending on the maturity and sophistication of the boy, if he thinks that Lion King is childish by now, he might enjoy AIDA. Great new Elton John music, interesting story line set in Ancient Egypt, lavish production numbers, funny, insightful, politically correct, some adventure, PG. Momma Mia is best for aging ABBA fans but, for kids, it has a more girl oriented story line.

When I told my 11 yr old son we were going to see the Lion King, during our trip to London, he was disgusted. It sounded like watching Barney, to him. But, as the play openned, his jaw dropped, literally. (Honestly, I think all of our eyes were popping out of our heads.) After a few minutes, he turned to me and said, his voice in awe, "This is REAL theater, Mom!" We were all in awe of the show, in fact. It was great.

While I LOVED the Lion King, I wonder if an 11 year old boy might think it too juvenile -- kind of a pre-pubescent, been there, done that, kind of attitude. I guess you'll have to judge your own son on that one.

When we saw Millie, we sat next to 4 approximately 8 year old boys. Dad had to explain some of it to them at intermission and they were appropriately disgusted at the kissing scenes, but seemed to enjoy it overall. It is wholesome fun and I think an 11 year old could follow it pretty well. The Chinese characters will give him a real laugh, too.

Urinetown

We saw the Lion King in Toronto 2 years ago with boys who were 14 and 12 at the time. They had previously seen Beauty and the Beast in Toronto when they were about 8 and 10. They loved the Lion King, it's such a theatrical production I think it's for all ages. They thought Beauty and the Beast was a little young for them and probably didn't want to tell their friends they saw it but Lion King was another story.

Also check out the old standbys, Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera. If they've never seen a broadway productions, these are must-sees and enjoyable for the entire family. I also think they are too old for Beauty. Lion King is great if you can get tickets. Check out Hitshowclub.com and playbill.com. Both of these sites offer lots of show discounts. You have to register, but it's free. Oklahoma may be a good choice too.

Our 11 year old saw Mama Mia in London last fall and loved it.He wanted the cd afterwards.

You can get tickets 1/2 price the day of the performances at TKTS. There are two locations: Time Square and in front of the American Indian Museum near Battery Park. The tickets go on sale earlier at the second location.

I was just in NY and was able to get good seats for most shows.

My 11 year old daughter, 13 year old son, and our friends 12 year old daughter all absolutely loved the Lion King.