What are the best musicals on Broadway these days?
 

We are taking the kids (16, 14 and 11) on their first ever trip to New York in July. We'd like to see several musicals, but I want to see good ones. It seems like every New York Times review I look up is negative; they can't all be bad. I'm not only looking for shows with good music and a good book, but good productions with a good cast. (If the touring company is just as good, we can just see it in Dallas.)

To ask a few specific questions:

Is the current production of Chicago good?

I'd love to see Mary Poppins, but don't want to if it really is "tedious" (in the words of the reviewer.)

All thoughts are welcome!

Well, my first suggestion is to look beyond The New York Times! With all due respect to Mr. Brantley, his reviews often slant toward the negative. So definitely get a second (or third!) opinion.

I personally enjoyed Mary Poppins, and if you and your kids are fans of the movie and/or books you'll have a great time.

What shows has your family enjoyed before? That might help us suggest some great options.

The kids have loved every musical they've seen, from church and school productions to Disney shows to touring companies. They're easy to please. It's DH and I who are looking for some quality productions.

Sounds like you would love Drowsy Chaperone! It's a lot of fun, and if you've seen a lot of shows you'll especially enjoy the "insider" humor.

Spring Awakening is wonderful, and would likely be very different from anything you've seen. However, it might be too mature for your youngest. Perhaps take a look through reviews and their website (springawakening.com) to see if you feel comfortable with it.

You might also consider a "classic" like A Chorus Line. I unfortunately did not ever see the original production, so I can't compare, but I very much enjoyed this one.

Wow, Spring Awakening sounds great, but yes, maybe a little much for the 11 year old.

I've never actually seen A Chorus Line. I've had score memorized for a couple of decades, but have never seen it.

With a family of five, I'd certainly be looking for some discount offers. Those theater costs can soar!
With that in mind, I'd put Hairspray and Legally Blonde at the top of the list. It's a bit early for discount offers for most of July. Check broadwaybox.com and playbill.com later this month for offers with later dates.(The current one for Legally Blonde expires July 8, while the one for Hairspray expires on late June.)
The Drowsy Chaperone is another possibility, but I think your kids would enjoy the other two more.

Put me on the tiny list that is also looking forward to the opening of Xanadu.

I can't imagine how Mary Poppins could be considered "tedious". It's so much fun.

Hairspray is a great choice for your whole family. I suspect that Legally Blonde is as well, but I won't see it for a couple weeks yet to know.

Chorus Line is always a great choice, especially if you've never seen it.

And I wouldn't overlook Curtains.

Wicked.Lion King,Jersey boys,Hair spray.All of these were great and The kids will enjoy them.Check ouy playbill.com for discounts on Hair spray.

I, personally, wouldn't take kids those ages to "Spring Awakening". And, I think they'd be very bored with "A Chorus Line".

"Drowsey Chaperone" or "Mary Poppins" would be excellent for all of you.

We've seen "Chicago" six times (there are nearly always discounts/good seats). One of our favorite shows ever! The cast has always been superb - even with leads with whom we are not familiar.

"Hairspray" is great fun. And, anything "objectionable" would go right past the younger kids.

About "Curtains" - if you are interested in this one, get your tickets NOW. Tony Nominations will be announced on Tuesday. In my experience, if a show receives numerous nominations, tickets are very soon thereafter difficult, especially with discounts.

Over the years, I've had great luck getting tickets RIGHT after the nominations are announced and before the "nominated for..." ads begin to appear. Even then, the better seats are available after the reviews but before the nominations are announced.

Obviously, "several shows" would be a considerable investment, so you may want to take your chances at TKTS, unless you determine specific shows "must-see".

For all-round family enjoyment I would recommend Wicked, Lion King, Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins or Hairspray. I've seen some of these on Broadway and some in London's West End and they were all excellent -Wicked was my favourite, and they will expecially love it if they know the Wizard of Oz story.

With teens, effectively Hairspray or
Mary Poppins are a good choice.
Chicago could be a little more too mature for the 11 years old...but music is so good and the choregraphy is a must...
Les Miz is another option...
Mamma Mia could reunite the whole family : music is from the 70' but my daughters (10 and 15) had a lot of fun.
For Spring awakening, like others
I find it too mature for teens.
And despite the "good" reviews, we found it ...boring...We leave at the intermission.
Music is not at all modern : the slow
songs began all with a "guitar" rift like an old Simon and garfunkel song, the "rocklike" songs began all with a drum tempo : nothing modern...
I have not seen the utility of a whole song with a masturbating actor...
The sadomasochist scene is for me understable in a "normal" spring awakening way of an adolescent...
And don't think we are prude : we enjoyed
the last broadway version of cabaret(and
the "2 ladies" song was not chocking : just need an intelligence of direction),
we like years ago "The Life" and even Chicago-in another way- are proof than sex can be used in a musical but chocking for chocking has always be for
me an unusefullness outrageous way...
Erik.

For family fun I'd say, Lion King, Wicked, Mama Mia.

We certainly didn't find Spring Awakening boring and enjoyed it very much but no way would I take an 11 year old. If my 14 year old had any ilusions of sex before she doesn't now. Kids see a lot more in PG 13 movies but it's different seeing it in real life plus some are atypical teen sex scenes.

I meant to add Hairspray is a good choice and discount tickets are often available ahead of time at www.theatremania.com or at the TCKTS booth.

I think that although Chicago is very good, it is too mature for the kids. Curtains was good, however I think the kids (and the adults) will enjoy Legally Blonde.

We got tickets at the TKTS booth the day of for all three of those shows. Not sure how hard it is to get for that many people (we only needed two tickets).

I would think Lion King and Mary Poppins would fun, although you'll be paying a lot more for those tickets.

Have fun!

Thanks so much everyone. One more question, please. I know about the web sites where one can get discounts. And I know about last minute tickets from the TCKTS booth. Here's the question: Are the last minute tickets from the TCKTS booth significantly less expensive than the ones purchased in advance from the discount sites?

I would recommend Hairspray and Wicked.

Missypie, the discounts are often very close, and the added bonus of buying them in advance is that you save precious time NOT waiting in line!

It may be just a bit early to get discounts for July, but I imagine they'll be coming up soon.

It looks like Lion King is actually coming to Dallas in the fall, so I would see it there and use your NYC time to see something that's only on Broadway.

Tickets at TKTS are usually half price plus a $3 service charge per ticket.
Discount tickets usually run anywhere from 60-75% off the regular price (once in a while they are half price). If you order them in advance by phone or online, there's a $6-7 service charge per ticket. If you take a copy of the same offer to the box office when you first arrive in the city, you save the service charge.

To me an even greater advantage of buying discounted tickets in advance over waiting to buy them last minute at TKTS is that you will get better seats -- particularly if you call Telecharge or Ticketmaster (whichever represents that particular show) and give them a couple choices of dates if possible and ask for the best seats -- according to you -- not according to the website. For example the website often shows best available is half way or further back in the side of the orchestra, but when I check with an agent, I can sometimes find first or second row mezzanine which I think are far better seats. Clearly the best available seats being bought in advance will be gone the day of the show when you go to TKTS and they're really scraping "the bottom of the barrel" of what's left.