NYC - Broadway shows
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Anonymous
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If it is the first time, which musical would be good for young teens - Lion King, Wicked or Aladdin?
Are there some seats that are better than others in the same section? Does it matter where we sit? What is considered a good price for these tickets? If we were to watch one show, what else can we do nearby that day? Are we supposed to dress up? I see 3pm and 8pm shows. |
Anonymous
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How young? Those are all probably fine choices, but I don't love any of them. We really liked Hadestown -- my teens are into Greek myths -- but if they're really young, that might be a bit much. &Juliet would be fun with teens, but I haven't seen it. Justin Time has Jonathan Groff (!) and looks like it will have a lot of fun toe-tappers. And Hamilton is just AMAZING and totally worth it if they haven't seen it. Six is also super fun (and short, if that's a concern) -- my 12 year old really liked it, and I got her a couple kids history books about the wives of Henry VIII before we saw it so she felt like she *knew* them. It's not really a traditional show though -- each wife gets a song and they have a couple songs together, so it tells a story but not in teh traditional musical way. There's also the Outsiders, which a lot of kids read in middle school -- have no idea if it's good, but it did win some Tony's.
The theaters are all small so seats are all decent, but avoid ones that are obstructed view or way over to one side or another. Obviously, better tickets will be more expensive so you just need to balance your budget. I usually end up with something like a middle priced seat and it's fine. You can walk over to Times Square (my least favorite place in possibly the world) and do the tourist stuff that teens love like the Nintendo store, the M&M store and the swatch store. Or you can find someplace to have a fun dinner before or after. -- if you tell us what kind of food/vibe you like, we can probably come up with some suggestions. Depending on when your train gets in and how much you feel like wandering, you could easily add something like MOMA, or going to the "Top of the Rock" for the views (top of Rockefeller Center). I think MOMA is free for teens but I might be wrong. There's a few famous paintings there, like water lilies, that they've probably seen reproductions of, so that can be fun. |
Anonymous
| Oh, and sadly, no, people don't really dress up anymore. I still use it as an occasion to get a *little* dressed up. Like, let's at least not wear athletic wear. The theaters can be cold though, so if your teens are wearing little spaghetti strap summer dresses, they might want a jacket or wrap. |
Anonymous
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Lion King is just gorgeous and most people would enjoy the plot. I've seen tons of musicals and plays and the scenery and costumes in Lion King are top notch. Music is good too.
I haven't seen the musical of Aladdin. It has a good score which everybody knows. I bet it's a visual feast as well, but not as unusual as Lion King. The Harry Potter Cursed Child play would come in 3rd here. It has some interesting special effects. |
Anonymous
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How old are we talking?
By 13 or 14 I would have had opinions so I would get the kids' input. I've heard Aladdin drags quite a bit. Lion King is a spectacle for the puppets. If they're not Disney kids they might not be into a Disney type musical. Wicked uses its large chorus and mostly focuses on the two leads. Out of those 3 I'd probably say Wicked. I'd also consider Hadestown for something a bit newer. Six is fun but it is a concert musical so seeing it on tour is fine. &Juliet is a fun spectacle but I do wonder if the musical references in it are more Millennial. I'd let the kids watch some clips and involve them in the discussion. |
Anonymous
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Teens no to both of those
& Juliet Sixth Hadestown Wicked |
Anonymous
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I would consider Outsiders. It has a young cast and really great sound design. Avoid seats far left front orchestra. https://outsidersmusical.com/
I agree with the Hadestown recommendation. It is helpful to know a little about Hades, Persephone, and Hermes prior to the show which is mostly about Eurydice and Orpheus. If you don't want the ending spoiled don't look up Orpheus and Eurydice. Tickets will be cheaper than Outsiders. Even the back row in the theater is okay for this one. https://hadestown.com/ Wicked 's ticket prices are high after the movie came out. You could consider Boop! which has the spectacle you are looking for in a Broadway show with lower prices. https://boopthemusical.com/ As a massive fan of musicals, I understand that not everyone enjoys that experience. If your family is not a fan of theater, save your money and do something else with your time in NYC. The cheapest way to get tickets while also still being easy is through the box office which I've linked above. If you have more time than money, there are cheaper tickets available. |
Anonymous
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Also a big fan of musicals. Agree about not getting an obstructed view. When you’re buying seats online, the sites I use will tell you if the view is obstructed.
As far as picking good seats, price of the ticket is a clue as to how good the show is. I am not typically a fan of the first four rows but rarely get tickets that expensive. Also double check your times. Matinee shows are typically at 2 not 3. Everything mentioned here is great. Hadestown would be last on my list for young teens. For a first Broadway show I’d probably pick Lion King. If attention span is short, Sixth is a short show. |
Anonymous
| Outsiders! |
Anonymous
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For teens, I wouldn't pick any of those shows. I'd go with Outsiders, Hamilton, Six, or &Juliet. My 9th graders saw Outsiders on a NYC field trip this year, and LOVED it.
Ticket prices are expensive, so prepare for sticker shock. |
Anonymous
| To check seat quality, I use https://aviewfrommyseat.com/. Find the relevant theater, then find the section/row/seat that is nearest the ones you are considering. I would take higher/farther away over anything obstructed. |
Anonymous
| Definitely not Hadestown. |
Anonymous
3pm Sundays |
Anonymous
+1. I use this site too and it's a great resource! |
Anonymous
What's wrong with Wicked? I saw it in the West End in London with my then 14 yr old. She loved it. |