Top 7 Broadway Shows for Kids 2012

Vivian Beaumont Theatre
Older kids/teens

The show that won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Play is an open-ended run thanks to the audiences who keep coming back for more of this coming-of-age tale. Set during World War I, War Horse follows 17 year-old "Albert" and his quest to find his horse, "Joey," who was sold to the French Cavalry for the war effort. Using award-winning puppetry to bring the animals to life, War Horse was considered to break new ground in theatre. Due to the themes of war, small children may not like War Horse, but older kids, teens, and adults have loved this production.

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Palace Theatre
Kids of all ages/teens

Opening on Broadway in November 2012, this Broadway revival of Annie the Musical is one of the most anticipated of the season - mainly because of the notorious, rigorous casting process the producers underwent to cast the right girls to play "Annie" and her "Orphan" friends. Though the show won't be open for the summer, definitely come back to New York during the holidays when this revival should be in full swing and little orphan "Annie" is bringing the house down, beltin' "Tomorrow."

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Brooks Atkinson Theatre
Older kids/teens

A new take on an old tale, this Tony Award-winning production is a play with music, presenting Peter Pan's Neverland as never before. Peter stars Christian Borle, of Legally Blonde and "Smash" fame, who won a 2012 Tony Award for his performance. A cast of 12 actors takes on a hundred roles to bring this story to life, and older kids and teens will love this new take on Peter Pan, Wendy, and Captain Hook.

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Director and choreographer Jeff Calhoun was nominated for a 2012 Tony for his work on this dynamic, energetic production. Newises the Musical tells the tale of a rag-tag group of newspaper boys who band together against the corporate overlords of the media industry. With high-flying leaps, explosive acrobatics, and stellar performances all-around, the cast brings Academy Award winner Alan Menken's music and Calhoun's vision to life.

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Serving up spoonfuls of sugar eight shows per week, Disney's Mary Poppins brings the beloved film to life on the Broadway stage. Having played over 2,000 performances, Mary Poppins the Musical is a favorite amongst families who want family-friendly entertainment - especially since the closing of Billy Elliot the Musical. With familiar songs, high-flying wire-work, and great character actors in tow, Mary Poppins will seem positively supercalifragilistic!

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The hands-down favorite, especially for teenage girls who dream of being on Broadway one day, has to be Stephen Schwartz's Wicked. With "popular" songs for belting and perfecting their musical comedy chops, Wicked is a family favorite in New York and on the road. Offering the backstory to the The Wizard of Oz, this show almost didn't survive its initial months on Broadway. But over time, Wicked grew a fan base of cult-proportions and is now a top-selling show, frequently setting records for weekly totals, including being the first Broadway show to bring in $2,000,000 in one week. If you have a kid in theatre or a "glee" club, Wicked is required viewing.

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If in doubt, you can never go wrong with Disney's The Lion King. A spectacular stage realization of Disney's animated film of the same name, the Broadway production gives every bit of heart that the film did with the added bonus of all the animals being portrayed by amazing actor-singer-dancers. Even after 6,000 performances, is still one of the hottest tickets in town.

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