Lucky Duck
March 16- 25
This new musical from the Broadway team of Henry Krieger (Dreamgirls, Side Show), Bill Russell (Side Show) and Jeffrey Hatcher (Tuesdays with Morrie) has live musicians! This satirical, rags-to-runway musical created for young people puts a modern spin on classic musical theater. In this no-intermission, 75-minute production best for kids 4 to 8, doo-wopping ducks and other birdie beauties belt out show-stopping pop-soul numbers in exotic locales, like The Barnyard, The Forest and New Duck City.
Tickets: Tickets for Lucky Duck at The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street) cost $25, $18, $12 and $9 for Members and $38, $28, $18 and $14 for Non-members based on seat locations. Theater-goers who buy tickets for three or more New Vic shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including up to 35-percent savings. ONLINE at NewVictory.org BY PHONE at 646-223-3010; Sunday – Wednesday, 11 am-5 pm; Thursday – Saturday, 11 am-7 pm IN PERSON at The New Victory Theater Box Office (209 West 42nd Street); Sunday & Monday 11 am-5 pm; Tuesday-Saturday 12 pm-7 pm.
Details: The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
March 2 through March 11
Play hooky and head down to the banks of the Mississippi with Tom, Huck, Becky and the rest of the gang for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a theatrical adaptation of the Twain classic written by former Lookingglass Theatre Artistic Director, Laura Eason (Sex With Strangers, Around the World in 80 Days). Ms. Eason’s stage adaptation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is loyal to Twain’s original text. The production uses actors in multiple roles, eclectic original music, and a fluid, allegorical set design to capture treasured elements of the story: the thrill of mischief-making, the fickleness of first love, and the cold shivers that linger after a graveyard adventure goes awry. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer first ran at Hartford Stage in 2010, and prior to the New York premiere at The New Victory, was remounted to critical acclaim by Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Actors Theatre of Louisville in association with Hartford Stage.
Tickets: $9-38 depending on membership and on seat locations. Theater-goers who buy tickets for three or more New Vic shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including up to 35-percent savings. ONLINE at NewVictory.org BY PHONE at 646-223-3010; Sunday – Wednesday, 11 am-5 pm; Thursday – Saturday, 11 am-7 pm IN PERSON at The New Victory Theater Box Office (209 West 42nd Street); Sunday & Monday 11 am-5 pm; Tuesday-Saturday 12 pm-7 pm.
Details: The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street)
Paper Bag Dragons
Sunday, March 25 at 3:00 p.m.
As fans of The Paper Bag Players’ shows, we are excited about their new one coming later this month- plus, it involves dragons! The Players do a bit of everything: short plays with rousing songs, audience participation, mime, and painting and drawing on stage. They use common household objects like cardboard boxes and brown craft paper brightened with splashes of poster paint and crayon as sets, props and costumes. The Paper Bag Players’ brand new show includes the tale of the Dandy Do-Everything-Dynamo, a tiny paper bag dragon, a dancing broom, a super-hero, and more. Meet the cast in the lobby after the performance!
Tickets: $12. Tickets are now on sale, and available as follows: In Person: On Stage at Kingsborough box office, Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Boulevard (cross street: Oxford), Brooklyn, NY. There is ample, free parking on the campus. Box Office Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. By Phone: (718) 368-5596 Online: www.OnStageAtKingsborough.org
Details: Performance at On Stage At Kingsborough. By Car: AMPLE, FREE PARKING is available and we are just minutes from Exit 8 off the Belt Parkway. By Bus: Take the B1 or B49 bus straight to our gates. By Subway: Take the B, Q, F, D, or N and transfer to the B1 bus for a short ride to our gates.
Angelina Ballerina The Musical
Sunday, May 20 at 3:00 p.m.
Angelina and her friends, Alice, Gracie, AZ, Viki, and even their teacher, Ms. Mimi, are all aflutter because a famous visitor is coming to Camembert Academy. Angelina and her friends will perform all types of dance, including hip-hop, modern, the Irish jig and, of course, ballet. Angelina is the most excited of all, but will she get the starring moment she hopes for? We have seen this show TWICE- yes, really, and I actually enjoyed both performances. The voices were solid and the story moves along nicely.
Tickets: $12. Tickets are now on sale, and available as follows: In Person: On Stage at Kingsborough box office, Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Boulevard (cross street: Oxford), Brooklyn, NY. There is ample, free parking on the campus. Box Office Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. By Phone: (718) 368-5596 Online: www.OnStageAtKingsborough.org
Details: Performance at On Stage At Kingsborough. By Car: AMPLE, FREE PARKING is available and we are just minutes from Exit 8 off the Belt Parkway. By Bus: Take the B1 or B49 bus straight to our gates. By Subway: Take the B, Q, F, D, or N and transfer to the B1 bus for a short ride to our gates.
Moscow Festival Ballet’s Giselle
Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 2pm
Founded in 1989 by legendary principal Bolshoi dancer Sergei Radchenko, this acclaimed company brings together the highest stylistic elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballets in their interpretation of Giselle, one of the most dramatic and beloved ballets in the classical repertoire.
Tickets: $36-$45. Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org Box Office: (718) 951-4500, Tuesday – Saturday, 1pm – 6pm Groups of 15 or more: (718) 951-4600, ext. 33
Details: Performances at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. BY SUBWAY : #2 train to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue. Exit the station via the staircase at the very front of the train. Walk to the corner and take a right onto Campus Road. Follow Campus Road approximately a block and a half and enter the college campus via the gate on your left. Ask at the guard booth for directions to Walt Whitman Theatre. Check www.mta.info for possible weekend service changes. BY BUS : In Brooklyn, B41, B44, B6, B11, B103 and Q35. BY CAR : For Google Maps or any GPS navigational device, the address for our parking lot is 2700 Avenue H, Brooklyn NY
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters- An African Tale
Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 2pm
When a great African king desires a wife, only the most worthy maidens are invited to meet him, including Mufaro’s two daughters. Does either have the inner beauty of a potential queen? This musical tale is told through African dance, drumming, narration and song. For ages six and up.
Tickets: $7. Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org Box Office: (718) 951-4500, Tuesday – Saturday, 1pm – 6pm Groups of 15 or more: (718) 951-4600, ext. 33
Details: Performances at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. BY SUBWAY : #2 train to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue. Exit the station via the staircase at the very front of the train. Walk to the corner and take a right onto Campus Road. Follow Campus Road approximately a block and a half and enter the college campus via the gate on your left. Ask at the guard booth for directions to Walt Whitman Theatre. Check www.mta.info for possible weekend service changes. BY BUS : In Brooklyn, B41, B44, B6, B11, B103 and Q35. BY CAR : For Google Maps or any GPS navigational device, the address for our parking lot is 2700 Avenue H, Brooklyn NY
Cinderella
Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 2pm
American Family Theater’s award-winning production bursts with excitement, fantasy and song as it tells the classic tale of a lowly servant girl whose one wish is to attend the royal ball. For ages four and up.
Tickets: $7. Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org Box Office: (718) 951-4500, Tuesday – Saturday, 1pm – 6pm Groups of 15 or more: (718) 951-4600, ext. 33
Details: Performances at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. BY SUBWAY : #2 train to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue. Exit the station via the staircase at the very front of the train. Walk to the corner and take a right onto Campus Road. Follow Campus Road approximately a block and a half and enter the college campus via the gate on your left. Ask at the guard booth for directions to Walt Whitman Theatre. Check www.mta.info for possible weekend service changes. BY BUS : In Brooklyn, B41, B44, B6, B11, B103 and Q35. BY CAR : For Google Maps or any GPS navigational device, the address for our parking lot is 2700 Avenue H, Brooklyn NY
The Beauty of Ballet- In collaboration with the School of American Ballet
Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 2pm
Join students and faculty of the world-famous School of American Ballet (the official academy of New York City Ballet) in this program illustrating the process by which talented youngsters develop into accomplished classical ballet dancers. Your children will watch a “class” where training exercises and steps are demonstrated, and also enjoy excerpts from famous ballets.
Tickets: Free.
Details: Performances at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. BY SUBWAY : #2 train to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue. Exit the station via the staircase at the very front of the train. Walk to the corner and take a right onto Campus Road. Follow Campus Road approximately a block and a half and enter the college campus via the gate on your left. Ask at the guard booth for directions to Walt Whitman Theatre. Check www.mta.info for possible weekend service changes. BY BUS : In Brooklyn, B41, B44, B6, B11, B103 and Q35. BY CAR : For Google Maps or any GPS navigational device, the address for our parking lot is 2700 Avenue H, Brooklyn NY
West Point Band’s Jazz Knights
Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 2pm
As official ambassadors of the United States Military Academy, the West Point Band’s Jazz Knights present the best in big band favorites, popular music, and original compositions and arrangements for jazz ensemble.
Tickets: Free.
Details: Performances at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. BY SUBWAY : #2 train to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue. Exit the station via the staircase at the very front of the train. Walk to the corner and take a right onto Campus Road. Follow Campus Road approximately a block and a half and enter the college campus via the gate on your left. Ask at the guard booth for directions to Walt Whitman Theatre. Check www.mta.info for possible weekend service changes. BY BUS : In Brooklyn, B41, B44, B6, B11, B103 and Q35. BY CAR : For Google Maps or any GPS navigational device, the address for our parking lot is 2700 Avenue H, Brooklyn NY
Nat’l Dance Theatre Co of Jamaica
March 25, 2012 at 3 pm
Always a Brooklyn Center favorite, NDTC blends the lore, music and dance of Jamaica, Africa and the American South with modern and classical forms to create a colorful celebration of West Indian culture. This jewel of the Caribbean celebrates its 50th Anniversary with two programs combining evocative new works with favorites from their repertoire and rarely performed pieces from early in the company’s history.
Tickets: $30-$45. Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org Box Office: (718) 951-4500, Tuesday – Saturday, 1pm – 6pm Groups of 15 or more: (718) 951-4600, ext. 33
Details: Performances at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. BY SUBWAY : #2 train to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue. Exit the station via the staircase at the very front of the train. Walk to the corner and take a right onto Campus Road. Follow Campus Road approximately a block and a half and enter the college campus via the gate on your left. Ask at the guard booth for directions to Walt Whitman Theatre. Check www.mta.info for possible weekend service changes. BY BUS : In Brooklyn, B41, B44, B6, B11, B103 and Q35. BY CAR : For Google Maps or any GPS navigational device, the address for our parking lot is 2700 Avenue H, Brooklyn NY
The Neverending Story (U.S. Premiere)
March 22-25th
This engagement marks the New York debut of one of Canada’s most celebrated theater companies and features the New York stage debut of Adamo Ruggiero, who played Marco on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Based on Michael Ende’s classic German novel, popularized by the iconic film, The Neverending Story tells the story of a shy boy named Bastian who is tormented by school bullies and finds solace in a mysterious book—one that is filled with loveable characters, dark villains and unlikely heroes—set in the magical land of Fantastica. For ages 8 and up, 80 minutes
Tickets: $20-$30. NYU’s Skirball Center 212.352.3101
Details: NYU’s Skirball Center (566 LaGuardia Place)
Freckleface Strawberry
Through April 1st
Freckleface The Musical, though not new spring theater, is ending on April 1st, which is why I wanted to highlight it in this post. If you haven’t seen this positive, anti-bullying musical, it’s a great way to introduce your children theatrically to the notion that being different is not only acceptable, but interesting. Freckleface the Musical is based on the best-selling children’s book “Freckleface Strawberry” by Julianne Moore. Strawberry (aka Julianne), is an elementary school kid whose freckles make her the subject of teasing. As Strawberry makes various attempts to disguise her freckles, she finds that her classmate also have their insecurities. Along the way, Strawberry makes new friends, reaches out to others despite her own anxieties and discovers that it’s important to be comfortable in your own skin. The stereotypical characters are easily identifiable for kids: ballerina, nerd, athelete, girly girl- but the cast makes them fun. The voices are all solid, with some being stronger than others. Strawberry is a charismatic presence on stage and is only upstaged on occasion by the scooting ballerina. The musical numbers are very catchy and the lyrics are insightful into the characters’ feelings. My 3.5 year old (a rather seasoned theater goer), loved it but had trouble following some of the plot. My 5.5 year old took it all in, including a hilarious cabaret style dream sequence that was wonderfully complex enough for adults. As an adult, I enjoyed the musical numbers the most and as a parent, appreciated the anti-bullying message that was wrapped up in a catchy and upbeat musical.
Tickets: $40 tickets with discount code by either saying “MAMADRAMA” for $40 tickets at the box office or visit BroadwayOffers to purchase your discounted tickets on-line.
Details: Freckleface the Musical is at the MMAC Theater at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center 248 West 60th Street (Between Amsterdam and West End Avenue)
Ahhh HA!
March 30 – April 14
Aerialists that act! Comedians that fly! Acrobats that dance! Returning to the New Victory after 12 years, this multi-talented ensemble fuses physical skill, comedy and moments of heart-stopping beauty, and sets it all to live music by the Afro-Hebrew ensemble Klezmocracy. AHHH HA! Takes you on a transformational journey from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again, fusing athletics with aesthetics, choreography with creativity and theater with illusion to invent a whole new world of wonder.
Tickets: $25, $18, $12 and $9 for Members and $38, $28, $18 and $14 for Non-members based on seat locations. Theater-goers who buy tickets for three or more New Vic shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including up to 35-percent savings. ONLINE at NewVictory.org BY PHONE at 646-223-3010; Sunday – Wednesday, 11 am-5 pm; Thursday – Saturday, 11 am-7 pm IN PERSON at The New Victory Theater Box Office (209 West 42nd Street); Sunday & Monday 11 am-5 pm; Tuesday-Saturday 12 pm-7 pm.
Details: The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street)
The Book of Everything
April 20-29
Nine-almost-ten-year-old Thomas Klopper imagines tropical fish swimming in Amsterdam’s canals, torrential hailstorms raging in midsummer, and Jesus stopping by every now and again for a chat. Thomas chronicles his daydreams in the “Book of Everything,” a secret diary that contains his greatest aspiration: “When I grow up, I’m going to be happy.” But happiness eludes Thomas, his sister and his Mama as they struggle with a controlling and sometimes violent Papa. The play is based on the Dutch novel by Guus Kuijer, set in 1951, and directed by Neil Armfield (Exit the King, The Diary of a Madman
Tickets: $9-38 depending on membership and on seat locations. Theater-goers who buy tickets for three or more New Vic shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including up to 35-percent savings. ONLINE at NewVictory.org BY PHONE at 646-223-3010; Sunday – Wednesday, 11 am-5 pm; Thursday – Saturday, 11 am-7 pm IN PERSON at The New Victory Theater Box Office (209 West 42nd Street); Sunday & Monday 11 am-5 pm; Tuesday-Saturday 12 pm-7 pm.
Details: The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street)
Plop!
April 26- May 13
Based on the book The Terrible Plop, this play for preschoolers gives everyone a chance to get up and boogie down and be part of the action. With soft pillows for tiny tushes and no need for shushes, PLOP! is puddles of fun for everyone. Two little rabbits down by the lake, munching on carrots and chocolate cake… when PLOP!, an apple splashes into a magical pond. Help their friends Nathan and Nadia as they try to stop the PLOP! using all the tricks and traps, gadgets and gizmos, rhythm and rhyme that they know.
Tickets: $9-38 depending on membership and on seat locations. Theater-goers who buy tickets for three or more New Vic shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including up to 35-percent savings. ONLINE at NewVictory.org BY PHONE at 646-223-3010; Sunday – Wednesday, 11 am-5 pm; Thursday – Saturday, 11 am-7 pm IN PERSON at The New Victory Theater Box Office (209 West 42nd Street); Sunday & Monday 11 am-5 pm; Tuesday-Saturday 12 pm-7 pm.
Details: The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street)
Peter & The Starcatcher
You may be familiar with the wonderful children’s novel Peter & The Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson, which is the Peter Pan prequel that tells the story of how a lost boy became Peter Pan. If you’re not familiar, well the new Broadway show, Peter & the Starcatchers, is a perfect introduction to it for you and anyone over the age of 10. (I’m going with my husband!) There are only 12 actors, but the play has 112 parts. It’s a simple set, but it’s handcrafted from bottle caps and lost and found items. The New York Times said it’s “Sensational! Showbiz at its most brazenly infectious.” The review is over the top laudatory.
Tickets: Tickets are from $59- 99. Order them online here.
Details: Brooks Atkinson Theater 256 West 47th Street New York, NY