Broadway Show Reviews and Summary

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Broadway Show Reviews
Broadway Show Review - Content, Age Restrictions and Our Broadway Show Recommendations

Buying tickets to a Broadway show can be an expensive proposition, so it's important that before you purchase your Broadway ticket, you know you've picked the right play or musical. Consult our Broadway revies guide below to help you determine which Broadway Show is the best choice for your group or family. In each entry, we list the suggested age provided by the theater, as well as our own show summary and recommendations.
You can purchase Broadway tickets by clicking on the link under the name of each Broadway Show.

	The 39 Steps info and tickets for this show
	Age No minimum age is specified by the theater, but babies cannot be brought to the show. Summary A comic take on the Alfred Hitchcock classic, The 39 Steps is about a suave Londoner who meets a mysterious woman and soon finds himself caught up in her dangerous world. Our Recommendation Fans of the film will laugh the hardest at this droll spoof, but even Hitchcock neophytes will be impressed by the show's manic energy (over 100 roles are played by just four actors!) and creative staging.
	All My Sons info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for 10 and under. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre. Summary Joe and Kate Keller have lost their younger son in the war, but Kate can't give up believing he's still alive. Chris, their surviving son, falls in love with his brother's fiancée Ann and brings her home to tell them of their plans to marry. In the confrontations that follow, cracks begin to appear in everyone's stories, lies are exposed, and a secret is revealed that could destroy them all. Our Recommendation Director Simon McBurney has taken Arthur Miller's quiet, compelling tragedy and turned it into Epic Theater - an interesting choice, but all the histrionics (e.g. exaggerated acting, ominous underscoring) are probably not necessary. Fortunately the play's primary trio of actors - John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, and Patrick Wilson as their son - all turn in excellent performances. Though Katie Holmes, playing the son's fiancee, lacks the stage experience to completely hold her own with these stalwarts, she shows promise in her Broadway debut.

	August: Osage County info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for 14 and under. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre. Summary When the family patriarch, a retired college professor and poet, goes missing, the highly troubled members of the Weston clan must reunite at his Oklahoma home. Our Recommendation Full of every imaginable issue from drug abuse to incest, this three-hour Broadway play is almost like a grand soap opera, but playwright Tracy Letts' superb writing makes it rise above a dysfunctional family drama to become a great play that is terribly funny and terribly tragic.
	Avenue Q info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for 12 years of age and under. (Avenue Q does employ puppets, however it is not suitable for young children.) Summary A recent university grad moves into his first apartment and navigates love, work, and friendships in this Sesame Street-style satire of post-college life. Our Recommendation The combo of human actors and puppets may make Avenue Q look like a kids' show, but songs like "The Internet is for Porn" and "If You Were Gay" point to a more adult sensibility. Clever jokes about everything from racism to the challenge of finding your purpose make this modern musical comedy a particular favorite of twenty and thirtysomethings. But just about anybody who has made the transition to adulthood (and, preferably, has also seen Sesame Street) can relate to the people and puppets of Avenue Q.
	Chicago info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for 12 and under. Summary Roxie Hart kills her lover and becomes a celebrity in this cynical satire of corruption in the criminal justice system set in 1920s Chicago. Our Recommendation There is virtually no set in Chicago, so don't go expecting big visuals or bright colors. The appeal of this long-running Broadway revival is the sharp humor, the Bob Fosse-style choreography, and the jazzy tunes by Kander & Ebb (e.g. "All That Jazz"). Skimpy costumes, suggestive dancing, and sassy anti-heroines who murder without remorse make this musical suitable for more mature audiences.
	Gypsy info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for 6 and under. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre. Summary Patti Lupone is a larger-than-life stage mother in this legendary Broadway musical based (loosely) on the childhood of famed burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee. Our Recommendation Gypsy tells the hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking story of a woman who will do anything to make her little girls famous, and the show features an amazing score bursting with tuneful songs like "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "You Gotta Have a Gimmick". This is a good production of one of the greatest musicals of Broadway's Golden Age, but it is Lupone's presence that makes it a true Broadway Event.
	In the Heights info and tickets for this show
	Age We recommend 8 years and older. While In The Heights has very positive family themes, it also contains some strong language and adult situations. Summary The vibrant northern Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights comes to life in this rhythmic, heartfelt new Broadway musical about the denizens of a changing community. Our Recommendation One of the most exciting new musicals of the last few years, In the Heights has a musical score that includes Latin and hip-hop and old-fashioned Broadway ballads. With electric choreography and terrific performances by a diverse cast, In the Heights brings the flavor of the New York City streets to Broadway.
	Jersey Boys info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for 12 and under. (Strong language.) Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre. Summary This biographical Broadway musical tells the story of how a group of tough young guys from Jersey became internationally renowned hitmakers Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Our Recommendation Jersey Boys is a smartly-written play about four men chasing after -- and dealing with the pitfalls of -- fame and an unforgettable concert rolled into one. Wonderfully sung and staged versions of all the Frankie Valli/Four Seasons hits are here, from "Walk Like a Man" to "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".
	The Lion King info and tickets for this show
	Age Disney recommends its productions for ages 6 and up. Summary Based on the Disney animated feature, The Lion King is about Simba, a young lion who flees his home after being convinced that he was responsible for his father's death. Our Recommendation Though some aspects of this Broadway adaptation of the movie still seem a bit too cartoon-y, the new African-inspired music and director/designer Julie Taymor's breathtaking puppetry and stage effects make The Lion King Disney's most innovative and theaterical show so far.
	The Little Mermaid info and tickets for this show
	Age Disney recommends its productions for ages 6 and up. Summary A mermaid is unhappy with her life under the sea and finds love with a handsome human prince. Our Recommendation A solid successor to the now-closed Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid creates a shiny, magical, underwater world onstage. In addition to memorable songs from the animated film version, such as "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl," the Broadway version of The Little Mermaid features several new tunes, as well as an excellent (and real, live, human!) cast.
	Mamma Mia info and tickets for this show
	Age May be appropriate for ages 4 and older. Summary Set in the Greek isles, Mamma Mia incorporates 23 tunes by pop group ABBA into its story about soon-to-married Sophie, her free-spirited single mom Donna, and three men from Donna's past -- one of whom, Sophie hopes to discover, is her father. Our Recommendation Mamma Mia has become a worldwide smash since its London debut in 1999, and its biggest fans are usually the middle-aged crowd who fondly remember the disco days of ABBA. Women in particular enjoy watching fun-loving Donna and her two best friends reminiscing about their youth, when they were in a singing trio. Since the plot is a bit thin and the tone decidedly silly, the upbeat Mamma Mia is best appreciated as a big Broadway-style ABBA concert.
	Mary Poppins info and tickets for this show
	Age Disney recommends its productions for ages 6 and up. Summary A very unusual nanny helps two children connect with their distant parents, and she shows them a bit of magic along the way. Based on the P.L. Travers stories and the Disney film. Our Recommendation Fans of the books will be happy to see that this adaptation includes characters and adventures the film left out. Fans of the film may miss its simplicity (and a few of the songs). But everyone is sure to appreciate the excellent cast and impressive sets. Be aware that there are a few darker moments in the show that might scare smaller kids.
	Pal Joey info and tickets for this show
	Age No minimum age is specified by the theater, but babies cannot be brought to the show. Summary Based on John O'Hara's epistolary short stories and set in 1930s Chicago, Pal Joey is about a second-rate entertainer (and first-rate charmer) who romances a rich older woman in the hopes that she'll help him realize his dream of opening his own nightclub. Our Recommendation The Rodgers & Hart score features memorable standards like the romantic "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," but the show itself has a hard edge given that its main character, Joey, is a self-centered anti-hero who pushes aside his sweet girlfriend in order to benefit from a wealthy older woman. But with Christian Hoff (Tony winner for his role as Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys on Broadway) playing him, and co-star Stockard Channing by his side, you can't go wrong with this Broadway revival.
	Phantom Of The Opera info and tickets for this show
	Age May be appropriate for 4 and older. Summary A disfigured man who lives beneath the Paris Opera House becomes obsessed with a beautiful singer and "haunts" the owners until they make her the star of the opera. Our Recommendation This romantic musical tends to be especially liked by female audiences, but in its 20-year Broadway run it has become popular with viewers of all kinds. The lush Andrew Lloyd Webber score boasts modern classics "Music of the Night" and "All I Ask of You". Despite the Phantom's penchant for singing seductive ballads, he is a really disturbed guy, so be aware that this often eerie musical does feature kidnapping and murder.
	Shrek the Musical info and tickets for this show
	Age Appropriate 4+. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre. Summary Based on Shrek's adventures in the classic William Steig book and Oscar-winning film, this new Broadway show features Shrek, his wisecracking sidekick Donkey, Princess Fiona, Lord Farquaad, and a chorus of everybody's favorite fractured fairytale creatures, with more layers than ever and a completely original new score. Our Recommendation Seeing the cartoonish ogre live on a Broadway stage might be a bit of a shock, but the people behind Shrek the Musical have taken care to enlist Broadway's finest talents. Among them are performers Brian d'Arcy James as Shrek, Daniel Breaker as Donkey, and Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona; bookwriter David Lindsay-Abaire (author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Rabbit Hole); and songwriter Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline or Change). They're sure to provide big fun for the whole family.
	South Pacific info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for 7 and under. Children under the age of 5 are not permitted in the theatre. Summary Set during World War II, this classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical is about a U.S. Navy nurse who finds love with a French plantation owner on an island in the South Pacific. Our Recommendation A wonderful production that truly does justice to one of the finest musicals of the Golden Age of Broadway, South Pacific deals with love, war, racism, and loyalty - and it does it with classic songs like "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger Than Springtime," "This Nearly Was Mine," and "There's Nothing Like a Dame".
	Spamalot info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for children age 8 and under. Summary King Arthur and his knights go in search of the Holy Grail and end up trying to create a Broadway musical in this glitzy and goofy adaptation of the British sketch comedy group's cult film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Our Recommendation Spamalot is a mix of zany Monty Python wit (many scenes are basically lifted right out of the movie) and Broadway razzle dazzle. "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" and "Knights of the Round Table" have been turned into bombastic production numbers, and most of the new songs are parodies of other musicals. There's nothing very original in Spamalot, but it can be a ton of fun for Python or Broadway fanatics, or better still, folks who have had little exposure to either.
	Speed-the-Plow info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for 12 and under. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted in the theatre. Summary This is the first Broadway revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow, a scathing showbiz satire about two high-powered Hollywood executives, Charlie Fox and Bobby Gould, who have come up from the mailroom together. Charlie brings Bobbie a surefire hit with a major star attached. Bobby seems certain to give the green light, until his beautiful new secretary gets involved. Our Recommendation At under 90 minutes, and with a trio of top-notch actors (Entourage's Jeremy Piven, Raul Esparza, and Elisabeth Moss) biting into Mamet's rapid-fire dialogue, Speed-the-Plow is a very satisfying and sharply funny little play about people struggling with their souls in a soulless business.
	Spring Awakening info and tickets for this show
	Age May be inappropriate for 13 and under. (Spring Awakening is recommended for mature audiences - for strong language, brief nudity, and adult themes.) Summary Based on Franz Wedekind's controversial 1891 play, Spring Awakening charts the elation, confusion, and frustration experienced by a class of German teenagers struggling with adolescence. Our Recommendation Spring Awakening is a thrilling fusion of period drama and modern youth culture, where well-behaved kids in breeches and dresses suddenly break out into punk anthems and beautiful pop ballads by rock tunesmith Duncan Sheik and writer Steven Sater. The show is hugely popular with young Broadway theatergoers, but it does deal graphically with themes like teen sexuality, child abuse, and other physical and emotional trauma.
	Wicked info and tickets for this show
	Age Recommended age for children is 8 years and up. There is nothing of a vulgar or sexual nature, but there are adult themes. Summary In this Broadway musical based on Gregory Maguire's novel (a "prequel" to The Wizard of Oz), we learn how Elphaba, a sensitive and misunderstood college student in Oz, came to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West. Our Recommendation This popular Broadway musical is especially loved by tweens, who can relate to its tale of a young woman struggling to fit in, but audiences of all ages can appreciate the themes about prejudice and friendship, as well as the pop-infused score by Stephen Schwartz. If you're thinking of bringing your pre-tweens, bear in mind that, as in The Wizard of Oz itself, there are some scary scenes.