Fall Preview: The Best Shows for Kids This Season

Just because summer’s coming to an end, doesn’t mean the adventures have to! Take a seat at one of the city’s family-friendly theatre productions for a journey of the imagination – no travel documents necessary. Taking inspiration from Disney to Shakespeare, there are plenty of performances that are innovative, traditional, interactive and daring and they all promise to put a smile on your face.

photo: Mikiodo

Show Up, Kids!, Kraine Theater

Following sold-out performances and 4-star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Peter Michael Marino brings his interactive comedy show to New York. The 50-minute performance is a fresh, fun, improvised twist on the traditional kids’ show. In it, the audience helps write, direct, and choose music for the show. What could possibly go wrong?

The Kraine Theater
Dates: September 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 29th, 30th at 2.30 p. m.
Tickets: $10
85 E 4th St,
New York
Online: www.showuptheshow.com/kids

photo: Disney, Matt Petit

Disney Junior Dance Party On Tour, Beacon Theater

Singalong with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and friends at the Disney Junior Dance Party On Tour. Hosts Dee & Jay lead the audience through 22 songs for a family friendly dance-jam-extravaganza! Fancy Nancy and the Puppy Dog Pals will make her debut appearance and Vamprina will put on some rockin' sets to help find a missing disco ball. The show gives families the opportunity to dance and sing alongside their favorite Disney Junior characters, plus learn important lessons about friendship and helping others along the way.

Beacon Theater
Dates: September 15th, 1 p. m. and 4.30 p. m. and September 16th and 12 p. m.
Tickets: Starting at $50
2124 Broadway
New York
Tel: (212) 465 6000
Online: disneyjuniortour.com

photo: Stuart McKenzie

Cow's Nutty Christmas, Hudson Guild Theater

A mash-up of two storybooks, Cow’s Nutty Christmas, is a family-friendly musical featuring a talking cow, a milk-hating villain, Santa, and the music of Tchaikovsky. As if that weren't enough, there's audience interaction, shadow puppets and a crime to solve. It's the perfect segue between summer vacation and the holiday season.

Dates: September 24th at 6.15 p. m., September 28th at 9 p. m., September 30th at 3.30 p. m.
Admission: $23
The Hudson Guild Theater
441 West 26 Street
New York, NY
Online: rabbitholetheatricks.org

photo: Symphony Space

The Rainbow Fish, Symphony Space

The Mermaid Theater of Nova Scotia brings Marcus Pfister's best-selling children's tales to life through glow-in-the-dark puppetry. Young audience members can follow along as the titular character learns life lessons, makes friends, and explores the ocean. Run time is approximately 60 minutes.

Oct. 20, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Tickets: $14/members; $17, non-members
Peter Jay Sharp Theater
2537 Broadway
Upper West Side
212-864-5400
Online: symphonyspace.org

photo: Story Pirates Facebook page

Story Pirates

Those wacky, improving pirates are all over town this fall, and some of their shows are even free! The Story Pirates bring kids' ideas and stories to life, acting out the whatever their audience members can throw at them to hilarious effect. Catch them for no cost at the Brooklyn Book Festival (9/15), and the Uptown Grand Central Party on Park (9/30). You can also take in a show on September 22 and 29 at the Drama Book Shop.

Online: storypirates.com

photo: Pedro Greig

Humans, BAM

They'll jump, somersault, toss and catch each other, balance, and twist their bodies - the acrobats in this show blend athleticism and humor to explore their physical limits, as individuals and a team. There's no narrative as such and yet the message is loud and clear - it's a theatrical demonstration of our physical vulnerability as individuals and our strength when we work together. Get ready for circus in its purest form.

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Dates: October 3rd - 6th, 7.30 p. m. and October 7th, 3 p. m.
Tickets: starting at $35
30 Lafayette Ave
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 636.4100
Online: www.bam.org

photo: Loup-William Théberge

Machine de Cirque, New Victory Threater

The serious business of engineering a contraption to communicate with the outside world is interrupted by the cast's love of fun and enthusiasm for acrobatics. These awe-inspiring circus artists swing by their toes high above the stage, bicycle upside-down and backwards, and flip and fly off teeterboards in a comedic display of daredevil madness!

The New Victory Theater
Dates: September 28th - October 7th, 2018
Tickets: $17
209 West 42nd St.
Times Square
Tel: 646-223-3010
Online: https://www.newvictory.org/

photo: courtesy Drop Bear Theatre

Rain, Clarke Studio Threater

There's something for New York's youngest theatre-goers this fall in the Australian production, Rain. This mesmerizing and intimate sensory experience, recommended for infants under 18 months, introduces babies and their caregivers to a brand-new world of wonder, delight, and opportunities for connection through music, touch, and performance.

Clarke Studio Theater
Dates: October 10th - October 13th at 10.30 a. m. and 12.30 p. m. and October 14th at 12.30 p. m.
Tickets: $25, members $18
165 West 65th Street, 7th Floor
New York
212-875-5375
Online: lincolncenter.org

photo: Copyright Sandy Butler

Is this a Dagger? The Story of Macbeth, Clark Studio Theater

The Scottish Play comes to life for families in this production recommended for ages 8 and up. One of Scotland’s finest storytellers for children recounts Shakespeare’s riveting tale and takes audience members on a thousand-year journey from fact to fiction and back again.

Clarke Studio Theater
Dates: Saturday, October 27th and Sunday, October 28th at 11 a. m. and 2 p. m.
Tickets: $14.40
165 West 65th Street, 7th Floor
New York
212-875-5375
Online: lincolncenter.org

photo: Scott Everett White/Nickelodeon

Double Dare Live, Prudential Hall

The Double Dare TV game show is touring a live stage show with all its signature fun and messiness and hosted by the show's original 'eighties star, Marc Summers. There'll be two teams made up of audience members competing for prizes by answering brain-bending trivia questions, completing crazy stunts and ultimately facing the legendary obstacle course.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Dates: November 15th 7.30pm
Tickets: $39.50-79.50
1 Center Street,
Newark, NJ
(973) 642-8989
Online: njpac.org

photo: Tinga Rain Productions

Tinga Tinga Tales, New Victory Theater

Based on the cartoon series and brimming with African folklore, this lively musical from Kenya explores mysteries from the animal kingdom like: Why do giraffes have long necks? And why do chameleons change color? There's irresistible music, rich harmonies and larger than life characters in this vibrant storytelling that combines infectious fun, sing-a-long moments and dance moves and is recommended for kids from 4-7 years old.

The New Victory Theater
Dates: October 13th - 20th, 2018
Tickets: $25
209 West 42nd St.
Times Square
Tel: 646-223-3010
Online: newvictory.org/

photo: Mark Dawson Photography

Beauty and the Beast, New Victory Theater

In this rustic re-telling of the familiar French fable, six actor-musicians weave spellbinding narration, clever dialogue and a live Jazz Age score into a ferociously fun show about love, family and the notion that beauty - and beastliness - are only skin-deep. Recommended for kids aged 6 years and up

The New Victory Theater
Dates: October 26th - November 11th
Tickets: starting at $17
209 West 42nd St.
Times Square
Tel: 646-223-3010
Online: newvictory.org

photo: Richard Termine

OTOYOTOY

This vocal hullaballoo is a piece of immersive musical theater for babies and toddlers where children get to play in a world where sounds and words are shared, mimicked, and transformed. Performers and audience members get to delight in the joy of making music together at one of New York's most prestigious concert venues.

October 21 and 22 at 10:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Tickets: Free on a first come, first served basis
Resnick Education Wing
881 7th Ave, New York, NY
(212) 247-7800
Online: carnegiehall.org

photo: Atlantic Theater

James and the Giant Peach, Linda Gross Theater

Instead of chopping down the peach tree like his awful Aunties asked, James is handed a magic potion that makes it grow to an enormous size. After finding a door to climb inside, James meets a group of oversized insects who’ve made the peach their home. James and his newfound friends decide it’s time to leave, and we follow them as they roll off on a fantastic voyage that lands them on top of the Empire State Building. Perfect for kids aged 5 yrs and up.

Weekends, October 20th - November 11th at 10.30am
Tickets: Adults $21.50, kids $16.50
Linda Gross Theater,
336 West 20th Street
(212) 691-5919
Online: atlantictheater.org

—Emily Myers