Shows That Are Inappropriate for Children to See- Page 2

[GlindaChenoweth]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 4:39pm

what

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 4:42pm

Did you join under another name, yet again Brdwyman?
Updated On: 8/21/05 at 04:42 PM

[GlindaChenoweth]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 4:44pm

wat im new 2 this i just joined 2 day

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 7:07pm

That's what they ALL say...

[CJR]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 7:20pm

I dont know why you think Rocky Horror is inappropriate for children... I was Time Warping at the age of 4 and I saw the movie at midnight for the first time (in costume, mind you -- I was dressed as Magenta) with my aunt when I was 8.... and I turned out fine.

That being said, Chicago is definitely inappropriate for children... and I always see FAR too many of them there.

I also think Rent and AQ are TOTALLY inappropriate for kids.

[loudasthehelliwant]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 7:35pm

I remember when I saw West Side Story at a local Marriott Theatre, and there were TONS of kids under 10. And, kids were smoking and drinking, people DIED (which, when I was under 10, I was NOT good at handling), and Anita got raped. Personally, I would not take a child under 10 to that, even if they were mature. And really, that's a fairly clean show compared to many.

The thing is, there are many shows that do not neccessarily have anything "bad" in them (unlike Ave Q, RENT, Chicago, Cabaret, etc. b/c they have adult themes), but which you should not bring your child to b/c they cannot neccessarily grasp the plot line or handle the running time.

I think you should hesitate from taking a very young child to Phantom of the Opera, b/c the Phantom will most likely frighten them (and I've seen it happen). Also, once I was sitting behind girls who I would estimate to be around 7 or 8, and they kept asking their mom why the two girls (Christine and Carlotta in Il Muto) were kissing.

And, I remember seeing Aida in NYC- there was a 6-year-old behind me who clearly should not have been there.

Really, I would have to agree that you should only take a child if they are mature enough to handle both the plot/themes of the show and the LENGTH of the show and sitting quietly and respectfully still.

Basically, there really are very few shows that are good to take kids too.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 7:40pm

you people crack me up......kids are buying and selling drugs in elementary school these days.
You all sound just like my parents did in the 1960's, thinking that kids knew nothing.......

most kids have been exposed to almost anything Broadway can throw at them by the 4th grade.

that being said, it is the parents responsibility, and NO ONE ELSES as to what their kids can, or cannot see

Updated On: 8/21/05 at 07:40 PM

[theaterlover45]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 7:47pm

I think shows like Avenue Q and Chicago aren't for children under 12 or 13.

[loudasthehelliwant]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 7:48pm

So, the ten-year-old boys my friends saw at Avenue Q last week were smack-addicts who could handle the "****-yous" and bare (puppet) breasts?

And, like I said, its not just bad language and sexual content. Many kids can't sit still that long. Many kids can't understand what's going on, and the rest of the audience gets to hear their questions and comments.

During Aida: "Look mommy, that one lady has a baby!"

During POTO: "Dad, why are those two girls kissing?"

If the child can sit still and be quiet and handle the themes, go ahead, TAKE THEM. I saw The Elephan Man when I was eleven, and I tell you now that I handled it just fine. But many kids couldn't. If your kid can handle it- TAKE THEM. But educate yourself about the show, and excercise good judgement as to what your kid can handle.

BTW: I never thought that I would sound like your "parents in the '60's" when I was 15 years old. :-/ I bet your parents never listened to a songs like "The Internet is for Porn" back then! So at least I'm in touch w/my own age-group in THAT way...

Updated On: 8/21/05 at 07:48 PM

[CJR]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 8:30pm

Oh Elphaba, not all children are that jaded and grown up at such a young age. It all depends on the child's upbringing. I babysit a 12 year old girl... the oldest of a family of 4, great parents, very active, hands on parents... and the kids have guidelines and limitations on the internet, tv, movies and music. That which is inappropriate is NOT allowed or tolorated... and Ive never met a more amazing group of kids.

Then you have a kid like my 12 year old brother (yeah, he was DEFINITELY a surprise -- big age gap there) who knows more at his age about things (things he SHOULDNT know about, frankly) than I did at 17. He has no limitations on what he's allowed to say, allowed to listen to or allowed to watch. In fact, he pretty much gets free reign on everything, which I dont agree with, but that's my mother's problem and not mine.

Yes, it's true that there are many small children doing drugs and selling drugs. It's sad really, but it was like that when I was that age as well.... it's just that now there has been a big spotlight put on it, so to speak, and more people are aware it's going on. But it's nothing new -- that's for sure.

[spellingbee_ROCKS007]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 9:00pm

lets see...Avenue Q,Spelling bee(well maybe at one point!),POTO,Rent...

Updated On: 8/21/05 at 09:00 PM

[Parks]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 9:23pm

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. Anybody?

[Elphaba]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 10:09pm

CJ, what I meant was kids know MUCH more at a MUCH younger age.......whether they tell their parents, or not

[theaterlover45]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 10:12pm

I agree my brothers school had some kid with drugs in his shoe and he was only like 12. Even though thats not about kids seeing shows.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 10:17pm

my mother was a teacher and then an elem school principal for San Jose USD......and she caught fourth-graders selling drugs, and this was a good 15 years ago.

kids are much more informed about things.......so I am not convinced that forbidding them to go see what some call "inappropriate" shows does anything at all...

BUT......it's the parents decision, no one else.

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 8/21/05 at 10:32pm

Well, when junior-high school girls are talking about how many guys they've done, that's a pretty good example of how "grown up" todays kids are...

[overthemoon419]

Posted: 8/22/05 at 6:33pm

we are actually having a discussion now on how inappropriate it is for children to be swearing, buying/selling/using drugs, and having hands-on knowledge of sex. we agree that none of this is appropriate--should we really further this by exposing children to the likes of RENT, Q, etc, at young ages? if we agree that children are growing up too fast, why goad them along by exposing them to subject matters way beyond their years?

and i also fully agree about the time element. i work with children, at a day camp and at a community theatre, and i can't think of one child under 10 that i have EVER worked with that could handle sitting through an entire Broadway show. then, when taking into account the subject matters, i can't do much more than laugh.

it is the parents' responisibility and discretion to decide which of their children are mature enough to handle the many aspects of a Broadway show. but i know if the children were mine, i would HATE to spend ANY amount of money for little Timmy and Gracie to sit net to me, and then have to spend half the show (or more) censoring it for them by covering their eyes/ears, or having to run to the bathroom, or making sure they stay quiet and don't disturb other patrons, or having to explain situations they don't understand. the children won't enjoy the show, the people surrounding won't enjoy the show, and I certainly would not enjoy the show.

[AmandaJ]

Posted: 8/22/05 at 6:54pm

When I saw the thread one of the first shows that came to mind was Movin' Out. Most of it is good for kids, except Captain Jack, one of the times I went to see it there was a girl about 8 years old there and during Captain Jack her Mom covered her eyes. I suppose for younger children the guys that die during the Vietnam War part my be a bit much for them to handle as well.

Posted: 8/22/05 at 7:02pm

one of the front end people at Take Me Out told me that he warned a woman with two youngish kids about the content of the show but she shrugged him off and she later left the show shocked... maybe he was just telling me that but if its true thats pretty funny.

[Liz_Bennet]

Posted: 8/22/05 at 10:57pm

I think it's a good idea to start taking kids to productions at high schools and community theaters before trying something large and professional. It's more of a family atmosphere than Broadway, there are apt to be lots of kids there, and if you have to leave early, at least you didn't pay $90 for the ticket. It's a more familiar environment for the kids, too. If they can site through that, well, go from there.

My parents took me to see The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie when I was about 10. It was, uh, not the best idea. I didn't really get it.

[theatrebabe]

Posted: 8/22/05 at 11:19pm

my parents took my sister to see A Chorus Line when she was like 5 cause they thought it was just a bunch of dancing.surprise!

[theatrebabe]

Posted: 8/22/05 at 11:19pm

my parents took my sister to see A Chorus Line when she was like 5 cause they thought it was just a bunch of dancing.surprise!

[xluckystar2107x]

Posted: 8/22/05 at 11:42pm

i entered the lottery at Avenue Q and a mother gave the 2 tickets she won to her children that were *about* 12 and 6.


on the other hand...i went to see The Boyfriend last week at Goodspeed and i mustve been the yougest one there. It seemed like the entire audience was 60+. i think it mightve just been the day i went though because a lot of other people said theyve seen it. but that would be a good show for kids to go to. it is an older show but the content is family friendly and its fun to watch and shows them what musicals have evolved from.

[Conor]

Posted: 8/22/05 at 11:45pm

Yeah I was taken to a Chorus Line faaaaaaaar too young, I think I was like 7 or 8. Luckily I was too innocent to know what any of it was...

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 8/23/05 at 2:47am

Chorus Line is a no-no for little ones..at least, little ones who would ask what some naughty words meant.

I got a VIP ticket to the last performance of WICKED, in LA, and all around me were little kids, whose families knew absolutely NOTHING about the show. I was so pissed, cuz the kids were constantly moving around, one tired to talk to me during "Defying Gravity", and the other spent the whole time on her dad's lap looking through the program.

When I was their age, my parents put us in the back row of the mezz to see Phantom, so that we wouldn't bug the people who paid a lot, and because I wasn't old enough to really even get the show. Now these spoiled children got awesome seats and didn't even pay attention, and bugged the crap out of me during one of my favorite shows.

I was quite perturbed, incase you couldn't tell.