12 year old at Bandstand?

[Leaf Coneybear]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 11:11am

I am going on a trip in August and my little sister (12) wants to see Bandstand. She only wants to see it because of Corey Cott, because she likes Newsies. I've been trying to tell her that it's a fairly heavy show about war but she's insistent on seeing it. Would she like it? Would it be appropriate? She's fairly immature, and for reference she loved Something Rotten and hated Wicked. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 11:34am

I saw both the original Broadway productions of CHICAGO and A CHORUS LINE in the Summer of 1975.  I was 10 years old.  I also saw THE EXORCIST when I was 8 years old (1973).  No nightmares; no questions asking as what I didn't know when over my head; I just took in what I understood.   

A 12 year old in 2017 can handle BANDSTAND.  Even MISS SAIGON.    

It amazes me how protective parents are these days and why these millennial children have this entitled attitude and can't deal with life situations because mom and dad take care of everything for them.  

[froote]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 11:37am

Milennials are not children. The youngest milennials are in their late teens.

[Leaf Coneybear]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 11:38am

I guess I wasn't asking if she could handle so much as would she enjoy it. She thought Wicked was "too complicated" and hated it so I'm trying to avoid that again (she begged to see it for months) 

[Leaf Coneybear]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 11:38am

sorry double post 

Updated On: 6/17/17 at 11:38 AM

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 11:40am

If she is fairly immature, I doubt she would like it the show unless just seeing Corey Cott is all that matters to her. This is nothing like "Newsies" including the dancing which is much different. I don't remember anything that would not be appropriate for a 12 year old but IMO I would try to talk her out of it.

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 11:42am

At heart, the show is a basic old-fashioned crowd pleaser. Yes, it's about the aftereffects of war and PTSD, but it's not so heavy as to be depressing. If your little sister is insistent on seeing it just for Corey Cott, I don't think she'll be disappointed. He's great in it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 12:50pm

Wait: WICKED was too complicated?  How old was she at the time?

[Leaf Coneybear]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 12:58pm

Wait: WICKED was too complicated?  How old was she at the time?

it was just last summer, so 11. 

[nonstopmachine]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 2:17pm

Bandstand is not so heavy at all IMO. I don't think she will like the show, but i think Bandstand has a very positive theme.

[cjckco]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 2:22pm

Since Corey is in almost every scene, and that's the only reason she wants to see the show, then she might like it after all.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 3:53pm

I feel like you already know what the answer you want to hear is and you just want us to confirm that or maybe give you an argument you can take back to your sister. Tell her you'll take her to see Newsies in theaters again in August (though I don't think Cott is in it) or that you'll take her to one of the concerts he'll inevitably do in the city like Broadway Sings... or something at 54 Below.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 5:42pm

My granddaughter is 12 and I've taken her to some fairly "deep" plays and musicals. It's always helped when I've prepared her in advance for the show. (Right now all three grandkids are learning about what people did before television was invented to prepare them for an upcoming local production of GYPSY). My suggestion is to maybe take  her to the library and do a bit of research with her on PTSD and just maybe call your local VFW to see if they can share some light on returning vets. It may sound a bit extreme but I'm a retired teacher and believe that knowledge is power.

Updated On: 6/17/17 at 05:42 PM

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 6/17/17 at 8:49pm

If your sister wants to see Corey Cott in ''Bandstand,'' I'd say let her. She'll certainly see a lot of Corey ... and might even get to meet him at the stage door. But I'd also have her follow Dollypop's advice and do a little reading up on the era, so she understands the context and history: ''Bandstand' could turn out to how fun AND educational and so memorable for her. To me, that's better than the alternative: possibly resenting the fact that she could've seen Corey in person and holding that against you. ... P.S. Corey Cott is NOT in the filmed version of ''Newsies,'' but if she loves the show, how could she NOT enjoy it? And it'll probably make her a new fan of Jeremy Jordan. By the way, the film DOES feature Kara Lindsay and Ben Fankhauser, and she might've seen them on Broadway, too. Have fun!

Updated On: 6/17/17 at 08:49 PM

[Malka2]

Posted: 6/18/17 at 1:29am

Bandstand is fine for a "young" 12-year old, most of the PTSD references will probably go over her head and she'll enjoy the basic story. There's nothing overtly scary or disturbing in the show. And Corey is fantastic.

And it's a lot less "complicated" than Wicked :)

[blm2323]

Posted: 6/18/17 at 3:29am

Just saw it two nights ago and was pleasantly surprised by how much of it I liked! Loved Corey and Laura!

Might not be a big deal for your family but they do drop the F bomb a few times and there are quite a few rubber jokes (which the tweeners behind us giggled at every time). 

Agree on the research ahead of time suggestion!

[AnnTheatre]

Posted: 6/18/17 at 11:21am

I am much older than your little sister, but our tastes are very similar. I did not care for Wicked, and loved Something Rotten. 

I just saw Bandstand, it is absolutely appropriate for 12 years old; there is a lot of dancing and music. I found this show an average (I would grade it B), some parts are  entertaining, some spots boring, but absolutely appropriate. Reminds movies right after war time of mid 1940’s and early 50’s.
 

Updated On: 6/18/17 at 11:21 AM