NY Times Article on Ups & Downs of Taking Children to B'way Shows

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:36pm

Four hundred and fifty bucks. That’s what it cost the Agnew family for a Saturday night performance of “The Lion King.” Whether that considerable chunk was spent for two hours and 45 minutes of delight or for one flustered and fuss-filled act followed by a hasty escape at intermission came down to one person: Harris Agnew, age 3.

“We’re questioning the thought process at this moment,” said Jim Agnew of Williamsburg, Va., who was standing in line before the show with his wife, Julie, and their children, Clark, 6, and Harris.

“If it goes well,” Ms. Agnew said, “this will be a magical experience.” She looked at Harris uncertainly. “We’re hoping.”

The perception of Broadway as a destination for families with children has been growing for years, keeping pace with the rise of the tourist audience. According to the League of American Theaters and Producers, the proportion of Broadway theatergoers under the age of 18 rose from 4 percent in 1980 to a peak of 11.6 percent in the 2000-01 season. Last season 9.6 percent were under 18, with a third of those — or 384,000 theatergoers — under 12.

The league does not break down age groups more finely than that, though simple observation suggests that most of those under-12’s are on the older end of the scale. But the really little ones are also there, and they tend to be a conspicuous minority.

Read on...
Magical Moments, Tantrums or a $250 Lullaby

Updated On: 12/7/06 at 07:36 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:43pm

I read this article earlier today and I don't know quite what to think. Someone was looking for tickets to a show for a 2.5 year old. Get a grip lady, that's what children's theatre is for and then again, your child is probably too young for that.

[wexy]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:48pm

But I saw ten year old girls at "Take Me Out" What were their parents thinking ? (seriously).

[faithanytwo]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:51pm

"Someone was looking for tickets to a show for a 2.5 year old."
-- that's not right, bring your toddler to a local show put on by kids, that's what I'm planning for my 3 year old niece. No way in hell would I bring her to Broadway and watch in horror what would ensue.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:51pm

I think it's kind of ridiculous ot take a 3-year old to a show and expect them to sit. I don't htink I would take a child to a Broadway show before they were 5 years old.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:52pm

Since it's been proven that it's almost impossible for children to remember anything other than traumatic events before three and a half, it's really not worth it. I saw The Lion King the year it came out when I was eight. Before that, I was fed a steady diet of good children's theater. I think that's about what's appropriate.

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:54pm

I don't know why people take such young children to the theatre, like 1 year olds to the GRINCH?
I just know that I saw my first show when I was 10, and I still think it took me a few years to really enjoy and appreciate it, but oh well...whatever floats their boats.

[faithanytwo]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:56pm

My parents brought me to community theater when I was 6-12 years old, then I graduated to seeing tours in Boston, then I made it to Broadway when I was in college. It made me appreciate it that much more. And actually, I made it to a Broadway show before my parents did, so I brought my mom my second time :)

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 7:59pm

that's not right, bring your toddler to a local show put on by kids

The thing is, for many families, as one that was cited in the article who live on the Upper West Side, Broadway is local theater for them. And if you have the money to spend, why not give your children the best? (not my point of view - just from their perspective)

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 8:11pm

I think the biggest issue is that parents really don't make themselves aware about what the show is about, nor how long it is. For example, the final paragraph ahd a family leave at intermission. They said they LOVED it, but had to leave because it was too long...um...yeah...No offense, but a little research could go a long way.

I think under 5 is too young, I really do. It's too much money, and too stressful a situation with little kids.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 8:36pm

“anyone know if broadway show Tarzan could be ok for a 2.5yr old?”

I was at Tarzan (shut up :-P) and I DID have a 2.5 year old sitting behind me on his mother's lap. He talked (loudly) the entire way through the second act. "Where's Tarzan, Mommy?" "Where's Tarzan?" "What's happening?" His mother only told him to shush once and never once told him to keep his voice down. So no, it is not ok.

Why don't they enforce that rule about no one under the age of 4 being permitted in the theater? They can confiscate your camera if you dare take a picture of the curtain, but they can't order people with babies to follow THAT rule? And breastfeeding...I don't usually have a problem with it in public, but for god's sake, whatever happened to having class at the theater?

My parents started taking me to shows when I was 3. Of course, they had the common sense to wait until I was able to sit through a movie (on video) before attempting a similar situation in public.

Updated On: 12/7/06 at 08:36 PM

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 8:41pm

I don't even think kids who are 2.5 years old should even be taken to church! You try sitting at a mass at St. Bernadette's in Randolph and tryin' to listen to Father Ed's sermon while some kid bawls his head off.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 8:44pm

I, for one, am grateful that my parents started taking me to Broadway when I was 5. I saw several shows (straight plays and musicals) on Broadway before I was 7 and was (according to my mother) very well behaved -- I apparently was simply transfixed and never so much as shifted in my seat during the 2+ hours. This was a couple of decades before Disney hit New York, so despite these being "adult" shows, I thoroughly enjoyed them, understood them completely and remember them in great detail to this day. Perhaps, not every kid is like I was, but for those mature enough to understand, sit still and enjoy them, why shouldn't certain kids get to see shows early on in their lives?

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:08pm

I think the problem is that most children aren't like that, though. Everyone assumes their child will understand that this is a special occasion, but for most of them, they don't care whether it's a Broadway show or The Wiggles. Unfortunately, if there are 8 out of 10 kids that are behaving perfectly, those 2 other kids are capable of ruining the experience for hundreds of people.

I'm not saying they should start checking molar growth when taking tickets to make sure the kid is old enough, but if- like in the article- there's a child that's already throwing a tantrum at the coatcheck, an usher or someone should step in and say something.

Updated On: 12/7/06 at 09:08 PM

[Lizzya9]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:21pm

I think the age limit should be 10 and up for Broadway for multiple reasons:

1: Children cannot sppreciate theater fully at that age
2: They will either fall asleep, throw a tantrum, or be bored.
3: In a few months or so they won't remember any of it
4: It's a waste of money for the parents

Although I know the theatres woudn't like this because they are raking in the money from the tickets, but all theater should really be reserved for mature and understanding audiences. Or at least audiences that can process what is going on in front of them. It's sad, theatre (especially Disney shows) has been so overrun with little kids, it's a waste of a seat for the better and more mature audiences that want to see a show for the art, sheer joy, and inspiration of it, not because their parents dragegd them along and wasted $110 on a stressful unpleasant day in NYC.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:28pm

“anyone know if broadway show Tarzan could be ok for a 2.5yr old?”


Umm... no. A child that age doens't really have enough of an attention span for a 2+ hour show. Aside from that, the opening scared my 6 year old brother, so I'd watch out. I guess that all depends on the child, though.

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:28pm

There were people having babies and coming to see Drumstruck with them before even going home from the hospital.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:36pm

I TOTALLY disagree, Lizzya9, for the reasons I stated above. Not all kids fall into those 4 categories you name -- I certainly didn't. I fully appreciated the couple of dozen Broadway shows I saw before the age of ten, was never bored, NEVER fidgeted or misbehaved (I frankly behaved better than most of the adults around me) and remember those productions in greater detail and with more specificity than my parents and aunts and uncles do 30 years later. I find that, in general, adults -- with their ringing cell phones, malfunctioning hearing aids, non-stop chatter, crinkly candy wrappers and bringing beers, popcorn and cocktails back to their seats after intermission -- are more annoying to have to sit next to than most well-behaved children.

It depends on the kid and I leave it to the parents to decide if their child is mature enough for the experience or not -- not to the theatre owners.

Updated On: 12/7/06 at 09:36 PM

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:42pm

Margo, I started going at 5 as well and I am very grateful for that. For most kids, 5 is perfect, but before that age I don't think it is for almost everyone.

[Pippin]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:48pm

find that, in general, adults -- with their ringing cell phones, misfunctioning hearing aids, non-stop chatter, crinkly candy wrappers and bringing beers, popcorn and cocktails back to their seats after intermission -- are more annoying to have to sit next to than most well-behaved children.


CAN I GET AN AMEN?

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:51pm

I think it really depends on the child- I saw my first play when I was a kindergartener and my first musical the summer before I started second grade. According to my parents, I was very well behaved.
I think that the parents should know if their child is able to handle sitting down for a show- they shouldn't take their child to the show if they don't know how their child will react.
There are always exceptions of well behaved young children (and I mean very young- as in three or four years old), but I think that parents shouldn't take their children to a show until they're six or seven years old. Like I said before, it really depends on the child, but that seems to be the age when kids stop figeting as much, having tantrums, etc.

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:52pm

Just in case anyone thought I was kidding in my post above-not really. We had parents carrying infants under the age of one to see Drumstruck. Which in itself, is child cruelty, to make an infant endure 90 minutes of ear-splitting drumming.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 10:05pm

I can understand wanting to get kids into theater young, but under 5 or 6 is definitely extreme. Granted, there are some exceptions, but they are certainly in the minority. For parents who really want to bring their 2 and 3 year olds to a show, they should be looking at the children's theaters in their areas, those shows are designed with shorter run times and child friendly facilities to ensure the experience is most enjoyable for everyone. It's also a good way to practice theater etiquette with your child before you blow $100 on a show ticket, and risk pissing off many other people who did the same.

I actually recommend to everyone that they take their child to a community or children's show before heading into a large scale professional theater, because I know many of my 8, 9 & 10 year old students that still wouldn't be ready to sit through a full-length Broadway show, and a trial run certainly can't hurt.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 10:08pm

I actually recommend to everyone that they take their child to a community or children's show before heading into a large scale professional theater, because I know many of my 8, 9 & 10 year old students that still wouldn't be ready to sit through a full-length Broadway show, and a trial run certainly can't hurt.


I do agree with that. Before I took my brother to a Broadway show, he had alreayd been to several of my own shows and concerts, so I knew he could sit through it.

[Mistress_Spouzic]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 10:12pm

My first live theatre experience was Macbeth at the Renaissance Fair in Tuxedo NY. I was 3. My mom said I was captivated and sat there in the front row barely blinking.

I think its a child-to-child issue and parents should be held responsible for their childs behavior.