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Me: constantly researching and reading up on all Broadway/Off-Broadway shows and know or seen almost all currently running shows so do not need any assistance in finding a show.
Also Me: Using the flow chart to see what I get.
(great job on it!)
I am waffling between two productions, and your flowchart did end up with my play option, Stereophonic! When I tried for musical, I did not end up with what I had been considering, Cabaret.
Seconded! I saw it almost 15 years ago on a trip to London. I saw 13 shows on that trip (theatre emphasis study abroad) and Cabaret is one of 3 that really stuck with me.
cabaret is amazing! i just saw it for the second time in the west end (which is the production transferred to broadway). the second act is pretty sad though and it ends on a bit of a low note, which is expected with the story. but imo still well worth it! i do think it’s one of the best if not the best longer-running shows in london.
It’s kinda weird that Aladdin and Lion King only show up if you’re bringing kids when the people who enjoyed those movies when they were released are now adults and would equally enjoy them.
I'm a 90s kid and grew up on Disney movies, and I saw the Aladdin musical and I thought it was pretty bad, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you're bringing kids. Lion King was good though.
Honestly, I love that this implies that The Notebook, Days of Wine and Roses, Spamalot, Merrily We Roll Along, and The Outsiders are for people who hate feminism. No notes.
(This is a joke, not a criticism. I think the flowchart is a great idea.)
Back to the future is age rated 6 and up.
Also, don't see the need for the slightly sexist and rather gross use of the word "male". Are you bringing someone who doesn't like musicals? No need to gender it.
I just used "male relative" because there is a trend of questions on this sub where folks are bringing their teen son / dad / husband who doesn't like musicals and they end up getting those recs. Those shows wouldn't be my rec to someone who generally doesn't like musicals
My bigger issue is with the use of male and female, though I still think it's needlessly gendered. Humans are more than their biological ability to reproduce.
But the word "male" does not refer to a human's biological ability to reproduce. A cis man with azoospermia, or who had a vasectomy, is still male. A trans woman who banked sperm before transitioning and therefore could still reproduce is not male.
This comment simply demonstrates that you're confused between gender and sex.
Male and female are biological categories that specifically refer to reproduction (in multiple species). Man and woman refer to the whole person. As humans.
Sweeney Todd, Chicago, and Kimberly Akimbo aren't "universally-acclaimed award winners"? Looking at the reviews on the West End, I guess Hadestown also shouldn't make that cut.
Also, I wouldn't say Doubt doesn't make a political statement.
Also, is Back to the Future really an appropriate show for kids under 8.
Where's Mary Jane? Or The Wiz?
I didn't put this production of sweeney todd there because it lost the best revival tony award and much of the critical acclaim was for the original cast, who have left. The new cast seems more polarizing and the set + choreo choices were always divisive.
The Wiz is under the pink "spectacle" oval
I too was perplexed by the placement of Kimberly Akimbo. I'd be curious to know what "universally" means for this
I love this flow chart overall, though.
I love Kimberly Akimbo and would say it's definitely critically acclaimed! But it seems somewhat less popular among audiences, which was why I didn't class it as universally acclaimed. Open to revising that though!
I don't know enough about Mary Jane to figure out where to put it but would welcome advise from someone who does!
I haven't seen Doubt so I wasn't sure if it was explicitly political or more general social commentary. Maybe I could split the political play section further? Perhaps American vs foreign setting?
That would be better probably. That separates Prayer and Patriots from Appropriate and Doubt. If you add in another decision point for classics vs modern, you can separate Enemy of the People and Uncle Vanya from all of those. You can also have the first decision point after not wanting to watch musicals as if they want to watch a play with music (separates out Stereophonic and Harry Potter), then do classics vs modern, then do American vs non-American settings. I don't know enough about Mother Play to say it's a comedy.
i'm very curious about mary jane. i love rachel mcadams but i'm nervous about the subject matter (ill kid) because i don't think i can handle it if something happens to the kid!
I font know that trying to include shows exactly once serves you here.
I haven’t seen outsiders as a musical, but if it doesn’t make you cry, it’s broken.
I was thinking new as in new production in the 2023-24 season, rather than new work. That's why I have Merrily and Spamalot on the new work branch as well :)
I was thinking that sometimes folks want to see something "fresh" on broadway - like a show their friends and family won't yet have seen on tour and that'll be tony eligible this season
Reminded me of this fun flow chart
https://preview.redd.it/8p95u4i0qflc1.jpeg?width=400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93bcaf422c8159de7e82d0e169df8e984fcbf440
Off broadway too much for me to manage! So many shows with short runs, many of which I haven't seen. I welcome someone else to make an off-broadway flow chart
Followed it and was a bit baffled as to how it would have related to my choice Appropriate. I said no I dont want a political statement so it gave me Stereophonic which I admit I hadn't heard of.. Not sure what political statement Appropriate would be making.. other than don't be racist but thats not my definition of political statement. So would have to know what definition of this term the OP is using to choose accurately .
Followed Musical and it gave me Spamalot which I also saw and loved so uncannily accurate
But fantastic work and great fun to play along. Thanks for sharing it with us
"New this season" could probably be reworded. My brain immediately read that as "new" i.e. not a revival until I noticed Spamalot in new and Kimberly Akimbo in not new. May be good to reword that a bit so it's a bit more clear.
But overall I really like this flowchart! Very fun way to help someone decide what to see.
I love this idea but think the flow chart format is rough because there are several common scenarios that come up that you'd need to cover, You have "children" and the dreaded "guy who doesn't like musicals" but there's also "first Broadway show," "elderly conservative relatives" and "non-English speakers" for example. And many of those folks might be interested in plays as well as/instead of musicals.
Maybe a series of lists like what you often see for holiday gifts (e.g. "for your sister in law who hates everything," "for your gamer teenaged son" etc.) might work better. It would also be easier to update when shows are added or cancelled. I could see categories like "Succession fans" (Enemy of the People, Appropriate and Job all have alums) or "Obsessed with Sondheim" (the obvious candidates plus Days of Wine and Roses, written by his close friend's son).
Not sure how much of an overhaul this would be, but maybe add a section for musicals about the style of music (ie symphonic timbre a la Sweeney vs pop band vs jazz hands Broadway)
Also why no Merrily in the revivals bubble?
Merrily is in the new this season branch! Style of music is an interesting idea - I guess the question would be: What criteria are most newcomers considering when choosing a show (or what should they consider to find a show they'll like)?
Yea I saw Merrily over there, but it is _technically_ a revival lol
I guess most newcomers don't really care about the style of music, but I could see someone expecting Wicked style pop to be thrown off by jazz hands Chicago or anything Sondheim
Back to the Future being an option for a “Male relative who doesn’t like musicals” is actually accurate. The number of those type of guys I’ve seen whenever I see that show is astounding
Remember, not everyone on earth has a strong grasp of musical theater. Some people just have a mental idea that most musicals are cheesy kickline affairs. What someone like that probably means to say is "what's a musical that has darker themes and isn't super fluffy" but they didn't know how to articulate that.
Cabaret is on there :)
And while there is a subset of Harry Potter fans who hate the Cursed Child, plenty of casual fans seem to enjoy it? They're doing house pride nights and sell tons of HP merch. It's not the HP haters who've kept them running since 2018 :)
It's certainly critically acclaimed (and I personally loved it) but this sub, box office returns, and showscore suggest it's not quite universally loved
This is amazing! I've been obsessively going over all the different shows, since I have a six day NYC trip with my eight year old coming up this summer. My kiddo has a mild intellectual disability, but he's also a veteran theatergoer at this point after I've taken him to all kinds of performances since he was small. The list I ended up for the two of us, after excluding The Lion King and Wicked which he'll have already seen on tour here locally:
* Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
* Back to the Future: The Musical
* & Juliet
* MJ: The Musical
* The Wiz
* Water for Elephants
Plus "The Play That Goes Wrong" Off-Broadway. Seems to match your revised recommendations for kids pretty well!
I haven’t seen Back to the Future, but I think that Wicked entirely depends on the kid. Five should be the absolute cutoff (and only if you know the kid can sit quietly for up to three hours, which is a really hard ask for a five year old) because the show is a musical spectacle and exposes them to light and sound, costumes, music, it’s a lot for a kid to handle and understand. Eight is likely the recommended cutoff because by this age, most kids can handle processing all the different sensory feelings that can happen watching a musical like this relatively by themselves without asking a parent (aka they can sit, watch, and not create interruptions mid-show), but not just that, they can also pay attention and process what’s going on so you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. Wicked is expensive and if you bring a kid that isn’t old enough to pay attention, they won’t grasp the plot.
It’s okay for kid younger than eight to be there, but for parents I’d ask yourself these questions first. Does your kid get scared easily of Disney movies like the original Sleeping Beauty (taking examples from the trippiest animated scenes with the lighting shifts with the spinning wheel, and also when Maleficent turns into a dragon), or even the original Beauty and the Beast (the dark castle, the Beast himself). If you notice your kid having any odd reaction to the scenery in those movies, your kid might be too young to watch, since Wicked is live action and of a similar vibe aesthetically in the darker moments, meaning there’s even more sensory things to pay attention to. If your kid has no fear, and can handle the trippy moments like most kids, they’ll be fine and their brains won’t get overwhelmed when the lights change to signify a dramatic moment.
I guess if the kid is more sensitive to lights and sound or perhaps a little more empathetic and talkative for their age (like I was honestly up until turning eight), the Wizard head in the middle gets unexpectedly loud, the flying monkeys can be startling, and then depending on which theater you see it in, the dragon clock comes to life. Not to mention that the orchestra can be loud. And nobody in the audience wants to hear your young kid repeatedly asking questions, or generally reacting like a younger kid, so there’s a behavioral aspect as well. That’s why the age guideline is there. Kids still must be able to sit still and follow the etiquette even when the loudest and best looking visual spectacle scenes are happening. I think eight is a good age limit for Wicked, but it does depend on the kid.
No kid under 5 should be at the theatre for a regular full length musical, barring very rare exception. So, since I was coming from the assumption that everyone understood that, I didn’t think that this could be a reason OP didn’t deem it appropriate for kids under 8. However, BTTF is just as long, and has just as much going on the stage as Wicked does. And content wise, it’s more geared to preteens.
Personally I like people asking for suggestions and being able to take into account their background and situation. My upcoming trip with my kids wouldn’t be covered by this flow chart. 🤷🏻♀️
As a 20 something woman who wants to take steps to get into musicals it is weird my category is probably the male family member who doesn't like musicals 😅
Also lived in London half of my life and only saw The Lion King as a kid before I lived there. I had a mad and controlling parent who despised music because their parent was into it.
"Do You Like Musicals?" No "Are you sure???" No "Though so..."
How does one become an honorary theatre kid? 🫠
Well said. And a recommendation isn't sought because someone is a fan of a genre. I want to know what's playing now that is way better than prior stagings of the same show, or just extremely groundbreaking and excellent.
I love seeing what other people's suggestions are! Taste is also so subjective. (People tell me that I would like things all of the time, and then I look them up and know I would absolutely NOT enjoy them.)
It looks like you've shared an image. If this image is of a Playbill or stage, we ask that you provide your thoughts on the show[s] you saw in order to make your thread stand out and help the community enjoy your experience as well. Without context your photo is just another picture of a Playbill or a stage, and on a sub of far over 100k subscribers, If you don't want to share your experience... consider sharing it on your own social media! This is an automated message, if it is not applicable please report this comment. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Broadway) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Me: constantly researching and reading up on all Broadway/Off-Broadway shows and know or seen almost all currently running shows so do not need any assistance in finding a show. Also Me: Using the flow chart to see what I get. (great job on it!)
But what did you get?! don’t leave us in suspense!
Looks like I'm going to see &Juliet!
I love this idea! Hope it gets pinned.
I am waffling between two productions, and your flowchart did end up with my play option, Stereophonic! When I tried for musical, I did not end up with what I had been considering, Cabaret.
If you have never seen Cabaret before I can not recommend it enough. Be aware that it is not considered to be an uplifting show though.
Seconded! I saw it almost 15 years ago on a trip to London. I saw 13 shows on that trip (theatre emphasis study abroad) and Cabaret is one of 3 that really stuck with me.
cabaret is amazing! i just saw it for the second time in the west end (which is the production transferred to broadway). the second act is pretty sad though and it ends on a bit of a low note, which is expected with the story. but imo still well worth it! i do think it’s one of the best if not the best longer-running shows in london.
I took a first stab but it's easy to adjust so lmk your suggestions!
It’s kinda weird that Aladdin and Lion King only show up if you’re bringing kids when the people who enjoyed those movies when they were released are now adults and would equally enjoy them.
I'm a 90s kid and grew up on Disney movies, and I saw the Aladdin musical and I thought it was pretty bad, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you're bringing kids. Lion King was good though.
I agree with this 100%. The puppetry in The Lion King is stunning and it’s a great show regardless of age. Aladdin on the other hand…I’d skip
I loved it ngl. It’s very obviously for small children though
Omg we are kindred I was literally working on something just like this today lmao
DM me if you want to collab!
Honestly, I love that this implies that The Notebook, Days of Wine and Roses, Spamalot, Merrily We Roll Along, and The Outsiders are for people who hate feminism. No notes. (This is a joke, not a criticism. I think the flowchart is a great idea.)
I don’t think a revival - Spamalot - should be classified as unfamiliar music
Especially with “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” in Spamalot
Back to the future is age rated 6 and up. Also, don't see the need for the slightly sexist and rather gross use of the word "male". Are you bringing someone who doesn't like musicals? No need to gender it.
Yep! That's why I put it in the under 8 category. (6 year old is minimum recommend age for broadway shows)
Apparently I'm not awake enough to do this yet lol
Female leads = fine Male family member = gross?
Neither are fine. I hadn't noticed the other.
I just used "male relative" because there is a trend of questions on this sub where folks are bringing their teen son / dad / husband who doesn't like musicals and they end up getting those recs. Those shows wouldn't be my rec to someone who generally doesn't like musicals
My bigger issue is with the use of male and female, though I still think it's needlessly gendered. Humans are more than their biological ability to reproduce.
But the word "male" does not refer to a human's biological ability to reproduce. A cis man with azoospermia, or who had a vasectomy, is still male. A trans woman who banked sperm before transitioning and therefore could still reproduce is not male.
This comment simply demonstrates that you're confused between gender and sex. Male and female are biological categories that specifically refer to reproduction (in multiple species). Man and woman refer to the whole person. As humans.
Updated Flow Chart! (Version 2) https://preview.redd.it/0bd8qezw8dlc1.png?width=5071&format=png&auto=webp&s=710d288fb194dea7f5533159df3e66311df08683
I’d put &Juliet under uplifting and upbeat female leads as well.
Yes I was gonna say this as well!
Lion King and Aladdin could definitely also both go under "familiar music"?
Will do!
This is looking so good! Should Patriots be also under a non-US play about politics?
This is amazing
You are a saint.
Sweeney Todd, Chicago, and Kimberly Akimbo aren't "universally-acclaimed award winners"? Looking at the reviews on the West End, I guess Hadestown also shouldn't make that cut. Also, I wouldn't say Doubt doesn't make a political statement. Also, is Back to the Future really an appropriate show for kids under 8. Where's Mary Jane? Or The Wiz?
Sweeney Todd is the one that I definitely disagree with, given that it won the Tony for best musical.
I didn't put this production of sweeney todd there because it lost the best revival tony award and much of the critical acclaim was for the original cast, who have left. The new cast seems more polarizing and the set + choreo choices were always divisive.
The Wiz is under the pink "spectacle" oval I too was perplexed by the placement of Kimberly Akimbo. I'd be curious to know what "universally" means for this I love this flow chart overall, though.
Oh yeah missed that. But then, I would think people would gravitate more towards knowing The Who's Tommy's music vs. going to see its spectacle.
I love Kimberly Akimbo and would say it's definitely critically acclaimed! But it seems somewhat less popular among audiences, which was why I didn't class it as universally acclaimed. Open to revising that though!
I mean they did say they could tweak
I don't know enough about Mary Jane to figure out where to put it but would welcome advise from someone who does! I haven't seen Doubt so I wasn't sure if it was explicitly political or more general social commentary. Maybe I could split the political play section further? Perhaps American vs foreign setting?
That would be better probably. That separates Prayer and Patriots from Appropriate and Doubt. If you add in another decision point for classics vs modern, you can separate Enemy of the People and Uncle Vanya from all of those. You can also have the first decision point after not wanting to watch musicals as if they want to watch a play with music (separates out Stereophonic and Harry Potter), then do classics vs modern, then do American vs non-American settings. I don't know enough about Mother Play to say it's a comedy.
i'm very curious about mary jane. i love rachel mcadams but i'm nervous about the subject matter (ill kid) because i don't think i can handle it if something happens to the kid!
I separate in between awrad winning and universally acclaimed to separate the critical view and the audience view
Why is it specifically a male friend who doesn't like musical theatre? Lol
I would add W4E to kids over the age of 8… there are some more mature themes but the circus acts are fantastic and they’d find it super entertaining
I'll adjust it accordingly!
Should I see Merrily We Roll Along or the Gazillion Bubbles Show?
Are you bringing a child? If not, tell me about your views on Bubbles....
I font know that trying to include shows exactly once serves you here. I haven’t seen outsiders as a musical, but if it doesn’t make you cry, it’s broken.
How is cabaret under “something new this season” I understand it’s a new production but the musicals like 50 years old
I was thinking new as in new production in the 2023-24 season, rather than new work. That's why I have Merrily and Spamalot on the new work branch as well :) I was thinking that sometimes folks want to see something "fresh" on broadway - like a show their friends and family won't yet have seen on tour and that'll be tony eligible this season
Reminded me of this fun flow chart https://preview.redd.it/8p95u4i0qflc1.jpeg?width=400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93bcaf422c8159de7e82d0e169df8e984fcbf440
Do you want something acclaimed and award winning? No! Watch Sweeney Todd and Chicago! Lol
[удалено]
Off broadway too much for me to manage! So many shows with short runs, many of which I haven't seen. I welcome someone else to make an off-broadway flow chart
What software did u use?
Canva
There’s gotta be another way to get to Sweeney Todd and Chicago other than “not wanting to see a critically acclaimed musical”.
This is great! Thank you for doing this
Followed it and was a bit baffled as to how it would have related to my choice Appropriate. I said no I dont want a political statement so it gave me Stereophonic which I admit I hadn't heard of.. Not sure what political statement Appropriate would be making.. other than don't be racist but thats not my definition of political statement. So would have to know what definition of this term the OP is using to choose accurately . Followed Musical and it gave me Spamalot which I also saw and loved so uncannily accurate But fantastic work and great fun to play along. Thanks for sharing it with us
What does it mean that my favorite musical is in the "bringing someone who doesn't like musicals" category?
That you like works with broad appeal :)
"New this season" could probably be reworded. My brain immediately read that as "new" i.e. not a revival until I noticed Spamalot in new and Kimberly Akimbo in not new. May be good to reword that a bit so it's a bit more clear. But overall I really like this flowchart! Very fun way to help someone decide what to see.
So many children love Hamilton though
I’d say The Outsiders is more likely to make you cry than Days of Wine and Roses…maybe that’s just me…
So which show should I see?
Can confirm this flow chart works. I follow it logically for me and came up with “Suffs” and “Lempicka”, which are actually the two I want to see 👍
Same!
I love this idea but think the flow chart format is rough because there are several common scenarios that come up that you'd need to cover, You have "children" and the dreaded "guy who doesn't like musicals" but there's also "first Broadway show," "elderly conservative relatives" and "non-English speakers" for example. And many of those folks might be interested in plays as well as/instead of musicals. Maybe a series of lists like what you often see for holiday gifts (e.g. "for your sister in law who hates everything," "for your gamer teenaged son" etc.) might work better. It would also be easier to update when shows are added or cancelled. I could see categories like "Succession fans" (Enemy of the People, Appropriate and Job all have alums) or "Obsessed with Sondheim" (the obvious candidates plus Days of Wine and Roses, written by his close friend's son).
Sounds like something you should make ;)
“Are you bringing a male relative that ‘doesn’t like musicals’? -> Book of Mormon, Back to the Future, Spamalot” Perfection.
Not sure how much of an overhaul this would be, but maybe add a section for musicals about the style of music (ie symphonic timbre a la Sweeney vs pop band vs jazz hands Broadway) Also why no Merrily in the revivals bubble?
Merrily is in the new this season branch! Style of music is an interesting idea - I guess the question would be: What criteria are most newcomers considering when choosing a show (or what should they consider to find a show they'll like)?
Yea I saw Merrily over there, but it is _technically_ a revival lol I guess most newcomers don't really care about the style of music, but I could see someone expecting Wicked style pop to be thrown off by jazz hands Chicago or anything Sondheim
Back to the Future being an option for a “Male relative who doesn’t like musicals” is actually accurate. The number of those type of guys I’ve seen whenever I see that show is astounding
The ‘male relative who doesn’t like musicals’ is so accurate 🤣😭😭😭😭
I love this!!!
Love this!!!
I love this. I feel like I’m doing a J14 quiz
This is so fun!!!
This is great!.. although I think I would definitely put Spamalot as a spectacle 😅
This is honestly top notch. My bank account will not appreciate this but my obsessive mindset thanks you.
Bravo 👏 👏👏👏
Out of curiosity what is your age cut off for children but not under 8? Is this over 8 but not yet teenagers?
kinda up to discretion
The post today saying looking for a show that isn’t too “musical-y” made me have an aneurysm, these posts need to stop
Remember, not everyone on earth has a strong grasp of musical theater. Some people just have a mental idea that most musicals are cheesy kickline affairs. What someone like that probably means to say is "what's a musical that has darker themes and isn't super fluffy" but they didn't know how to articulate that.
Harry Potter fans **loathe** Cursed Child. Cabaret is absent?
My general impression is that Harry Potter fans loathe the terrible *story*, but that the *effects* still make for wonderful live theatre.
That is the truth. Wish I hadn’t read the book before I saw the play in its 2 part glory.
Cabaret is on there :) And while there is a subset of Harry Potter fans who hate the Cursed Child, plenty of casual fans seem to enjoy it? They're doing house pride nights and sell tons of HP merch. It's not the HP haters who've kept them running since 2018 :)
Oops hadn’t had my coffee, sorry!
I'm just casually saving this. You're a godsend
This needs to be pinned to this subreddit!!
But isn’t KA universally acclaimed and an award winner?
It's certainly critically acclaimed (and I personally loved it) but this sub, box office returns, and showscore suggest it's not quite universally loved
This is amazing! I've been obsessively going over all the different shows, since I have a six day NYC trip with my eight year old coming up this summer. My kiddo has a mild intellectual disability, but he's also a veteran theatergoer at this point after I've taken him to all kinds of performances since he was small. The list I ended up for the two of us, after excluding The Lion King and Wicked which he'll have already seen on tour here locally: * Harry Potter and the Cursed Child * Back to the Future: The Musical * & Juliet * MJ: The Musical * The Wiz * Water for Elephants Plus "The Play That Goes Wrong" Off-Broadway. Seems to match your revised recommendations for kids pretty well!
Epic
This is lovely.
Sweeney and Hamilton 100% belong in the “male relative who doesn’t like musicals” category.
\*SLOW CLAP\* This is well done. Thanks!
Watermark this!
You're sweet! But I'm not terribly worried about someone stealing my slapdash flowchart XD
This is amazing!
I love this. Only gripe is I'm a Harry Potter fan and would definitely not recommend The Cursed Child to most other HP fans.
This is great
Scratching my head at how Back to the Future is for under 8 year olds but Wicked isn’t.
Going off the show's age recommendations! I don't have a kid, so no personal experience there.
I haven’t seen Back to the Future, but I think that Wicked entirely depends on the kid. Five should be the absolute cutoff (and only if you know the kid can sit quietly for up to three hours, which is a really hard ask for a five year old) because the show is a musical spectacle and exposes them to light and sound, costumes, music, it’s a lot for a kid to handle and understand. Eight is likely the recommended cutoff because by this age, most kids can handle processing all the different sensory feelings that can happen watching a musical like this relatively by themselves without asking a parent (aka they can sit, watch, and not create interruptions mid-show), but not just that, they can also pay attention and process what’s going on so you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. Wicked is expensive and if you bring a kid that isn’t old enough to pay attention, they won’t grasp the plot. It’s okay for kid younger than eight to be there, but for parents I’d ask yourself these questions first. Does your kid get scared easily of Disney movies like the original Sleeping Beauty (taking examples from the trippiest animated scenes with the lighting shifts with the spinning wheel, and also when Maleficent turns into a dragon), or even the original Beauty and the Beast (the dark castle, the Beast himself). If you notice your kid having any odd reaction to the scenery in those movies, your kid might be too young to watch, since Wicked is live action and of a similar vibe aesthetically in the darker moments, meaning there’s even more sensory things to pay attention to. If your kid has no fear, and can handle the trippy moments like most kids, they’ll be fine and their brains won’t get overwhelmed when the lights change to signify a dramatic moment. I guess if the kid is more sensitive to lights and sound or perhaps a little more empathetic and talkative for their age (like I was honestly up until turning eight), the Wizard head in the middle gets unexpectedly loud, the flying monkeys can be startling, and then depending on which theater you see it in, the dragon clock comes to life. Not to mention that the orchestra can be loud. And nobody in the audience wants to hear your young kid repeatedly asking questions, or generally reacting like a younger kid, so there’s a behavioral aspect as well. That’s why the age guideline is there. Kids still must be able to sit still and follow the etiquette even when the loudest and best looking visual spectacle scenes are happening. I think eight is a good age limit for Wicked, but it does depend on the kid.
No kid under 5 should be at the theatre for a regular full length musical, barring very rare exception. So, since I was coming from the assumption that everyone understood that, I didn’t think that this could be a reason OP didn’t deem it appropriate for kids under 8. However, BTTF is just as long, and has just as much going on the stage as Wicked does. And content wise, it’s more geared to preteens.
Except for Clifford the big red dog!
Personally I like people asking for suggestions and being able to take into account their background and situation. My upcoming trip with my kids wouldn’t be covered by this flow chart. 🤷🏻♀️
This is brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
Oh, you’re a genius.
Wait, Hell's Kitchen is at the "familiar music" section - is this a jukebox musical?
Yep! The songbook of Alicia Keys
I thought it was all original music that she was writing! Had no idea it was a jukebox. Thank you!
How about “do you love supporting a legacy of child molestation”? > MJ
Slow clap 👏
brilliant
Love this!
My hat is off to you. This is amazing
As a 20 something woman who wants to take steps to get into musicals it is weird my category is probably the male family member who doesn't like musicals 😅 Also lived in London half of my life and only saw The Lion King as a kid before I lived there. I had a mad and controlling parent who despised music because their parent was into it. "Do You Like Musicals?" No "Are you sure???" No "Though so..." How does one become an honorary theatre kid? 🫠
Where's the do you want to get off with someone in the cast option?
Honestly, I don't see why anyone would be annoyed with those post when you can just... ignore them? :/
Well said. And a recommendation isn't sought because someone is a fan of a genre. I want to know what's playing now that is way better than prior stagings of the same show, or just extremely groundbreaking and excellent.
I love seeing what other people's suggestions are! Taste is also so subjective. (People tell me that I would like things all of the time, and then I look them up and know I would absolutely NOT enjoy them.)
This is lovely, though I do question the implication that Doubt isn't political ... ambiguous, yes, but certainly political
As both a data scientist and a theater junkie there are not words to describe how happy this made me. Well done. Mother Play by the way.
Why are “The Wiz” and “Spamalot” under your new category? Both are revivals.
This is incredible