Theater News

Kids in da House

Nobody loves theater more than children, as David Finkle reminds us.

Rajonie Hammond, 12, as Young Simba andSydney McNeal, 10, as Young Nala in The Lion King(Photo © Alex Kirzhner)
Rajonie Hammond, 12, as Young Simba and
Sydney McNeal, 10, as Young Nala in The Lion King
(Photo © Alex Kirzhner)

In the hubbub just before a matinee performance of The Lion King begins, children’s voices are the dominant sound. Short of a row-to-row poll, there’s no way to determine how many of these chattering youngsters are in a theater for the first time, but it’s likely to be a hefty percentage. It’s also likely that many of them were born after the Walt Disney blockbuster opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre in November, 1997.

It’s difficult to say how many children who have seen The Lion King over the past seven years, either in New York or in one of the many other cities where the show has played, have became loyal theater fans for having been brought to see the Disney hit; but it makes sense that children exposed to theater in their formative years, when they’re especially impressionable, are thrilled by the magic of the art form. After all, much of the world is magical to children — and the theater, in which theatrical magic is practiced constantly, is that much more so. For a pertinent instance, the memories that Julie Taymor — director, costumer, and puppet designer (with Michael Curry) of The Lion King — has instilled in children may well be indelible. They may also be only the first of many gathered over time as children, maturing into adults, continue to recount their illuminating and entertaining experiences in the theater.

The League of American Theatres and Producers, which conducts regular demographic studies of audiences, recently found that 62 percent of adult theatergoers said they’d been taken to the theater as very young children, in middle school, or in high school. Forty-two percent of those who said that they now saw more than 10 shows annually reported that they’d been taken to the theater in their youth. These statistics are impressive and the numbers would surely soar even higher if more children were encouraged by parents and teachers to see plays and musicals. (Wendy Wasserstein’s book Pamela’s First Musical addresses that very subject and is itself being adapted by the author as a stage show.) More to the significant point, it follows that children introduced to high-quality theater become that much more taken with the power and charm of live performance. The Lion King, which many critics have called Broadway’s most spectacular production ever, is a prime example of top-flight entertainment for children. Its success points to another indisputable truth: The best children’s theater can be equally enjoyed by adults. Says Lion King co-author Irene Mecchi, “I try to write material that appeals to the child in all of us — material that entertains audiences of all ages.”

Kid-friendly Broadway shows are the epitome of such offerings, and they abound. Currently, Beauty and the Beast, Caroline, or Change, Fiddler on the Roof, Hairspray, and Wicked are reputable family attractions — as is the New Victory Theater, which books enterprises aimed directly at children. Beyond the Great White Way, families will find more intimate and affordable productions by such organizations as Manhattan Children’s Theatre, TADA!, the Vital, 13th Street Repertory Company, and the Flea. But, of course, it’s not only in New York City that young theater appetites are fed. Organizations such as Theaterworks/USA routinely send superior fare around the country and just about every city has home-grown shows that are appropriate for kids: TheaterMania.com recently identified 399 productions nationwide that are fit for family consumption. When the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis won last year’s Tony for regional theater, it was recognition for children’s theater everywhere and was probably viewed that way in many other cities where theaters specialize in catering to families.

Nothing's the matter with kids today!(Photo © Alex Kirzhner)
Nothing’s the matter with kids today!
(Photo © Alex Kirzhner)

Although interest in the arts hasn’t been a top priority for recent U.S. government administrations, certain theater companies far and wide have tried to compensate by doing yeoman work on local levels. Many groups have made it a point to develop outreach programs geared toward parents and teachers. These initiatives often include discounted theater tickets — an invaluable boon, since it’s known that many more parents would bring their children to the theater if the cost were less prohibitive. (Incidentally, parents with kids who long not only to attend the theater but also to participate in it can find many opportunities. One of the most notable in recent years is Camp Broadway, a training-ground for young enthusiasts. Begun as a two-week course in Manhattan in 1995, the organization has hosted upwards of 45,000 wannabes aged 6-17 in various events and in many cities.)

In receiving the 2004 Tony Award for her performance as Elphaba in Wicked, Idina Menzel made a point of thanking her parents for taking her to see Broadway shows when she was a child. Even if your youngster doesn’t grow up to be a Tony winner, exposing him or her to the wonders of live performance is bound to be beneficial. So, the lesson is: Take a child to the theater today!

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[For more on family-friendly onstage fare, visit www.theatermania.com/kids.]