Special Reports

Beautiful, The Cher Show, and More Top Our Critics' List of Mother's Day Shows

These Broadway and off-Broadway shows will help bring you to closer than ever to your mom this holiday weekend.

It's Mother's Day this Sunday, May 12 — and what better way to bond with your mother than to treat her to a show? It's always more fun to be able to share your theatrical experiences with someone, and sharing one with your mom is surely an extra-special occasion. But of course, not just any show will do for this particular holiday. For this week's Top 5, we offer some suggestions from the many theatrical offerings available on Broadway and off-Broadway.

Click on the title of a show to learn more and purchase tickets.


If your mom likes music from the 1960s and '70s…

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Chilina Kennedy currently plays Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway.
Chilina Kennedy currently plays Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway.
(© Joan Marcus)

"At its worst, a bio-musical…can feel like a self-serving memoir attempting to whitewash the human failings of its subject. At its best, it explores those human failings and attempts to show how they informed the music. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical…undeniably falls into the latter group." Read Zachary Stewart's full review here.

The Cher Show

Teal Wicks, Stephanie J. Block, and Micaela Diamond all play Cher in The Cher Show.
Teal Wicks, Stephanie J. Block, and Micaela Diamond all play Cher in The Cher Show.
(© Joan Marcus)

"Even though [book writer Rick] Elice and [director Jason] Moore only superficially dramatize milestones in Cher's life…their mere mention in proximity to Cher's indelible music will likely be enough to get audience members thinking about these events in their own lives. Not bad for a splashy nostalgia trip." Read Zachary Stewart's full review here.


If your mom likes classic musicals…

Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish

Steven Skybell and the cast of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.
Steven Skybell and the cast of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.
(© Matthew Murphy)

"…[T]his peerless revival, starring Steven Skybell as the best Tevye imaginable, could easily wind up as the definitive version of this 55-year-old musical." Read David Gordon's full review here.

Kiss Me, Kate

Kelli O'Hara and Will Chase star in Roundabout Theatre Company's Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate.
Kelli O'Hara and Will Chase star in Roundabout Theatre Company's Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate.
(© Joan Marcus)

"Musical revivals are scarce this season, and while there are some generally run-of-the-mill elements to this revival…it is geared toward the theatergoer who revels in the classics….This Kiss Me, Kate is a real treat." Read David Gordon's full review here.


If your mom likes politics…

What the Constitution Means to Me

Heidi Schreck is the star and playwright of What the Constitution Means to Me.
Heidi Schreck is the star and playwright of What the Constitution Means to Me.
(© Joan Marcus)

"…Heidi Schreck's exhilarating new play…has transferred to Broadway's Helen Hayes Theatre following two sold-out runs downtown. Taking the form of a civics lecture, it is the surprise thriller of the season." Ready Zachary Stewart's full review of the Broadway production here.

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