Come From Away with kids?

[Jennifer Wang]

We are heading to NYC for a few days in April and my 8 year old daughter and 10 year old son are planning the whole trip (within reason). My theater-loving daughter's pick was to see a show. Her first pick was Aladdin, but it looks like the cheaper seats for our dates are sold out.  I wanted to see Come From Away for myself and was wondering if it'll be something my kids would enjoy.

My daughter has been sitting through ballets and shows since she was 3 and loves anything theater. My 10 year old is well-behaved and is an American history lover. I'm a NY'er and my mom saw everything happen from her city hall office, so both kid have known about 9/11 their whole lives. They don't actually know this little side story, so I thought it would be a nice touch to the very NY touristy weekend they have planned for themselves. I wasn't sure if it might be too slow for them? Or if there was anything overly inappropriate?

Thank you!

[Fosse76]

Honestly, I think they'd be bored. 

[quizking101]

There were two kids no older than 10 behind me when I went the other night who were surprisingly well behaved (and in the second row orchestra no less).

I’d give this show probably a light PG-13 - thematic elements and brief strong language.

My question is that, since the actors are playing multiple characters with only minor changes to costume, do you think they would they be able to keep up or engage with the larger themes?

[carolinaguy]

When I saw it, there was a family on my row with kinds I would estimate to be in the 12-14 range and they were engaged and loved it. It moves at a quick pace.

There are some very serious scenes regarding racism that could be disturbing and obviously the issues surrounding 9/11 are bleak, but if you're comfortable discussing those topics I think that's the worst you could encounter. They probably hear more F-bombs in one ride on a school bus than they would in the show.

[Stellasteve]

It depends on your kids’ attention spans and your threshold for mature content. I took my 7-year-old two weeks ago and she now says it’s her favorite show. She won’t stop listening to the soundtrack!

The mature content for you to consider:
* two occurrences of the F-bomb and maybe one or two other milder words
* women flash their bras in a humorous way in one scene; it’s not gratuitous
* one man in a gay couple refers to himself twice as the other’s “sexytary,” which my daughter thought was hilarious

Overall, I found it to be a beautiful, uplifting show that highlights generosity and how humans come together in a time of trial. I did explain 9/11 to her so she had the context.

[Jennifer Wang]

Thank you! They should be okay with the character changes. My daughter's theater class works very similarly since there are only 6-7 kids in the class. Each kid plays several different roles with frantic costume changes throughout. They have, unfortunately, already experienced real life racism, so that is not foreign to them. I'll show them some clips tonight and see what they think!

[bear88]

Based on your description of your children, I think it would be fine. The show moves quickly, so I don't think they will get bored. (I didn't love the musical myself, but I can understand why others do, and it really did feel more like a family-friendly show.)

[Jordan Catalano]

From the title of this thread, I thought this was about a production of the show being done by children and I got very excited to see that Trainwreck.

[dramamama611]

^ me, too!

But to the op, based on what you said, it sounds perfect.

[hak5]

CFA is one of the best shows currently running.  there is nothing inappropriate in the show.  

[Jennifer Wang]

Just wanted to update that we saw the show last week and both kids loved it! My 8 year old daughter giggled at the 2-3 "F" bombs! :) They both said it was "sooo good" and even better than Matilda (which they loved)! I was crying within 10 minutes of the show starting and I am usually not a crier at all!

[getupngo]

Jordan Catalano said: "From the title of this thread, I thought this was about a production of the show being done by children and I got very excited to see that Trainwreck."

I can't with you. LOL

[sweaterbox]

I would keep checking the Aladdin tickets, as often new tickets come up closer to the show date.

For alternatives you might find this Kids guide to Broadway useful (note some closures)
https://mommypoppins.com/best-broadway-kids-family-musicals-disney-lion-king-wicked-school-of-rock

Personally I would not take kids that young to Come From Away as I think it will be hard for them to follow (cast changes characters frequently and there’s a lot of nuance). It is only 100 mins with no interruption which is a plus. You’d probably have to do a lot of teaching about 9-11 beforehand if you wanted them to follow along. They have a great study guide on their website but it’s geared to middle & high schoolers. There’s not a big splashy colorful set or costumes to latch onto.