My Mommy Flies presents NYC Family Travel Series:

Finding Neverland and Tips on How to Survive Broadway with Kids

My family received a pair of complimentary tickets to Finding Neverland.  The reviews and opinions expressed here are my own.

On our New York City summer vacation I took my kids to see Finding Neverland the Musical, a Broadway production that opened this past April. Growing up in New York City I’ve been to a couple of Broadway shows, but this was my kids first time on Broadway. I wanted to give them the full New York experience in Finding Neverland was the perfect pick for our family to enjoy.

To my delight Finding Neverland was more than what I expected. It wasn’t overly produced like you may experience at other family shows.  It captured our imagination and allowed us to wonder and roam within our thoughts.  It was a true authentic theatrical Broadway production.

At first I was a little worried that my children, 6 and 8, wouldn’t appreciate a Broadway show. But shortly after the intro, the stage was filled with young boys laughing, singing, and playing make believe games about pirates and wild adventures, my kids were instantly hooked.

Finding Neverland is a refreshing take on one of the most popular classic children’s books, Peter Pan. It went beyond telling the story about little Peter, the boy that never wants to grow up, to tell the story of how he was created by Playwright J.M. Barrie, played by Matthew Morrison.

We were sucked into the creative and magical mind of J.M. Barrie. I won’t spoil the show for you, but lets just say we really enjoyed the entire performance of Finding Neverland.

My son, 6, loved watching the young actors on the stage. He’s been acting and performing in small productions here in Atlanta for a few years. I was happy he had a chance to see what performing on a Broadway stage looks like. It gives him something to big aspire to.

I love that Finding Neverland was their first of many Broadway show.

Here are some tips for Surviving Broadway With Kids:

1. Select a show that the whole family would enjoy and relate to.
2. Pay attention to the suggested age for viewers noted on the ticket site. If they are too young then its okay to wait until they are older. Broadway will still be there.  (Finding Neverland is recommended for children aged 7 and older.)
3. Most Broadway shows have matinee or early performance times. This would be best for younger viewers. Finding Neverland at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre have show times starting at 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 7:30pm, and 8:00pm.
4. Purchase your tickets in advance from Ticket Master for best seating. Most Broadway box offices do not sell tickets. Same day tickets can also be purchased at TKTS Discount booths on Broadway.
5. Avoid buying tickets in the front sections with young children. We were seated in the Right Orchestra section about 6 rows back in row G. Any closer my kids would have been uncomfortable.
6. If you’re driving in NYC, plan to arrive early to find parking in the garages close to the theater or park on the streets north of Broadway. Some of the meters have six hours max after 6pm. Traffic is terrible in this area.
7. Eat before the show. Food is not allowed in the theaters on Broadway.
8. Arrive at least 20 minutes early to the performance so you have time to settle in and get comfortable.
9. On the way into the theater pick up a booster seat for your child. They are usually located at the theater entrance or ask an usher.
10. Make sure you take a bathroom break before you sit down for the show. The lines are really long at intermission.
11. Talk to you’re children about the performance and what they will be seeing. Give them some background info so they can follow the story line and characters. Here’s some background story information on Finding Neverland.
12. Make sure your children understand what you expect of them while in theater with live performers. Explain to them that performers can get distracted by voices and crying from the audience.
13. All of the theaters on Broadway have a long and outstanding history. If you have time before the show or after, take them on a little walk around the theater. The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre has a very rich history on Broadway, read more about it here.
14. Take home some memorabilia from the show.  They will give you a Playbill, which is the standard for any Broadway show.  But you should also consider buying a CD, t’shirt, or other souvenir for you to enjoy later with your family.  I love buying the CD’s and Finding Neverland has some fantastic music recording my kids enjoy in the car.  When we listen to it, they can recall the scenes from the performance and enjoy it all over again.