Some might have seen the first “Broadway, Baby” post describing a newly expanded program where an adult can bring a child 6-18 to a number of Broadway shows for free on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of every month. After attending the events for the past four months, I’m back to report it’s an even better deal that it appears. In the current financial climate, considering a city trip might make you wonder, “What’s my motivation?”

Quite simply, the Kids Night on Broadway offers once in a lifetime opportunities to interact with the amazing talent that brings these shows to life. Broadway pro Paul Canaan of “Take it From the Top” leads free panels and workshops where a keyboardist climbs out of Wicked’s orchestra pit to teach us “One Short Day”, choreographer shows us how to let our Freak Flag Wave in a Shrek chorus dance, top directors and producers share casting and business decisions, stars offer acting tips and hop into kid-driven improv scenes.

With 10-hour $10 evening parking (unheard of in NYC) and 6-18-year-olds eating free, who can beat this combo? Chain-style eateries like ESPN Zone, Bubba Gumps, Mars 2112 and Planet Hollywood participate, but we opted for true family style eating at Tony’s DiNapoli Restaurant. Cozy round booths sit under rows of caricatures of Broadway’s best in their respective roles, platters of Italian food are large and tasty, kids will get hooked on fry-alternative zucchini fritti and being treated like mini-kings and queens by wait staff.

This last trip in, we went for Shrek the Musical. I admit, I thought I was going just to sit through a show for my kid. Wrong. My cheeks HURT from smiling so much, eyes damp from laughing. Seriously, pure, 100% fun. Talk at admission centered on debating who was having a better time, grownups or the kids. Added bonus – Kiddo got to go all “fanboy” over John Tartaglia of Johnny and the Sprites, who played a charming Pinocchio, Man in the Mirror and Gingie. No surprise that Sutton Foster as a hilarious Princess Fiona, Brian d’Arcy James as the endearing Ogre and short-on-anything-but-talent Lord Furquaad, Christopher Sieber, earned Best Actress/Actor/Featured Actor noms or that the show picked up a total of 8 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical. A NYC friend expressed her curiosity at the crowds of laughing adults flooding out of the theatre, many wearing Shrek “ears” (I feigned surprise and tucked my own headband deeper into my purse).

NYC hotel deals can be had, often for half the usual rates, but if dropping a chunk of change on a ho-hum basic room doesn’t appeal, our newest discovery is The Pod Hotel. Inspired by modern storage solutions found on subways and airplanes, this artsy spot features clean streamlined bunk bed rooms (each bunk with their own tiny TV) and sink (clean shared baths with computer panel allows you to see vacant/occupied from within your room) ($89)- or my favorite, townhouse suites ($169). A queen, twin and trundle twin make this large room perfect for families.

Kids will get in the proper theatrical mood when they enter and see a large clear acrylic globe swing and accompanying giant flatscreen in the suite. The Pod’s mod furniture brings a quirky cool continuity throughout the bright art covered hotel and extends up to the BYOB (milk or Chardonnay) rooftop garden, where city sights and surrounding skyscrapers complete the experience. Free Wifi, iPod docking stations in each room and friendly service, too? We like the Pod People.

I’m happy to offer mom-thoughts on Guys and Dolls, Mary Poppins, Shrek the Musical and In the Heights, but for now I’m off to let my freak flag fly!

June 12th, 2009 | by Sascha Zuger 2 comments