Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. For more information, click on the title.
BROADWAY:
• An American in Paris (musical, G, too complex for small children, virtually all performances sold out, reviewed here)
• Fun Home (serious musical, PG-13, all performances sold out, reviewed here)
• Hand to God (black comedy, X, absolutely not for children or prudish adults, some performances sold out, reviewed here)
• A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (musical, PG-13, reviewed here)
• The King and I (musical, G, perfect for children with well-developed attention spans, all performances sold out, reviewed here)
• Matilda (musical, G, nearly all performances sold out, reviewed here)
• Les Misérables (musical, G, too long and complicated for young children, reviewed here)
• On the Town (musical, G, contains double entendres that will not be intelligible to children, reviewed here)
• On the Twentieth Century (musical, G/PG-13, all performances sold out, closes July 19, contains very mild sexual content, reviewed here)
• The Visit (serious musical, PG-13, far too dark and disturbing for children, reviewed here)
OFF BROADWAY:
• Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps (comedy, G, ideal for bright children, remounting of Broadway production, original production reviewed here)
• The Fantasticks (musical, G, suitable for children capable of enjoying a love story, reviewed here)
CLOSING SOON IN CHICAGO:
• Sense and Sensibility (musical, G, closes June 14, reviewed here)
CLOSING NEXT WEEK ON BROADWAY:
• It’s Only a Play (comedy, PG-13/R, closes June 7, reviewed here)
CLOSING SUNDAY OFF BROADWAY:
• Grounded (drama, PG-13/R, explicit sexual references, reviewed here)
CLOSING SUNDAY IN CHICAGO:
• Side Man (drama, PG-13, reviewed here)
CLOSING SUNDAY IN MALVERN, PA.:
• Biloxi Blues (comedy, PG-13, sexual content, reviewed here)