Kids' theater in NYC

Junie B. Jones by TheatreworksUSA

Photo: Carol Rosegg

Atlantic for Kids
Linda Gross Theater, 336 W 20th St between Eighth and Ninth Aves (212-691-5919, atlantictheater.org). Subway: C, E to 23rd St. $20, children $10.
This arm of the famed Atlantic Theatre Company, which was founded by David Mamet and William H. Macy in 1983, presents two high-quality children's shows each season. Past productions include well-received revivals (A Year with Frog and Toad) and original musicals (Books Cook!).

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts Target Family Fun Series
2900 Campus Rd at Hillel Pl, Flatbush, Brooklyn (718-951-4600, ext 25; brooklyncenter.com). Subway: 2, 5 to Flatbush Ave. $6.
From October to late April, the Brooklyn Center presents five shows. Upbeat kid classics like Seussical and Beauty and the Beast are on its 2010–11 lineup.

The Calhoun Performing Arts Series
Calhoun School, Mary Lea Johnson Performing Arts Center, 433 West End Ave at 81st St (212-497-6528, calhoun.org). Subway: 1 to 79th St. $10, children $5.
A variety of family-friendly troupes fill the series' annual lineup, which runs from September to June. After the performances, little ones enjoy milk and cookies.

CityParks PuppetMobile
Locations throughout the city (347-865-5289, cityparksfoundation.org). Free.
With a portable stage and a trunk full of marionettes, a staff of puppeteers presents scaled-down versions of Swedish Cottage productions in city parks and playgrounds every summer.

DR2 Theatre
103 E 15th St between Union Square East and Irving Plaza (212-947-8844, dr2theatre.com). Subway: L, N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6 to 14th St–Union Sq. Ticket prices vary.
Although not a dedicated kiddie space, Broadway producer Daryl Roth's small Off Broadway theater hosts a few funky family shows each season. Past hits include the hilarious coming-of-age musical Dear Edwina, which may return for an encore in December 2010, and Gustafer Yellowgold concerts.

Galli Theater
38 W 38th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, third floor (212-731-0668, gallitheaterny.com). Subway: B, D, F, N, Q, R to 34th St–Herald Square; 7 to Fifth Ave. $20, children $15.
This German troupe produces novel fairy-tale adaptations (Snow White, Frog Prince, etc.) with bare-bones sets and small casts. Be sure to check the website before you go: Some performances are performed in foreign languages, including French, German and Russian.

The Heights Players Storybook Theater for Children
26 Willow Pl at Joralemon St, Brooklyn Heights (718-237-2752, heightsplayers.org). Subway: 4, 5 to Borough Hall. $5.
Run by volunteers, this nonprofit theater mounts three or four family shows annually. The repertory is eclectic, but always includes one offering written and directed by longtime member Bill Wood.

Kidz Theater
The Connelly Theater, 220 E 4th St between Aves A and B (kidztheater.org). Subway: F to Second Ave–Lower East Side. $25.
Founded by artistic director Kristen Cesar when she was just 13 (she's now all grown up!), this troupe presents four full-scale musicals (past productions include A Chorus Line, Into the Woods and Bye Bye Birdie) each year. The casts consist of passionate, talented kids—none of whom have to pony up cash to participate.

Literally Alive
The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal St at Minetta Ln (212-866-5170, literallyalive.com). Subway: A, C, E, B, D, F to W 4th St. $25.
While other companies try to instill a love of theater in their patrons, this one hopes its audiences will go home and read. The troupe presents original musicals based on celebrated children's literature (Cinderella, Treasure Island, The Little Mermaid, etc.); thematically related art workshops precede every performance.

Manhattan Children's Theatre
52 White St between Broadway and Church St (212-226-4085, manhattanchildrenstheatre.org). Subway: A, C, E, N, Q, R to Canal S
t. $20. At the company's 74-seat Tribeca playhouse, kids climb onto rows of banked padded benches, which means everyone, even the tiniest tot in the back, enjoys unobstructed views. All of MCT's shows are based on classic or contemporary kid lit. Past productions include The Velveteen Rabbit, Lily's Plastic Purse and The Little Mermaid.

Monster Literature
Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 Fourth Ave between Union and Carroll Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-857-4816, monsterliterature.com). Subway: R to Union St. $5.
Every other month, this neophyte troupe enacts fresh adventures starring 12-year-old Benjy Bleeglehorn and her sidekick, Bravo Kirkwood, two brave souls trying to stop an evil wizard from sending a militia of monsters to destroy storybook lands. Each production brings a different tale (Secret Garden, Emperor's New Clothes, etc.) to life with music, dance, masks and puppetry.

The New Acting Company
Philip Coltoff Center at Greenwich Village, 219 Sullivan St between W 3rd and Bleecker Sts (212-254-3074, childrensaidsociety.org/pcc/nac). Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F to W 4th St; 6 to Bleecker St. In advance $18, at the door $20.
Run by the Children's Aid Society, this group leads an afterschool drama program, and presents one family-friendly musical each year starring the most talented students.

The New Victory Theater
209 W 42nd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (646-223-3010, newvictory.org). Subway: N, Q, R, S, 1, 2, 3, 7 to 42nd St–Times Sq. $12.50–$35.
This full-scale, multilevel theater produces the most professional—and inventive—children's programming in the entire city. The lineup often features European imports, and spans all genres, from opera to dance to puppetry. Note: Selected shows are mounted in the company's alternate space down the block at New 42nd Street Studios (229 W 42nd St).

Puppetworks
338 Sixth Ave at 4th St, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-965-3391, puppetworks.org). Subway: F to Seventh Ave. $8, children $7.
At this storefront marionette theater, kids sit cross-legged on a mat facing the stage while grown-ups hunker down on bleachers in the back. Most of the productions are adaptations of well-known fairy and folk tales (Jack & the Beanstalk, Peter and the Wolf, The Frog Prince), all of which are written by the troupe's artistic director, Nicholas Coppola.

Story Pirates
The Drama Book Shop, 250 W 40th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (347-878-6798, storypirates.org). Subway: N, Q, R, 42nd St S to Times Sq–42nd St; A, C, E 42nd St–Port Authority; 1, 2, 3, 7 to Times Sq–42nd St. In advance $15, at the door $15-$20.
Endorsed by cool celebs like Jon Stewart (yup, of The Daily Show), this troupe of local actors transforms kids' stories into raucous and original musical comedies. A different script is enacted each week, and children can submit stories for consideration at the group's website. The hilarity concludes with complimentary ice cream and cookies for all.

Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater
Inside Central Park at 79th St and West Dr, just south of the Delacorte Theater (212-988-9093, cityparksfoundation.org). Subway: B, C to 81st St–American Museum of Natural History. $8, children $5.
Imported to the U.S. from Sweden in 1876, this cozy Central Park spot mounts adaptations of well-known stories featuring lovely handmade puppets.

TADA! Youth Theater
15 W 28th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-252-1619, tadatheater.com). Subway: R to 28th St. $20, children $8.
The company's resident ensemble—which consists of talented tristate-area tykes, ages eight to 18—stars in three professionally mounted original musicals each year. Entrance into the free program is by audition only. Past productions include Wide-Awake Jake, B.O.T.C.H and Golly Gee Whiz.

Teatro Sea
Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, 107 Suffolk St between Delancey and Rivington Sts (212-549-1545, sea-ny.org). Subway: F to Delancey St; J, M, Z to Essex St. Adults $15, children $12.50.
When creative director Manuel Morán initially founded this company, in 1991, he produced separate English and Spanish plays. Since 1999, all performances have been bilingual. The shows, usually adaptations of folk and fairy tales (Pinocchio, Cinderella), provide an opportunity for budding linguists to hone their skills—especially after curtain calls, when the actors mingle with the audience.

TheatreworksUSA
Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St between Bleecker and Hudson Sts (212-647-1100, theatreworksusa.org). Subway: 1 to Christopher St–Sheridan Sq. Free.
Boasting many successful alumni (including director Jerry Zaks and composer Jason Robert Browne), the nation's largest children's-theater company mounts original, G-rated productions throughout the city year-round. In July and August, the organization puts on a new show for free at the West Village's Lucille Lortel Theatre. Past spectacles include Click, Clack, Moo and Junie B. Jones.

13th Street Repertory Theatre
50 W 13th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-675-6677, 13thstreetrep.org). Subway: F, V, 1, 2, 3 to 14th; N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6 to 14th St–Union Sq; L to Sixth Ave. $10.
Managed by artistic director Edith O'Hara (who's well into her 90s), this cozy company produces two children's shows every weekend: Wiseacre Farm (Sat, Sun at noon), an interactive show about farm animals being schooled in birthday party etiquette; and Rumple Who?, a musical retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin" (Sat, Sun at 1:30pm).

Vital Children's Theatre
2162 Broadway at 76th St, fourth floor (212-579-0528, vitaltheatre.org). Subway: 1 to 79th St. $25–$50.
This offshoot of the Vital Theatre Company presents original family musicals—many based on popular children's books—from September through May, as well as the popular year-round production of Pinkalicious, the Musical at the Theatres at 45 Bleecker.

Additional reporting by Patrisha Holly Zabrycki

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