Family Entertainment: Broadway Shows (throughout the US) on Sale and a Giant Paper Fight

Wondering how to entertain the kids before the real holidays start?  Two innovative programs invite children to immerse themselves in theatrical artistry, designed to educate and amuse all ages.

One of my favorites, Mimirichi is a pantomime troupe that has achieved international acclaim. They bill themselves as specialists in the art of “paper fights.”  You’ll have to see them to understand what this means, but trust me that it’s a combination of comedy, pantomime, slapstick and good old-fashioned silliness. Their newest show, Paper World, promises an interactive element as well. Not surprisingly inducted into the World Clown Academy, the three Ukrainians who comprise Mimirichi recall Marcel Marceau, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and other clown geniuses. The show takes place from November 10 – 29 at Theater for New City, 155 First Avenue, Manhattan (between 9th and 10th Streets). Tickets start at $45.  The show is appropriate for ages 4 and above. Information, 800-718-1444, or http://www.mimirichi.com/events/.

Starting immediately, tickets are on sale for Kids’ Night on Broadway, February 9, 2016, brought to you by the Broadway League.  Now entering its 20th year, the program offers a free ticket to kids ages 18 and under when accompanied by a full-paying adult. The 23 productions included in this special promotion in New York City include both musicals and plays with such alluring shows as Fun Home, Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, The King and I, Something Rotten, Wicked, Aladdin, Fiddler on the Roof, Finding Neverland, Noises Off, On Your Feet, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Lion King, Matilda The Musical, School of Rock The Musical, Phantom of the Opera, and Les Misérables.  For the full list of shows and links to tickets, visit http://www.kidsnightonbroadway.com/shows. Discounts at area restaurants are also available.

Not in New York City for these events?  Not to worry. Kids’ Night on Broadway events are scheduled throughout the year in other North American cities. Check http://www.kidsnightonbroadway.com/across-the-us for participating shows and venues throughout the year. Some of the upcoming ones include Matilda the Musical in Syracuse, New York on December 1, 2015; and Rogers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella in Hershey, Pennsylvania on January 27, 2016 and Appleton, Wisconsin on March 8, 2016.