Below is the latest guest blog post from Scott M., active father of Byron & Dashiell, describing his continued passion for enjoying theater in NYC with his family:
‘Tis the season when there’s a large selection of shows in the city, all trying to get us to use our precious holiday time to entertain our family. I had the opportunity to take my family to a nice range of shows this month.
In the over-the-top category, a visit to The Radio City Music Hall was in line for the whole family to view the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The advantage of the show that you won’t find anywhere except for an article for parents, is of the constant action and sustained noise level. When my 6-month-old son started crying because it was his nap time, I thought it was a baby from far away until I looked down and saw him crying. I was able to inconspicuously pat him to sleep and realized I didn’t see any of the multitudes of babies in the audience being covertly carried out by a huddling parent into the lobby so I must have not been the only one.
Next in scale came a visit to the Big Apple Circus in Lincoln Center, an intimate one-ring show where everyone has a great view. As with all shows, the center section is preferred. My three-and-a-half-year-old loved the performance, as he did in the past years but I had to take my six-month-old out for a breather right before intermission. For parents who have to do this for babies or young children who are a bit overwhelmed, there are monitors in the concession area for you to view what’s going on in the ring. My frugal mind loves this circus because they don’t skimp on quality and the prices are very decent. For example, in the concessions you’ll find normal-priced items, you’re not paying $15 for cotton candy!
A visit to one of my favorite small family-friendly theatres, the MMAC Theatre, took us to see The Amazing Max and the Box of Interesting Things. I was very fortunate to grab some press tickets for this show. I say fortunate because I would have missed out on this performance if I didn’t, as a magic show wasn’t on my radar this season. The show runs for 50 min and is quick-paced. Therefore it is one of the shows I’d recommend if someone wants to introduce their child to the wonderful world of New York live shows but not sure if they could sit throughout the entirety. Think Nickelodeon game show humor without the goop but full of magic tricks, this one-man show is filled with potty and light physical humor, perfect for the range of ages in the room.
By the end of the show, my cheeks were a little sore from all my smiling. A man who can entertain a room full of kids and adults with his magic tricks for an hour? Just his skills, voice and showmanship? As my son yelled to him after the show when he had the opportunity to meet him, “That’s AMAZING!”
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