Kids’ Night on Broadway Kicks Off

If you want to share your love of the live stage with your kids, but find the ticket prices for a Broadway show a bit too much for your budget, you’re in luck! Kids’ Night on Broadway offers children a night of free theater.

The 2016 Kids’ Night on Broadway will take place in New York City on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, with tickets going on sale on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at 10:30am, according to a press release from The Broadway League, which created the program.

Kids’ Night on Broadway National Ambassadors Kelli O’Hara and Marlee Matlin—both currently appearing on stage in The King and I and Spring Awakening, respectively—were on hand to announce the annual event, where kids 18 and under can see participating Broadway shows for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult.

“Celebrating the 20th anniversary, we decided to return to the way Kids’ Night on Broadway began, focusing on one amazing evening when crowds of kids take over Times Square! It’s fun and gratifying to see the enthralled faces of young theatregoers sitting in our theatres, being transported while experiencing the magic on stage,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. “On average, a million kids (18 or younger) see a Broadway show each season, and now many of them are theatergoing adults.”

Ms. O’Hara, a Tony-award winner, is excited about the prospect of more kids getting to experience a live show. “As a mother of two in real life and a school teacher currently on the stage, I love to promote all arts, but especially theatre, to kids of all ages,” she said. “I love to imagine where the experiences might take them for the evening or maybe even for a lifetime.”

And while Ms. Matlin already has an Academy Award at home, she’s currently making her Broadway debut. “For me, it’s important to bring all kids to experience theater, hearing, deaf and otherwise abled. Theater is where a child’s imagination knows no barriers and their dreams can come true.”

A Kids’ Night on Broadway ticket also includes pre-theatre activities, restaurant discounts, parking discounts, educational programs and more. It is presented by The New York Times and sponsored by WABC-TV and Southern Hospitality BBQ, with additional support from Z100, LITE FM, Clear Channel Spectacolor and Westchester Family.

Participating shows to date include (this list is subject to change):
Aladdin, Allegiance, An American in Paris, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Chicago the Musical, The Color Purple, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Dames at Sea, Fiddler on the Roof, Finding Neverland, Fun Home, Jersey Boys, The King and I, Kinky Boots, The Lion King, Les Misérables, Matilda The Musical, Noises Off, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, The Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock, Something Rotten! and Wicked.

For tickets and more information, be sure to go to kidsnightonbroadway.com

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