January Rocks on the Broadway Stage
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Off and Off-Off Broadway
CRANKED (January 9-25)
An edgy show with a rap aesthetic, this import from Vancouver’s Green Thumb Theater presents older kids with a compelling cautionary tale set to a hip-hop beat. The story, starring Kyle Cameron, follows young Stan’s descent into crystal meth addiction. Notably, this award-winning production, with an intensity theatergoers won’t soon forget, is set to pulsing rhythms from a live DJ. The New Victory Theater, 209 W. 42nd St., 646-223-3010;www.NewVictory.org. $12.50-$35, with even greater savings for members.
DEAR EDWINA (Through January 25)
Edwina can’t keep her opinions to herself, which is good news for anyone visiting this deliciously quirky new musical about a girl whose special talent is giving advice. And here’s some cool news: children attending Dear Edwina can now place their own advice-seeking letters in a special box in the lobby. Each week, one letter will be selected and Edwina’s reply will be posted on the show’s website. Bonus: winning letter-writers will be invited to return to the show to read their letters onstage, and receive Edwina’s personal response! DR2 Theater, 103 E. 15th St., 212-239-6200; www.DearEdwina.com.
FUERZA BRUTA
For those 12 and over who are ready to move from playing videogames to being dropped into the middle of one, Fuerza Bruta (f’where-zah-broo-tah) is a theatrical event guaranteed to stir the adrenaline of even the most jaded 21st-century kid. Set in an open 360-degree playing area, this surreal, non-stop production jettisons spectators into a universe of music, sounds, lights, soaring bodies and water play (imagine a giant transparent overhead Slip-n-Slide that inches down and stops just above the heads of dumbstruck spectators!). FYI: Fuerza Bruta’s youthful fan base has already given the show a thumbs-up for both Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, as well as Sweet 16s. Daryl Roth Theater, 20 Union Square East at 15th St., 212-239-6200; www.fuerzabruta.net.
PINKALICIOUS, THE MUSICAL
The ultimate little girl fantasy, this adorable Vital Theater musical, about a pink cupcake eater whose passion for the treat actually turns her pink, has become one of Off-Off-Broadway’s most popular shows — so much so that it recently changed theaters to accommodate the demand. Suffice it to say, kids (okay, girls) are lining up for regular performances and signing up for customized birthday bashes. Theaters at 45 Bleecker Street, 45 Bleecker St., 212-239-6200; www.vitaltheater.org/pinkNWS.php.