CHILD-FRIENDLY MUSICALS
Compiled by Rachel Buchman, ©2005

Musicals are great for kids. Musicals are great for parents! Why bother with cheap kiddie movies when the whole family could be watching a superior production? Watching musicals encourages singing, dancing and play-acting in children. Musical’s teach basic dramatic form. Musicals teach children to follow a story-line, understand character and plot development, and develop a sense of humor. Musicals are America’s unsurpassed contribution to world music and theatre. Musicals feature fabulous male dancers and singers; a very important model for young boys who enjoy such activities.

MUSICALS THAT WILL GET YOU HOOKED
An American in Paris
Annie Get Your Gun (with Ethel Merman)
Band Wagon
Bye Bye Birdie (the original with Dick Van Dyke and Ann Margaret)
Carousel
Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein, NOT Disney)
The Fantasticks
Fiddler on the Roof
Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movies
George M!
Gigi
Grease
Guys and Dolls
Half a Sixpence
Hans Christian Anderson (with Danny Kaye)
Hello Dolly
The King and I
Man of La Mancha
Mary Poppins (with Julie Andrews)
Marx Brothers movies: Duck Soup, Monkey Business, Night at the Opera, Day at the Races, Horse Feathers, and so on.
The Music Man
My Fair Lady
No, No Nanette!
Oklahoma!
Oliver!
On the Town
Pal Joey
The Pajama Game
Peter Pan (with Mary Martin)
Shirley Temple Movies
Singin’ in the Rain
The Sound of Music
South Pacific
Sweet Charity
The Wiz
The Wizard of Oz
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (the original off-Broadway cast, PLEASE NOT the recent Broadway cast!!)
Yankee Doodle Dandy

Classic Disney movies have superior animation and music than the more recent movies:
Cinderella Fantasia (the original)
Pinocchio Dumbo
Snow White Sleeping Beauty

For older children:
Cabaret Damn Yankees! Three Penny Opera
Porgy and Bess Showboat
West Side Story Sweeney Todd
(not American but still some of the best and funniest entertainment ever:)
Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas, such as: The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, The HMS Pinafore

Listen to KRTS Radio (92.1 FM) for their musical theatre show on Saturday evenings, at 8 p.m.

LOCAL PERFORMANCES
Remember that local high schools and universities regularly do productions of musicals. I find that these productions are often more fun to go to with children than the Broadway touring shows, or productions done by local musical production companies.

School productions are simpler and focus on having fun, rather than production glitz. Though the singing is not as professional, it is often more honest and sweet than the heavily miked singing you will find in professional theatres these days. School productions are less expensive to attend. When your children attend high school and college productions they see other children, not much older than themselves, delighting in theatrical experiences.

Find out what’s going on in your neighborhood!

For Houston readers, check-out: University of Houston theatre department, Rice University’s Lovett College which regularly produces high quality musical productions, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society. The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) does a big musical every year, usually of extremely high quality. HSPVA will often also do smaller shows such as “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” in their experimental theatre. Call the school’s drama department or look on line for a schedule. Lamar and Bellaire High Schools, St. John’s High School all do musicals.

Remember it isn’t fancy sets and costumes that make a great show! It’s the acting, the singing, the dancing and the spirit.