Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. For more information, click on the title.
BROADWAY:
• Anything Goes (musical, G/PG-13, mildly adult subject matter that will be unintelligible to children, closes Jan. 8, reviewed here)
• Born Yesterday (comedy, G/PG-13, closes July 31, reviewed here)
• The House of Blue Leaves (serious comedy, PG-13, closes July 23, reviewed here)
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (musical, G/PG-13, perfectly fine for children whose parents aren’t actively prudish, reviewed here)
• The Importance of Being Earnest (high comedy, G, just possible for very smart children, closes July 3, reviewed here)
• Million Dollar Quartet (jukebox musical, G, reviewed here)
• The Motherf**ker with the Hat (serious comedy, R, adult subject matter, closes July 17, reviewed here)
OFF BROADWAY:
• Avenue Q (musical, R, adult subject matter and one show-stopping scene of puppet-on-puppet sex, reviewed here)
• The Fantasticks (musical, G, suitable for children capable of enjoying a love story, reviewed here)
• Play Dead (theatrical spook show, PG-13, utterly unsuitable for easily frightened children or adults, reviewed here)
IN CHICAGO:
• The Front Page (comedy, PG-13, extended through July 17, reviewed here)
• Porgy and Bess (operatic musical, PG-13, extended through July 3, reviewed here)
CLOSING NEXT WEEK OFF BROADWAY:
• By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (comedy, PG-13, closes June 12, reviewed here)
• A Minister’s Wife (serious musical, G, far too complicated for children, closes June 12, reviewed here)
CLOSING SUNDAY IN SAN DIEGO:
• Life of Riley (serious comedy, PG-13, reviewed here)