Enter Stage Right: Theater Works Magic on the Tots

The kids sat side by side for more than two hours without any whining. They even thanked me for tearing them away from the TV.

Theater magic transported them--and me--to a happy respite from reality as we watched the young, energetic Broadway cast of “Footloose” sing and dance their hearts out in the popular new stage production. It’s based on the 1984 film about a high school boy who spearheads a campaign to bring dancing back to a small town that has banned it.

My gang, from my usually bored high schooler Matt to 7-year-old Melanie, was mesmerized by the action on stage. It’s rare, I thought, to find an activity for a family to share on vacation that so satisfies every age group--including the grown-ups.

“The thing about theater is that it changes every night. It only happens once the same way. That’s why it’s such a special experience for kids,” said Victoria Clark, who was performing nearby in “Titanic.” “There’s a lot of energy we feel from kids in the audience. They’re a very attentive audience, more than adults sometimes!”

It’s also an audience that Broadway producers are courting. Adults are more apt to make going to the theater part of their lives if they first gazed up at a stage as a child, said Jeb Bernstein, executive director of the League of American Theatres and Producers.

To that end, the league is staging its third annual Kids Night on Broadway this month with a special pre-theater event (here’s your chance to dress up like the Phantom of the Opera or sample French crepes with the cast of “Les Miserables”) and kids-are-free tickets at about 20 Broadway shows on two evenings, Jan. 26 and Feb. 2.

Throughout the winter, Kids Nights also are being held in nearly 40 cities around the country, from San Diego (March 23) to Hartford, Conn., with touring Broadway productions such as “Annie,” “Peter Pan” and “Footloose.”

Call the Broadway Line at (888) BROADWAY. The Broadway Line also provides plot summaries of most current productions and lets you sign your child up for the free Broadway Kids’ Club. They’ll get a newsletter and discount offers.

With Times Square’s renovation, the number of children attending the theater jumped dramatically to a million a year between 1991 and 1997, according to the league. It helps that there are growing numbers of kid-friendly offerings.

“Annie Get Your Gun” is coming to Broadway next month, as is “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Families with older kids also flock to “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” “Rent” and “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” while those with younger children can choose “The Sound of Music” and “Beauty and the Beast.” “The Lion King” is so hot that tickets must be purchased nine months ahead. “Lion King” is not part of Kids Night on Broadway, however. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at tel. (800) 755-4000 or on the Internet at https://www.ticketmaster.com.

Whether in New York or elsewhere, theater is a worthwhile addition to any vacation itinerary.

“You’re nurturing their sense of wonder and creating a memory that will last a long, long time,” said Northwestern University professor Rives Collins, an expert on children and theater.

Even when his elderly grandmother’s memory was failing, Collins said, she could recall 80 years later every detail of a production of “Peter Pan” she saw as a child. “These days, kids can get pretty blase,” he continued. “Theater is one place where they’ll still find things that are new and powerful.”

But because Broadway tickets can be so expensive--more than $50 each--wait until your child is old enough to enjoy the experience. Make sure the kids are prepared for what they’ll see and that you have time for a snack afterward--so you can talk about what you’ve seen, Collins suggested.

One restaurant in New York’s theater district that got a thumbs-up from my young critics: Cafe Un, Deux, Trois, where the kids slurped French onion soup and played Tic-Tac-Toe on the paper tablecloths with the crayons provided. (It’s on 44th Street near Broadway. Call [212] 354-4148.)

Here’s how to find New York theater tickets on the cheap:

* “Footloose,” “Titanic,” “Rent” and “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” are among shows that sell some same-day tickets at the box office for $20. Get there early in the day.

* The nonprofit New Victory Theater, just west of Broadway on 42nd Street, stages a year-round season of children’s productions with tickets as low as $10. (Box office [212] 382-4020 or Telecharge at [212] 239-6200.)

* Buy deeply discounted matinee tickets the day before at the Lower Manhattan Theatre Center, in the mezzanine of Two World Trade Center.

* Lines are shortest at noon for matinees and at 6 p.m. for evening shows at the other TKTS Discount Ticket Booth, at 47th Street and Broadway. Same-day seats can be up to 50% off.

Taking the Kids appears the first and third week of every month.