The Best Broadway Shows for Kids

Over 400 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Broadway Shows for Kids

 

From tiny tots to high schoolers, kids of all ages will enjoy these great Broadway musicals. While many are running on Broadway currently, the rest will most likely be produced again in revivals so parents should be sure to keep an eye both on Broadway and this list of the best Broadway shows for kids.

A large portion of the Broadway shows kids will love are musicals. After all, what child can resist singing along with their favorite characters? Shows like The Lion King are familiar to kids already and the elaborate sets and colorful dance numbers will hold their interest for the duration of the show.

Other exciting Broadway productions might be more appropriate for older children. Hairspray, based on the film of the same name, touches on the subject of social inequalities, a subject that junior high and high school students can appreciate and relate to. Of course, the show is also fun - the music is memorable, as are the characters, so older kids are sure to not only enjoy this Broadway show but also learn more about the history of the American social landscape.

On this list, readers will find all of the greatest Broadway shows for children, including those that have been produced recently and those that were originally staged long ago. Vote up the best Broadway shows for kids below and see where the shows your kids love rank! Then check out our list of the best musical movies for kids.

 

Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY
Ranked by
  • Peter Pan
    1
    Carolyn Leigh, Adolph Green, Mark Charlap
    157 votes
    • Characters: Captain Hook, Tinker Bell, Peter Pan, Wendy Darling, Mr. Smee
    Peter Pan is a musical adaptation of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and Barrie's own novelization of it, Peter and Wendy. The music is mostly by Mark "Moose" Charlap, with additional music by ...more
  • The Lion King
    2
    Mark Mancina, Elton John, Jay Rifkin
    195 votes
    • Characters: Scar, Simba, Mufasa, Pumbaa, Nala
    The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' animated feature film of the same name with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Roger Allers and Irene ...more
  • Beauty and the Beast
    3
    Alan Menken, Linda Woolverton, Howard Ashman
    170 votes
    • Characters: Belle, Gaston, Beast, Babette, Wardrobe
    Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton. Adapted from Walt Disney Pictures' Academy Award-winning 1991 animated ...more
  • Mary Poppins
    4
    Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, George Stiles
    163 votes
    • Characters: Mary Poppins, Michael Banks, Jane Banks, Bert, George Banks
    Mary Poppins is a musical with music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman (the Sherman Brothers) and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and a script by ...more
  • Annie
    5
    Martin Charnin, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse
    158 votes
    • Characters: Annie, Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, Miss Agatha Hannigan, Daniel Francis "Rooster" Hannigan, Lily St. Regis
    Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original ...more
  • The Little Mermaid
    6
    Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Doug Wright
    150 votes
    • Characters: Ariel, Ursula, Prince Eric, Flounder, Sebastian
    The Little Mermaid is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical, based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen about a ...more