In addition to the shows, participants get tickets to the Kids' Night Fanfest at Madame Tussauds, which will begin at 3 PM on Jan. 30 and 4 PM on Jan. 31. The festival is intended to introduce kids to the theatre via activities such as dance lessons, a make-up station and karaoke. Cast and crew members of Broadway shows will participate.
The famed stage and film actress Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, the co-founder of the Bay Street Theatre, are national ambassadors for this year’s event. The pair will sign copies of their newest children's book, "The Great American Mousical" at the Kids' Night Fanfest on Jan. 30.
Starting at 2:30 PM, tickets for the signing will be handed out to the first 150 Kids' Night participants standing in line who are interested in purchasing a book. Ticketholders who then purchase a book will then get to meet Andrews and Hamilton and have their book signed. Doors to Madame Tussauds will open at 3 PM, and the book signing will start at 4 PM. Books will be available for purchase at the Madame Tussauds gift store located on the fifth floor.
The shows participating in this year's event include Altar Boyz, Avenue Q, Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, The Color Purple, Company, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Fantasticks, Grey Gardens, Hairspray, Les Misérables, The Lion King, The Little Dog Laughed, Mamma Mia!, Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Phantom of the Opera, The Producers, Rent, Stomp, Tarzan, Translations and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Certain theatre-district restaurants will offer family-friendly dinner discounts and free entrées for each child accompanied by an adult who also purchases an entrée. In addition, Broadway audience members receive a special souvenir Playbill written by local teenagers. This year the event has partnered with Autism Speaks, a non-profit devoted to increasing awareness of autism and funding autism research. The League of American Theatres and Producers will include information about the organization on its printed materials and web sites. Members of the Broadway community will be creating artwork that will be auctioned off in the spring, with proceeds going to Autism Speaks.
For more information call (888) BROADWAY or visit www.KidsNightOnBroadway.com.
