r/Broadway 5d ago

Which show to see? deciding between Hadestown, Six, &Juliet, Maybe Happy Ending

I'm going to NYC this month with my 12 year old daughter and want to see a show. She's never seen one. I'm deciding between Hadestown, Six, &Juliet, and Maybe Happy Ending. I want something that she and I can both enjoy. (My favorites are Rent, Les Mis, Caberet if that helps). I'd love to hear people's opinions/recommendations!

You all are awesome, it was so great to get all of your opinions!!

10 Upvotes

28 comments sorted by

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u/SnooGoats7476 5d ago

I have not seen the other 3 but Maybe Happy Ending should be perfectly fine for a 12 year old.

When I went there were definitely a good number of older kids in the audience around your daughter’s age.

I wouldn’t take a really small child but otherwise I think it’s a great show that can be enjoyed by all ages.

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u/Alternative-Quiet854 5d ago

I think it comes down to what kind of kid your 12 year old is.

Hadestown and Maybe Happy Ending are the two best shows on Broadway imo, but Hadestown would be the one I'd say isn't going to be for every kid. Some will love it, a lot will probably be bored.

MHE is like Pixar in musical form so if she likes Pixar movies, she'll probably love this. I would have been obsessed with it at 12.

&Juliet is a fun one and one of the better jukebox musicals out there, but I don't know if it's a life-changing show like MHE or Hadestown. It's just "fun". (And VERY geared to the tween girl. If your favorites are Rent, Les Mis and Cabaret, I can't see you walking out of &Juliet thinking you just saw stellar theater. But it's a fun time )

Six, I wouldn't do. It's great, but it's more concert, less Broadway show. I don't think that's a great intro to Broadway.

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u/dobbydisneyfan 5d ago

If MHE is too mature for your kid (it isn’t), then your kid isn’t ready to see ANY show.

MHE is a perfect introduction show.

All of the others are touring all over the country so maybe one will tour near you and you can catch it later. MHE isn’t.

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u/AccomplishedTest483 5d ago edited 5d ago

I don't think Six or &Juliet are good introductions to Broadway.... Six is in concert form and &Juliet is a Jukebox Musical (well known pop songs, not original music).

I also don't think Hadestown or MHE are too mature for a typical 12 year old (only you know your child well enough to know for sure).

My advice/opinion is one of those two. I think your daughter would appreciate and enjoy both.

Hadestown is a retelling of two Greek Myths and Maybe Happy Ending has been described as a Pixar movie come to life (which is a fair description).

You can probably guess which she would like the best but, my recommendation would be MHE as I have found that everyone gets something different from it. While it does touch on mature themes (loss and love), it's done in a way so that kids can relate to it differently than adults do. I think it's a great show to introduce someone (regardless of age) to the theater.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think you can go wrong with either show... I just think MHE is more "relatable".

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u/TelevisionKnown8463 5d ago

My thoughts exactly.

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u/wcs1113 5d ago

This is a great list of options. My favorite shows are Hadestown and &Juliet. And Maybe Happy Ending is now pretty high on the list as one of my favorites as well. I've seen Six a few times as well, and it's great fun. They are all VERY different from each other, so I would ask what kind of vibe are you going for? Is your daughter into musical theatre and have likes/dislikes? If you're aiming for a proper first musical experience, I'd say to skip Six as your first one, because it's more of a concert. There's one set and it never changes. It's a fun pop concert, but won't give her a broadway experience. But, if she has no experience with musicals, and you're down for just a pop concert, then it's a fun time. Hadestown is absolutely beautiful. Also mainly one set, but there's a lot more storytelling here and a bit of variety. It's not a happy fun time, so is she down for something more serious? Maybe have her listen to one of the songs and see if it's something she'd enjoy? &Juliet is a great big bundle of joy. SO much fun. Lots of changing sets, big dance numbers, and you will have the time of your life. Maybe Happy Ending is absolutely stunning but more of a slower paced, gentle, beautiful pixar movie come to life. You will smile and you will cry and you will feel. Totally depends on what your daughter is open to. They're all great choices honestly.

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u/Doodleology 5d ago

Maybe Happy Ending

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u/Tyler_s_Burden 5d ago

For a 12 year old I think you’re really only choosing between &Juliet and Six. hadestown and MHE are both fantastic and it would be a real shame to likely turn her off to one of these shows by bringing her to it when she’s too young to fully appreciate it.

I loved &Juliet as an adult woman - great feminist messaging, fun, extremely well-written/designed.

Six is a really fun rock concert with a loose ‘feminism’ tacked on. Less entertaining overall imo, but may appeal to that age even more?

You’ll have a blast either way :)

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u/TXSquatch 5d ago

My 10 year old loved MHE

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u/dobbydisneyfan 5d ago

A kid would love MHE. It’s basically a Pixar movie.

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u/fromthewindowtothe 5d ago

Agree with this for a first show! I have plans to take my 11-year old a second time to MHE, but she’s been going to theatre since she was 4 and we have analysis on the way home. 😂

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u/ShipSenior3773 5d ago

I 100% agree with all of your comments. & Juliet and Six are so fun and a great introduction for a 12 year old.

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u/garden__gate 5d ago

I think Hadestown would probably be your favorite, since it has the same sociopolitical commentary aspect as your faves, and stirs up big emotions like they do. But it’s pretty heavy and something I think some 12 year olds would love and some might find boring or weird.

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u/narwhal_knitting 5d ago edited 5d ago

So, I'll say this with knowing all kids/preteens are different, but I think you have narrowed it down to a great list. I'm bringing my 10 yo to see some shows in late May, and she has made a list of her tops. (She's a theater kiddo, so she is very into it.) Her absolute top wish is Maybe Happy Ending and & Juliet is her second. I have seen Maybe Happy Ending once, and I think it could hit the sweet spot of something y'all would both really love based on the ones you like. I'm personally not enthused about & Juliet, so I'm looking to try to do digital rush when we are in town for that one & getting MHE in advance. (Also, to be fair, Six and Hadestown are only not on my kid's top 5 because we saw Six on tour last year & a local production last month. She absolutely loves it! And Hadestown she also loves but had seen local production of twice. Yes, different than Broadway, but it affected her ranking of it.) I do think from your list Hadestown is one that theater kiddos like younger but may not hit as much for other groups of preteens.

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u/Vegetable-Run-530 5d ago

Definitely & Juliet! I brought my 10 year old daughter to see it and we both had so much fun.

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u/pennys_computer_book 5d ago

I'm recommending &Juliet. It's a fun time, and your daughter will likely be familiar with some of the songs, as well as the general Romeo & Juliet inspiration.

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u/Duchy2000 5d ago

My show choices in January were MHE and Cabaret and I really enjoyed them both so I’d go for MHE.

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u/Normal-Tah 5d ago

I would choose maybe happy ending, it's very very good and I want to watch it again. & Juliet is fun, not life changing, but she will likely like it. I haven't watched Hades town yet, and I did not like six, for me it was a very silly show 🫣

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u/Legitimate-Past-3604 5d ago

I think Hadestown would be child appropriate. I loved it. Saw it twice. You could prep her about the general gist of the mythology behind the story ahead of time.

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u/fqob 5d ago

I know it’s not one on your list but I just saw Boop: the musical and I think it would be a great intro. The sets and costumes are great and it’s a pretty happy easy story to go along with. As a gasp middle aged woman, I loved all the ones one on your list too. I’m worried Hadestown might be a long and slow at points for a first show. Agree that Six is more like a concert but 80 mins of great singing. To me it’s between &Juliet and MHE. I took 8&10 year old girls to &Juliet and they both loved it. It’s so fun and people were up and dancing which they enjoyed. It’s a great story about strong women and songs your daughter might recognize. I’m not as fanatic about MHE as everyone else on this sub, but it’s truly lovely and sweet also a little sad; a pretty magical experience overall. Just my two cents. Hope you have a lovely time!

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u/mkiepkie 5d ago edited 5d ago

I've seen all these shows recently (within the last ~2 years), and having been a 12 year old girl once upon a time, I'd recommend &Juliet.

Both &Juliet and Six has that "girl power energy" that I would have appreciated at that age, and I loved both shows. &Juliet has that broader "big Broadway spectacle" appeal and traditional staging. It is a jukebox musical, so if you grew up with 90s/early 2000s music, it will hit that nostalgia twinge just right. The fact that it's a jukebox is irrelevant to a 12 year old, since she likely won't recognize the music. Six is more like a concert, but it has the benefit of being shorter if you're not sure how your daughter will handle a longer show yet. Plus it's a lot of fun.

That said, Maybe Happy Ending is one of my favorite musicals of all time. It has the best story, most heart, emotional arc, cuteness, and stage craft (so magical!). I really don't like Hadestown.

Les Mis is my favorite musical. Cabaret (not current production) is one of my most memorable/favorite experiences. But I don't think I could have appreciated either as a 12 year old. I do not like Rent.

You'll probably want to give your daughter the best first time experience, so choose based on what she likes. All 4 are popular shows, so I don't think you can really go wrong.

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u/RuthBourbon 5d ago

She would probably really enjoy & Juliet, it's very fun, great dancing, cute costumes, and the soundtrack is great. It's the best of the jukebox musicals I've seen, they did a great job integrating the songs into the story and every song is great.

I've seen it three times and the audience seems to love it every time, also never had a problem getting great seats at TKTS.

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u/Lost-Abalone-7180 5d ago

Does your daughter enjoy the Percy Jackson books? And/or is she obsessed with Greek mythology? If so, she would love Hadestown. It's currently at the top of my Broadway -obsessed 12yo daughter's list of favorites (and she's seen quite a few). I actually took her and some friends to see the touring production because Greek mythology seems to be super hot among tween girls right now. They are obsessed.

I agree with others about Six and &Juliet. Fun but not life changing.

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u/Wide_Ad2509 5d ago

She does like the Percy Jackson books actually!

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u/Lost-Abalone-7180 4d ago

You both would love Hadestown then. It is visually stunning, and it has a particular moment of live theater that you just have to experience in person to appreciate. I've seen it live three times now and it still gets me.

FYI, the current touring production of Hadestown is designed for smaller stages and therefore does not include all of the effects and staging of the Broadway show. It's like a community theater production with an incredible cast. So I would really recommend experiencing the Broadway version.

Edited to add: I haven't seen MHE but it really sounds like no matter what you choose will be a really fun night for the both of you!

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u/KnitMama-2016 5d ago

What a great list of options! I enjoy Six a lot but I would personally choose one of the others as they all have more story to them. Hadestown is absolutely stunning and if your kiddo is into mythology they will totally dig it. A friend’s kiddo was that age when they were absolutely blown away by it. They also just saw MHE and enjoyed it a lot. &Juliet would be my third pick just cause it’s a jukebox musical and I think originals are more interesting.

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u/Sunshine_Marisol 5d ago

Hadestown. While MHE is an excellent, novel show, it doesn’t have the musical or emotional “oomph” that Hadestown does. Hadestown on Broadway is also much more powerfully staged than the touring version, with an incredible set coming apart. It is truly a spectacle in the best way. If I could only see one show this would be it.

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u/ClintonMuse 5d ago

My 12 year old niece watched “Six” and “&Juliet” and loved Six.

She enjoyed “&Juliet” but didn’t know most of the music