This series of posts about New York City is intended to help my blog buddy, Tony Newboult, and anyone else, plan a visit to the Big Apple. This fall, Tony will make a return visit with his two teenage children.

Since seeing a Broadway show is usually a top priority on most people’s list, I’ve decided to make a few suggestions for Tony.

For the last few years, it seems as if all the productions that make it to Broadway are musicals. Musicals are fun ways to draw the audience into a story. They also send them home with a song on their lips and leave them in an upbeat mood even when the story has a not-so-happy ending.

Since Tony’s a music lover, I’m guessing he and his children might appreciate seeing one of the following shows. I haven’t seen all of the ones I mention below so, unfortunately, I can’t offer any personal comments. But they’ve gotten rave reviews and some have won a few Tony Awards:

Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark – This big box production created quite a stir when several actors were injured during rehearsals and had several problems with the original staging. The revamped production has been getting good reviews.

The Book of Mormon – The big winner with nine Tony Awards, this religious musical satirizes the story of two Mormon missionaries in Uganda.

The Lion King – I saw this one a few years ago and I really loved it. The energy, the costumes and the story make The Lion King a must see. It’s won six Tony Awards, including for Best Musical.

War Horse – This production uses puppetry to tell the story of Joey, a beloved horse that was sold to the cavalry during World War I.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Three drag queens in the Australian Outback. If this production stays true to the movie, it should be make for good fun. Won Tony for Best Costume.

For Monday, I’ll post my pick of 5 Off Broadway shows Tony should check out.

Enjoy!