Amanda Mashack

An eleven-year-old orphaned boy living with his uncle receives a letter telling him he will be a student at a British wizard's school - sound familiar? Think again. This isn't Potter, it's Puffs: Or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, a 100-minute whirlwind play and fanfic-come-to-life of the Harry Potter books and movies, now extended at the Elektra Theater Off-Broadway.

Summers away from Hogwarts might have been rough on Harry Potter, but Potter fans can celebrate this summer with the return of Potted Potter - The Unauthorized Harry Experience - A Parody by Dan and Jeff to the Little Shubert Theater after its New York premiere last year. For die-hard Potterphiles, this is a wonderfully giddy little show that should not be missed before they pack their trunks to head back to Hogwarts on September 1st (or before the show hits the road for an American tour).

Many of us have dieted in some way or another, trying to find just the right mix for a healthy lifestyle. Some of us have even fallen off the wagon. Where do you go when you find yourself more confused and overwhelmed than a novice cook attacking an Alton Brown recipe? Welcome to The Diet Show.

Haven't you ever wished that you could go back in time and tell yourself something? You could just avoid disaster by saying to yourself "Don't forget your wallet on the store counter" or something less serious, like "Check your teeth for broccoli before the blind date." What if you could even visit your past self and reflect on a weird, crazy time in your life? Well, this is real life, you idiot. You can't. But in The Other Josh Cohen, Josh can and does just that in this new musical adventure by David Rossmer and Steve Rosen at the SoHo Playhouse.

If you're familiar with NYC, you know it doesn't lack in comedy, theater, and tours - they abound just as much as rats, Starbucks, and curse words. But what if you combined all three? No, I'm no talking about how you cursed a blue streak when you spotted a rat while ordering a light mocha frapp - I'm talking about something part comedy show, part theater production, part informative tour of NYC. The new show How to Be a New Yorker pulls these three genres together (with a bonus meal) at Sofia's Downstairs Theater, just off Times Square.

People today may be familiar with Spring Awakening, the hit rock musical from 2006. What people may not be familiar with is the source for the Sheik/Sater musical: the play Spring's Awakening by Frank Wedekind. Even more surprising? Wedekind wrote that play in the late 1800s and it debuted in New York almost 90 years before the rock musical. The surprises do not stop there with Marvell Repertory Theatre's fresh and bold new production of the Wedekind play (translated by Eric Bentley) as part of their "Burned and Banned" themed season, which officially opened Sunday, October 14 at TBG Theater and runs through November 4.

Baby Case, a full-length production in NYMF's ninth annual festival, is one of the best offerings this go-around, with a complete package of catchy and moving script and score, top performances, and clever design.

Midtown Manhattan (and Times Square in particular) has become "Disneyfied" like a theme park attraction ever since the city cleaned up the area and traded sex stores, junkies, and tramps for storefronts, jumbotrons, and tourists. It's a lot to take in, especially for those who travel in and try to jam-pack as much of the city as they can into a short visit. For them, THE Fazzino RIDE, the glitzy follow-up to The Ride which debuted in 2011, is the perfect way to take in the city this summer.

You may think you know everything about the tango after using up a 10-class punch-card at your local dance studio and DVRing every critique from Bruno, Len and Carrie Ann on "Dancing with the Stars." Oh, but you've never seen tango quite like this. At the New Victory Theatre, Brenda Angiel Aerial Dance Company presents the new show 8cho Aerial Tango (pronounced "ocho" like the Spanish word for 'eight'), which showcases this fiery dance form favorite with a twist (and a leap) - it uses circus-like aerial elements for a unique take on tango.

Jewish immigrant families in America in the early 1900s faced so many challenges in the new country that their experiences inspire many plays, and the New Worlds Theatre Project celebrates this rich history with their newest production, Welcome to America. Jewish immigrant families in America in the early 1900s faced so many challenges in the new country that their experiences inspire many plays, and the New Worlds Theatre Project celebrates this rich history with their newest production, Welcome to America.

Kids today. You're lucky if you can pry their attention away from the television, computer, tablet or phone. It would take a miracle to get them to sit through a musical, let alone a show where spoken words are scarce and the real delights are visuals, tricks and physicality. If you want to show your child (or your own inner child) the wonders beyond digital screens, then Do Jump!'s new show Ahhh HA! at the New Victory Theatre is the ticket to old-fashioned physical comedy, vaudevillian acts and circus entertainment with 21st century style and whimsical design.

Once upon a time, there were disgruntled parents who were bored with their children's mindless entertainment. Whatever were they to do? How could they enrich their children's lives with the wonders of live theater without becoming grumpy, sleepy, or dopey? The answer: the toe-tapping, fluffy Lucky Duck at the New Victory Theater, which goes far beyond most children's shows to be, as the title character puts it, "an average simple mega superstar."

For being billed as "a hilarious new comedy," Heiress Production's play Thirds by Jacob M. Appel and adapted by Kevin Brewer misses the mark, but still provides an entertaining night at Theatre Row's Lion Theatre (now through March 18). Despite the stock characters, it is more than just simple laughs, perhaps due to the subject matter: it follows three sisters as they attempt to move on after their mother's death and divide the estate.

Part of adulthood is learning how to reassess and readjust in the world, but it's one of the hardest aspects of life to master. This is especially true when the world turns out to be not as pretty and full of opportunity as we thought when we were younger. This realization is the focus of Mark Snyder's new play As Wide As I Can See, now playing at the HERE Arts Center. With a fascinating setting full of conflict and juxtaposition and strong performances, the play is on the right track but needs some work before it can reach its fullest potential.

Wishing for a mid-winter break, but short on time and money? Look no further: the theatrical spectacle Brazil! Brazil! at the New Victory Theater provides a very affordable whirlwind sightseeing adventure and cultural experience for you and your family, without even leaving the heart of midtown.