Theater

Not-so-forbidden B’way: Offbeat choices for Kids’ Night

Think taking your brood to restaurants can get expensive? You may have to borrow against your 401(k) for a night out on Broadway.

But from Feb. 24 to March 2, kids 6 to 18 years old can see a show for free, provided they’re accompanied by an adult paying full price. (Got several little ones? You can buy tix — which go on sale Wednesday — in multiples of two. Details at kidsnightonbroadway.com.) Sponsored by the Broadway League, Kids’ Night on Broadway features some obviously family-friendly choices, including “Wicked,” “The Lion King,” “Matilda” and “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”

But there are also some intriguing suggestions — like the tuner about a pair of murderesses who gloat about their misdeeds while wearing fishnet stockings. That would be “Chicago,” by the way, which is clearly best for the older end of the age range.

The program’s Web site suggests that parents “use their discretion based on the maturity level of their children.” Considering how New Yorkers overestimate their offsprings’ IQ, this could lead to trouble — like that time someone brought a 7-year-old to David Mamet’s F-bomb-laced “American Buffalo.”

Here’s a guide to some of this year’s more unexpected offerings.

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”

Musicals, especially of the jukebox variety, are fairly safe for young and old alike. And you can’t get any cozier than the hits of a Brill Building composer-turned-sensitive singer/songwriter known for her work ethic rather than her debauchery.

Girls in their mid- to late-teens are a good audience for this one: The uplifting message of emancipation coursing through King’s story could inspire them, especially if they have creative aspirations.

“The Bridges of Madison County”

Hmmm, a new musical about an adulterous affair: not an easy sell for kids. But wise ones with a taste for classic romances could appreciate this story about love and longing.

Teens interested in musical theater may even be already familiar with composer Jason Robert Brown: His two-hander “The Last Five Years” is popular at drama clubs around the country, and his Broadway tuner “13” featured a cast of that age.

Finally, it helps that the leads, however alluring, are unlikely to get out of PG-13 territory: refined Kelli O’Hara and hunky — but sensitive! — former “Rescue Me” star Steven Pasquale.

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”

If your teenager prefers Conan Doyle’s version of Sherlock Holmes to the newfangled Benedict Cumberbatch reboot, this musical could be a good option. Sure, the score draws mainly from operetta, a style last popular, oh, a century ago, and the story’s about a guy who offs his relatives in imaginative ways so he can get his hands on an inheritance.

But the tone remains light throughout — think Gilbert & Sullivan — and star Jefferson Mays acts up a storm as all eight victims. His lightning-fast costume changes and bug-eyed antics may well delight kids 13 and older.

“A Night with Janis Joplin”

This may be the most baffling of the lot, in terms of kiddie (or even teen) appeal. Granted, there’s nothing to fear in terms of content in this glorified concert: Its take on the wild 1960s singer has been sanitized, with nary a drug mention (or needle) in sight. But the musical’s a slog. Kids have gotten used to over-emoting singers thanks to “American Idol” and its ilk, but they’d still have a tough time with the show’s nonstop belting of the blues, both by Janis and the women who inspired her.

“Rock of Ages”

This jukebox musical filled to the brim with 1980s hair metal could be a perfect father-son bonding experience. It’s got dudes and chicks with big manes and even bigger attitudes. It’s got head-banging, pop-metal classics like “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Any Way You Want It” — Dad will mouth along, Junior will remember them from “Guitar Hero.”

Most important, the show has cheeseball, good-natured humor that’ll be familiar to anybody who’s ever seen a Judd Apatow or Adam Sandler movie. So grab a sippy cup of beer for Dad and root beer for the kid, and enjoy some goofy rock ’n’ roll mayhem.