We Werner girls had ourselves a Broadway weekend of the first order. Last Saturday, my daughter Liz and I saw Grand Horizons, and on Sunday Liz and I took my granddaughter Adeline to see Frozen on Broadway. Both shows were delightful.

Seeing live performances is always special, and because I am blessed to live so close to New York City (my daughter actually lives in NYC), it is easy to pop in and see wonderful plays and musicals. It truly is a treat that nourishes the soul and something I have adored since the days at Delaware Valley Central School when our music teacher Mr. Slausenberg introduced us to the magical world of Broadway musicals.

Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl caught my eye because of its leads: Jane Alexander and James Cromwell. They play Nancy and Bill, a couple in their late 70's living in the senior living community of the titular Grand Horizons. The play opens with the pair methodically preparing lunch. When they begin eating, her first words are, “I want a divorce.” His reply, “Fine.” End scene.

When the lights come back up, their two sons Brian (Michael Urie) and Ben (Ben McKenzie) and his very pregnant wife Jess (Ashley Park) have arrived to express their displeasure with this turn of events and bring them to their senses.

Alexander and Cromwell deliver the goods, as you might expect, and are definitely worth the price of admission. The play will resonate with anyone who has a family. Enough said?

Discount tickets are available at theatermania.com. I expect we will see this play performed in many regional theaters.

On Sunday, we visited the magical Disney production of Frozen. My granddaughter Adeline, age 6, was entranced from beginning to end. Say what you will about Disney, there is no question that they have figured out how to translate their animated features to the stage (see also Lion King and Aladdin).

Of course, the theater was filled with children and their parents, aunts, uncles, and grands, but they have figured all that out as well. Kids are given velvet booster seats and vendors move through the theater selling Elsa and Anna dolls before the performance, so Grandma doesn't have to fight the crowds at the merchandise counter. So helpful!

Unlike some Broadway shows, there is a food and drink concession and you are encouraged to bring treats into the theater. Adeline got a ginger ale, and I partook of something called the Heart of Arendelle which had a magical potion called vodka. Both drinks came in a covered plastic cup, suitable for taking into the theater, luckily.

The show was very enjoyable, especially for all the Frozen fans in the audience who were wearing their Elsa and Anna dresses. It was a great family matinee.

I am so happy that her parents have introduced Adeline to the wonders of live performance. She has been to classical, jazz, and even one rock concert, and has seen The Lion King and Frozen on Broadway. We have also taken her to see Mary Poppins in a regional production. There is nothing quite so soul satisfying as live performances.

As Barack Obama said, “The arts are what makes life worth living. You've got food, you've got shelter, yeah. But the things that make you laugh, make you cry, make you connect, make you love- are communicated through the arts. They aren't extras.”