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PETER PAN SHOWTIMES
Tue 09/17/2024 8:00PM
Wed 09/18/2024 8:00PM Thu 09/19/2024 8:00PM Fri 09/20/2024 8:00PM Sat 09/21/2024 8:00PM Sun 09/22/2024 8:00PM PETER PAN TOUR DATES
9/24/2024 - 9/29/2024 Fayetteville, AR Walton Arts Center
10/1/2024 - 10/6/2024 Houston, TX The Hobby Center 10/29/2024 - 11/3/2024 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Theatre 11/5/2024 - 11/10/2024 Salt Lake City, UT Eccles Theater 11/13/2024 - 11/24/2024 St. Louis, MO The Fabulous Fox Theatre 11/26/2024 - 12/1/2024 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theatre 12/10/2024 - 12/15/2024 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall 12/17/2024 - 12/22/2024 San Antonio, TX The Majestic Theatre 12/25/2024 - 1/5/2025 Dallas, TX Music Hall at Fair Park 1/7/2025 - 1/12/2025 Nashville, TN Tennessee Performing Arts Center 1/14/2025 - 1/19/2025 Columbus, OH Ohio Theatre 1/21/2025 - 2/2/2025 Boston, MA Citizens Opera House 2/4/2025 - 2/9/2025 Hartford, CT The Bushnell 2/12/2025 - 2/16/2025 West Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center 2/18/2025 - 2/23/2025 Jacksonville, FL Center for the Performing Arts 2/26/2025 - 3/2/2025 Dayton, OH Schuster Center 3/11/2025 - 3/16/2025 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre 3/18/2025 - 3/23/2025 Oklahoma City, OK Civic Center Music Hall 3/25/2025 - 3/30/2025 Louisville, KY The Kentucky Center 4/1/2025 - 4/6/2025 Pittsburgh, PA Benedum Center 4/8/2025 - 4/13/2025 Cleveland, OH Connor Palace 4/22/2025 - 4/27/2025 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center 4/29/2025 - 5/4/2025 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre 5/6/2025 - 5/18/2025 Fort Lauderdale, FL Broward Center Read More
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Under a harvest moon, the ageless boy flies again!
For over one hundred years, the classic tale of Peter Pan, the free-spirited leader of the Lost Boys that flies to and from Neverland, has enchanted audiences in books, films, on television, and of course, on the live stage; and now, the production breathes anew!
For the final show of this year’s AdventHealth Broadway Season, the musical version that has been thrilling crowds for almost 70 years, and is again brought back to life in a new adaptation by Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse, who thrilled Broadway last year with her “The Thanksgiving Party.” We took in opening night- outdoors under the night sky at Starlight Theatre, in Kansas City.
The adventure begins when Peter Pan and his mischievous fairy sidekick, Tinker Bell (well represented as just a fleeting dot of light), visit the children’s bedroom in Mary and George Darling’s home one night. Bursting forth with a sprinkle of pixie dust, they show the children how to fly themselves and all are taken on a magical and unforgettable journey.
The musical is full of familiar songs including “I’m Flying”, “I Gotta Crow”, “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Neverland”, many of which have become ingrained in popular culture, beyond the production itself. They meet the mysterious Tiger Lily and end up sparring with the comically villainous Captain Hook and his crew of pirates, and have to make the decision whether to stay in the magical far-off land, or return home to their parents.
Directed by Emmy Award winner Lonny Price with choreography by Lorin Latarro, this version keeps the timeless aspects of the original J.M. Barrie story, but keeps pacing brisk, and takes advantage of modern effects (like the large video screen backdrop) to tell its tale with more of a ‘wow factor’ than previously possible.
The actors are still in wire harnesses for their flying scenes, and some malfunction in one of those, may have been the cause for a brief delay mid-way through the first act on opening night. With ‘safety first’ in mind, the audience didn’t seem to be bothered- giving kids another chance to ask their parents for something from the concession or souvenir stands, and giving the crowd an uninterrupted opportunity to gaze skyward to catch a partial lunar eclipse happening, part of a stunning harvest super moon that was seen above stage right.
Once all was back on course, the curtain again rose, and Peter (Nolan Almeida) and Wendy (Hawa Kamara) continued their scene seamlessly and professionally, picking up right where they had left off. This kind of show very much hinges on the performance and likeability of the lead, and thankfully, Almeida plays Peter with a positive exuberance and sense of restless glee, that makes one want to join on their flight away.
Somewhat oddly, while everyone spoke in their normal American accent, Garcia’s Hook employed a deep Scottish brogue; perhaps for exaggerated comic relief, perhaps in tribute to Angus, Scotland native author Barrie.
In terms of staging, the sets were well detailed and transitioned effortlessly between scenes, and the lighting was effective but never intrusive, in helping define a moment. The ensemble seemed well rehearsed, especially in action parts with classic choreography that preserved the original work done by Jerome Robbins and the live orchestra’s soundtrack was lush and sweeping like the original score.
Most of us don’t want to have a care in the world, don’t want to ever fully grow up, and can dream of a utopia like Neverland; and with this updated version of Peter Pan, we can all do so, if only for a couple hours.
Peter Pan runs through Sunday, Sept 22 and offers a Buy 3 Get 1 ticket offer (no code needed). Use code FLYAWAY to save 20% on tickets, and Starlight’s standard parking is now always free.
(photos courtesy of the touring website; Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)
| john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / Twitter.com |
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