Hello Friends,
Recently, I had the pleasure of bringing a group of students to see Peter and the Starcatcher.
If you haven’t seen it, run, don’t walk, to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre to catch this brilliant prequel to one of Disney’s most beloved stories, Peter Pan.
I had heard about this show through the NYU theatre graduate grapevine. I was told it was a must see, and so I eagerly prepared my students for an afternoon at the theatre. I hoped the show would live up to all of the hype.
Let me reassure you now. It does.
This is a magical story about an unnamed orphan who goes on a grand adventure. We see his friends, a duo of boys who are a bit lost, and a young girl named Molly, who is an apprentice starcatcher on a mission with her father. As you can imagine, you’ll also see a few evil pirates, a lagoon filled with mermaids, a native tribe on a long-lost island, a crocodile, and a whole lot of star stuff, a magical dust that changes people into what they want to be.
The entire cast comes together to create this beautiful story, and their ensemble storytelling is some of the best I’ve ever seen. The bossy, and capable Molly is played by Celia Keenan-Bolger. Celia Keenan-Bolger was brilliant in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and she’s brilliant here as the resourceful and secretly sweet young heroine. Matthew Saldivar plays the only slightly terrifying pirate, Black Stache. Saldivar brings enormous physical presence to this evil yet surprisingly good-natured pirate. I was especially impressed by his ability to keep a full house of high school students roaring with laughter for a full two minutes while he himself worked in absolute silence. Arnie Burton delights as Mrs. Bumbrake, and his portrayal of Molly’s nurse is beyond hysterical. Please don’t be put off by the image of a man playing an upright English nurse- it’s one of the smartest elements of the show.
Carson Elrod and Eric Petersen are sufficiently lost, and the boys together bring a delightful chemistry and humor to contrast with the brooding future Pan, Adam Chanler-Berat. He gives us an honest and touching portrayal of the orphan who hates grown ups and just wants to be a boy for a while. After watching Adam Chanler-Berat give more depth to a Disney character than I’ve seen maybe ever, I wanted to go out and adopt all of the orphans my meager teacher’s salary could support. Isaiah Johnson (Captain Scott) and Rick Holmes (Lord Aster) make wonderful English sailors, fighting for the crown, and Kevin Del Aguila (Smee) and Matt D’Amico (Slank) set an excellent example for all future pirates who will surely appear next October 31st.
What makes the show so magical isn’t just the all-star cast of characters or the fact that magic abounds in a story about star stuff, but also the music, minimal set, ensemble physical work, and inventive ties to the original tale of Peter Pan. You’ll find yourself gasping in delight as you make connections between this funny yet heartwarming story and the Disney movie we all know and love. And if you’re like me, the final stage picture will stay with you long after the curtain comes down.
The show runs through January 20th, and is a grand experience for children and adults alike. As a teacher, an actor, and an eternal child at heart, I couldn’t recommend it more for audiences of all ages. Peter and the Starcatcher deserves five stars, and will have you ready to rush home, pop in your Disney DVD (or VHS if you saved your old copy), and fly away to the second star on the right, and straight on until morning.
Live, Love, Learn,
Rebecca