NETworks Presentations/Peter Pan, additional book adaptation by Larissa Fasthorse after Jerome Robins, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, additional lyrics by Betty Comden, Adolph and Amanda Green, music by Morris (Moose) Charlap, additional music by Jule Styne, flying by Paul Rubin, music supervision by Andy Einhorn, choreographed by Lorin Latarro, directed by Lonny Price, (original direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins, original playwright Sir J.M. Barrie), CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, closes June 1. Tickets here.
This very enjoyable production of Peter Pan is a genuine national tour.
National tours usually follow a successful Broadway, or West End run or hopefully are heading for a Broadway or West End engagement. This “reimagined” Peter Pan began in Saint Paul, Minnesota in December 2023, and ends here in Toronto. In the intervening year and a half, Peter Pan has visited a staggering 42 cities. That’s right, Toronto is the 42nd city. Thus, this Peter Pan is a stand-alone touring production.
More correctly, Peter Pan is completing a North American tour. We’re not the 51st state yet.
The Production
This reimagined production of Peter Pan is definitely not a dog and pony show. In fact, it is a class act from start to finish. The reimagining comes from the fact that this show uses as its base line the script and songs from the original musical Peter Pan that was created by some very talented people in 1954.
It seems the man behind the reimagining is director Lonny Price, twice nominated for an Emmy award and a winner of two, twice nominated for a Tony, and whose multitude of Broadway and West End credits are up the wazoo. In short, this Peter Pan has creds.
The production’s frontline 10-member creative team has given us clever sets, particularly the lush fairytale greenery of Neverland, not to mention the charming Darling nursery with that all important big window, and the true-to-life deck of the pirate ship, the Jolly Roger. The costumes are a lot of fun, denoting identity, while the crocodile looks like the real thing, much to the delight of the children in the audience.
The lighting is imaginative, particularly the special design for Tinker Bell, and kudos to the musician in the orchestra who plays the creative musical speech that accompanies her flashing light. This being the 21st century, the technology is here to create spectacular visual effects, particularly when the Darling children and Peter are flying to Neverland.
You can’t help but be impressed.
I was especially taken with Lorin Latarro’s choreography. It was whimsical and evocative and forceful and silly and sweet, depending on the moment, whether it was for the Lost Boys or the pirates or Tiger Lily and her Indian band. The choreography was an absolute stand-out for me. David Dabbon is credited for composing new fight and dance music, so maybe that’s why the choreography was particularly punchy.
Part of the reimagining was bringing in esteemed Sicangu Lakota playwright Larissa Fasthorse to update the script, but more particularly, to deal with the problematic stereotypical treatment of marauding Indians in the original version.
And so, we have references to computers and videos, and other 21st century innovations, but Tiger Lily and her band have been given the nobility of a lost people who still possess warrior strength in their hearts.
The Cast
In the all-important role of Peter is Kruz Maldonado, who was literally plucked by Price out of his first year of theatre school when he was just 18. The young man can sing up a storm, and in fact he has an utterly beautiful voice that should take him far, with its clear bright smooth sound and perfect diction.
The acting side of things was overdone, however. Maldonado certainly had the swagger and the insouciance and the careless affectation of Peter, but he kept one tone of voice throughout, and lost words at the end of sentences as a result. However, the young actor certainly has stage presence, there’s no denying that.
The other big lead is the dual role of Mr. Darling and Captain Hook which was rendered with gusto by Cody Garcia, a very tall drink of water indeed, although why Captain Hook had a Scottish accent, I do not know.
Garcia played Mr. Darling as suitably anxious, and Captain Hook is pompously silly, which nailed the character to a T. It seems that when the Captain has to gather his thoughts, it’s to dance rhythms like a tango or a tarantella accompanied by his pirate music ensemble, and these sequences were particularly amusing.
Clearly the role of Wendy was deemed too important to give to a child, so it was played by young professional Aubrie-Mei Rubel, who demonstrated both the sweetness and feistiness of the character, although she does have an odd habit of getting quite loud when she comes to the end of a singing line.
Her brothers were played by two actual children. Owen Suarez as the serious history buff John has an astonishing number of credits for one so young, even a longer resume than some of the professionals in the company. Similarly, Zaynn Arora as the utterly adorable little Michael has extensive voiceover and commercial credits, and has been acting since he was two.
Needless to say, both boys can sing and dance.
The role of the newly revised powerful Tiger Lily was played by Bailey Frankenberg, a Choctaw from the Cherokee Nation. She’s an aerialist who specializes in stage violence, and is, in fact, the fight captain for the show. Frankenberg can also sing and dance and gave a very strong performance as Tiger Lily.
There always has to be a silly second banana who gets the laughs, and in this show it is Kurt Perry as Smee, Captain Hook’s cowardly but truthful second in command. I just wish he had spoken louder and slower. Shefali Deshpande conveyed both a sympathetic and calm Mrs. Darling and the older Wendy.
The energetic singing and dancing ensemble is made up of both children (Lost Boys) and adults (Pirates) and it’s nice to see women included in the latter.
Last Thoughts
There is something to be said for an old-fashioned musical.
An orchestra in the pit. A conductor leading the players in an overture. Beloved songs that have been around since Peter Pan was first performed in 1954. Exit Music as the audience leaves the theatre.
This is the kind of show where both adults and children can have a really good time, so thank you Lonny Price for “reimagining” Peter Pan, and reminding us to believe in fairies once again.
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