BWW Flashback: PETER AND THE STARCATCHER Flies from Broadway Today; Lands in a 'New World'
By: BWW Special Coverage Jan. 20, 2013
Peter and the Starcatcher, the five-time Tony Award-winning play by Tony Award-nominee Rick Elice, will play its final Broadway performance today, January 20, 2013, ending its nearly year-long run. Directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees and Tony Award-nominee Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher began performances on March 28, 2012, and opened April 15, 2012, and is playing at Broadway's Brooks Atkinson Theatre.
Originally developed by Disney Theatrical Productions in 2003, the project received its first lab at Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2007, under the direction of Rees and Timbers. A full length version of the play was then written by Elice, further developed by Disney Theatricals in a Page to Stage production at La Jolla Playhouse in the winter of 2009. Following revisions, the play received its first fully staged production in March 2011 at New York Theatre Workshop, where it was extended due to popular demand. In 2012, Nancy Gibbs, Greg Schaffert, Eva Price, and Tom Smedes became lead producers for the production and its transfer to Broadway.
The cast of the acclaimed production includes Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal), Celia Keenan-Bolger (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Matthew Saldivar (The Wedding Singer), Teddy Bergman (Seven Minutes in Heaven), Arnie Burton (The 39 Steps), Matt D'Amico (Fizz), Kevin Del Aguila (Jacques Brel...), Carson Elrod(Reckless), Greg Hildreth (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) Rick Holmes (Spamalot), Isaiah Johnson (The Merchant of Venice), Eric Petersen (Shrek), Betsy Hogg (Fiddler on the Roof), Orville Mendoza (Pacific Overtures), Jason Ralph (Collin Theatre Center's All's Well That Ends Well), and John Sanders (Mamma Mia! National Tour).
The entire creative team reunited for the Broadway production of Peter and the Starcatcher and includes: Wayne Barker (Music), Steven Hoggett (Movement), Marco Paguia (Music Direction), Donyale Werle (Scenic Design),Paloma Young (Costume Design), Jeff Croiter (Lighting Design) and Darron L West (Sound Design).
In this innovative and imaginative new play, based on The New York Times best selling Disney-Hyperion novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, a company of twelve actors plays more than a hundred unforgettable characters, all on a journey to answer the century-old question: How did Peter Pan become The Boy Who Never Grew Up? This epic origin story of one of popular culture's most enduring and beloved characters proves that an audience's imagination can be the most captivating place in the world.
To start off our adventure, check out a behind-the-scenes look into the Vermont workshop of wood artisan John Long as he handcrafts the logo art for the show just before its Broadway opening!
Peter and the Starcatcher, directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees and Drama Desk Award-winner and Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers, began preview performances on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on March 28, 2012. Take a look at the production in the photos and video highlights below!
Peter and the Starcatcher opened on Broadway on April 15th, 2012. BroadwayWorld was there to capture the show's emotional opening night curtain call and was on hand at the post-premiere celebration. Scroll below!
And then came the 2012 awards season! The production took home five 2012 Tony Awards, the most of any play last season, including Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Christian Borle), Best Scenic Design (Donyale Werle), Best Lighting Design (Jeff Croiter), Best Sound Design (Darron L West), and Best Costume Design (Paloma Young). BroadwayWorld spoke with each winner after the awards ceremony. Watch the interviews below!
Despite Christian Borle's elite status as a Broadway vet, he was still shocked to hear his name called at the Tonys.
Scenic designer Donyale Werle talked about designing for a show "about imagination."
Not typically in front of the crowd, lighting designer Jeff Croiter talked about his shining moment.
Sound designer Darron L. West sat down with BroadwayWorld just moments after his big win.
Costume designer Paloma Young spoke about all of her dreams coming true.
Borle, who won a 2012 Tony Award for his role as 'Black Stache' in Peter and the Starcatcher, departed his role for the filming of season two of NBC's SMASH on June 30, 2012. BroadwayWorld was there to capture the star's final curtain call complete with laughter, tears, speeches by Alex Timbers and Roger Rees, special gifts and more. Scroll down and enjoy!
Taking over the role from Borle was Matt Saldivar, of Broadway's A Streetcar Named Desire, The Wedding Singer and Grease. See BWW's first look at Saldivar as 'Black Stache' below.
On July 11, 2012, Peter and the Starcatcher celebrated its 100th performance at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. In honor of the occasion, Mayor Michael R.Bloomberg officially proclaimed July 11, 2012, as "Peter and the Starcatcher Day" in New York City.
After Peter and the Starcatcher plays its final performance on Broadway today, the show will follow Avenue Q, Rent and Million Dollar Quartet by opening off-Broadway at New World Stages. The show will begin on March 18, 2013. Casting has yet to be announced for the show's next incarnation.
Peter and the Starcatcher will also embark on a national tour, opening in August 2013 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver, Colo. The play's Tony Award-nominated directors, Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, will direct the touring production, which will be represented by The Road Company.
BWW can only hope that like Neverland, this production will never end. We'll leave you with a fresh dose of imagination with our Peter and the Starcatcher stage art.
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