Review: Re-Imagined PETER PAN Takes Flight at Citizens Opera House

Theater fans have a long and affectionate history with the musical “Peter Pan,” and the J.M. Barrie play, “Peter Pan; or the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up,” and subsequent novelization, “Peter and Wendy,” of the classic story of the little boy who can fly that inspired it.

Some still recall the original 1954 Broadway musical version starring Mary Martin, or know it from one or both of the two television productions of the show Martin did, or from its subsequent revivals, with Sandy Duncan in 1979, and with Cathy Rigby in 1991, 1992, 1998, and 1999.  With Rigby in the title role, the latter production toured for years, beginning in Boston in 1989. Several local engagements followed over the years before the famed gymnast gave her final performance, at the Wang Theatre on April 28, 2013.

A new touring production, being presented by Broadway In Boston through February 2 at Citizens Opera House, features a reimagined book by Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse (“The Thanksgiving Play”). In a recent interview, FastHorse acknowledged having long steered clear of the Tony Award-winning musical – by Marc “Moose” Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green – after hearing that its portrayals of indigenous people were “hurtful.”

FastHorse explained, however, that when she was approached to write the new book she read the original, “I could see the magic for children. Everyone loves a magical escape world and this is complicated and difficult...and the comedy writer in me loves the pirates. They’re funny and ridiculous. I realized that there was so much good to be saved. I was like, ‘if we could just take the harmful things out, what a gift to bring all of this magic to a new generation.’”

This update of the original story, set in 1904 in the London home of the Darling family and the island of Neverland, moves the action to present-day America. In a nod to the post-Covid world of today, Mr. Darling now works from home. The mischievous Peter is virtually timeless, however, so he still doesn’t want to grow up or even stand still – opting instead to fly around on his adventures, accompanied by Wendy and the other Darling children, battling archenemy Captain Hook.

In FastHorse’s updated book, the portrayals of the “Indians” in Neverland and the women and girls in the story have been dignified. Mrs. Darling now has her own career, and Wendy wants to, and then does, become a doctor. And the native people now know and speak English as the other characters do, while tribe members have been evolved to indigenous people with their own names. The changes reflect a contemporary take on the tale that respectfully underpins the story of what happens when Peter and his Lost Boys take on Captain Hook and his not-so-merry band of pirates.

All the worthwhile updating, however, cannot excuse the decision to have performer Kurt Perry play Smee as an all-too-familiar gay stereotype. To find this tired and insulting trope in this particular production is inexplicable.

This is a children’s story, of course, and here we get a rare Peter who is actually young and, this time, male. Indeed, performer Nolan Almeida is still in high school and his youthful Peter is a willful delight. As Peter’s good friend, Tiger Lily, Bailey Frankenberg is humorously edgy. Hawa Kamara does fine work, too, as Wendy, whose maternal instincts don’t preclude her raising a sword in battle against her pal Peter’s nemesis, Captain Hook – played with just the right measure of ego-driven menace by Cody Garcia, who does double duty as Mr. Darling. Also adding charm to the proceedings are Levi Chrisopolous and Camden Kwok as young Darling sons John and Michael, respectively.

While benefitting from solid performances by the leads, the production – under the direction of Lonny Price with choreography by Lorin Latarro – plods along, with less than stellar dancing and mostly middling vocals, resulting in some leaden production numbers. But Almeida, Garcia, and Kamara do what they can to help lift things on “I Gotta Crow,” “Neverland,” “Hook’s Tango,” and the dependably entertaining “I’m Flying,” with well-rigged choreography by Paul Rubin.

Photo caption: Nolan Almeida, center, and company members of “Peter Pan.” Photo by Matthew Murphy/MurphyMade.

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