BWW Reviews: PETER PAN Turns City Hall Plaza Into Neverland

Peter Pan

By J. M. Barrie, Adapted by Tanya Rounder, Music Composed and Conducted by Benjamin Wallfisch, Directed by Ben Harrison; Set, Costume & 3D Projection Design by William Dudley; Choreographer, Fleur Darkin; Sound Design, Gregory Clarke; Lighting Design, Mark Henderson; Fight Direction, Nicholas Hall; Puppetry Direction, Sue Buckmaster; Illusions, Paul Kieve; Music Director, Duncan Wisbey; Flying Consultant, Freedom Flying

CAST (in order of appearance): Scott Weston, Evelyn Hoskins, Tom Larkin, Joshua Holden, Shannon Warrick, Josh Swales, Emily Yetter, Chuck Bradley, Lee Turnbull, Darren Barrere, Ben Adams, Ian Street, Keith Richards, Ben Huth, Alejandro Cordoba, Alexander Knapp, Ian Paul Custer, Jonathan Kidder, Heidi Buehler, Amanda Goble, Kasumi Kato, Rachel Lien

Performances through December 30 at The Threesixty Theatre on Boston City Hall Plaza; Box Office 888-PPANTIX (772-6849) or www.peterpantheshow.com/Boston

Boston City Hall and the adjacent City Hall Plaza were built in the 1960s and the latter rests atop the Project for Public Spaces list of the worst squares and plazas in the world. Not so proudly taking its place in the Hall of Shame, the area has been the subject of much discussion focusing on redesign or demolition, but no resolution has been forthcoming over the decades. Well, at least through the end of December, the massive brick and concrete Plaza is being put to excellent use for the Boston engagement of The Threesixty Theatre stage production of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, featuring a 1,300 seat state-of-the-art theater tent, its 100-foot tall white cupola rising above the barren expanse.

As impressive as the installation appears from the exterior, sitting inside the round auditorium brings to mind the Planetarium, only on a much grander scale (actually three times the size of Imax screens). When the visuals appear on the tent ceiling/movie screen, they are brilliantly colorful and larger than life, transporting us, like the three Darling children, as willing travelers to the lush jungles and lagoons of Peter's home, the magical Neverland. Twelve projectors ringing the stage beam videos on the tent walls, immersing the cast and audience into a world of computer-generated imagery (CGI), unlike any other theater experience.

The classic story of the boy who refuses to grow up has stood the test of time and has been presented in many iterations and formats. For my generation, Mary Martin is the quintessential Peter Pan, but Cathy Rigby continues to play the role on tour, and the Walt Disney cartoon version elicits fond memories more than half a century later. The interesting marriage of cutting edge technology to a venerable, much loved tale (first performed in London in 1904), as well as the casting of a young man in the lead, give this Peter Pan its unique niche in the annals of the play.

Chuck Bradley, a graduate of the Boston Conservatory Theatre Program, is an impish Peter who appears to be enjoying the role of a lifetime. With his faithful fairy Tinker Bell (Boston area native Emily Yetter) by his side, he descends upon the nursery of the Darling children, in search of his missing shadow, changing their lives by inviting them along on a great adventure. Wendy (Evelyn Hoskins), John (Tom Larkin), and Michael (Scott Weston) lift off with the assistance of a dash of fairy dust and bilateral wires dangling from hanger-shaped devices and connected to hooks at their waists. In the evening's most exciting moment, the five fliers join hands as they float above the stage in formation, the virtual Edwardian LonDon Skyline and English countryside zooming beneath them to create the illusion of flight.   

Yetter doesn't have many lines, but her facial expressions and body language speak volumes, and she displays excellent acrobatic skills in the air. Hoskins finds just the right balance between the thrill of being the good girl running away from home and the gravitas to take on the role of mother to the Lost Boys. As her brothers, Larkin is appropriately stuffy and responsible; while Weston almost makes you believe that he is a five year old, at all times clutching his beloved stuffed bear. Shannon Warrick is a warm and loving Mrs. Darling, and Josh Swales is humorously bumbling and put-upon as Mr. Darling. Swales really sinks his teeth into his alter ego, the featured role of Captain Hook, sometimes menacing and sometimes melancholy. He brandishes the largest hook I've seen and rakes it across Peter's back in one of several sadistic actions on his part.

Heidi Buehler plays Tiger Lily, apparently the only Indian in this man's Neverland, but Peter saves her from the pirates and she does an amazing dance of gratitude for him. The energetic company of Lost Boys and pirates are all solid actors, the former behaving childishly and the latter snarling and fearsome. As Lead Puppeteer, Joshua Holden anthropomorphizes Nana, the Darling's nursemaid dog; the Neverland ostrich; and Hook's nemesis, the Crocodile. The latter is a fantastic skeletal construction on wheels that Holden and a second "driver" maneuver about the stage like a rolling caterpillar.

William Dudley's set design is inventive, with numerous trap doors in the round stage from which the children's beds, a staircase, and a multi-holed tree trunk emerge, and an upstage backdrop with three doors flanked by a pair of curving staircases. The Jolly Roger, Hook's ship, is a projection, but the Captain and Peter fight a duel on the yardarm high above the deck. John and Michael simulate underwater swimming, surrounded by projected shimmering water and virtual fish, to the accompaniment of Benjamin Wallfisch's ethereal music. His compositions range from otherworldly to majestic, some of them evocative of a John Williams movie theme. However, I must admit that I missed the songs that are so associated with the musical version of Peter Pan. The dialogue offers a multitude of song cues and I had to restrain myself from emitting a crow or two.

Dudley also designed the projections and the costumes. The Lost Boys are appropriately ragged and dirty, while the pirates wear characteristic head scarves, pantaloons, and boots. They carry swords and daggers, and many sport earrings and facial hair. The Darling children are pajama-clad, of course, and their parents dress in stylish evening clothes. Tink wears a tank top and a pink tutu strung with lights - very festive! Gregory Clarke's sound design is exemplary, with an occasional loud burst from an exploding cannonball and an audacious roar from the crocodile that might make you jump. It should be noted that Peter Pan is not recommended for children under the age of five. Be advised that Hook slits the throat of one of the pirates, albeit bloodlessly, there are several fight scenes between the Lost Boys and the pirates, and remember that things don't end so well for the Captain.

Peter and the rest of The Threesixty Theatre cast of characters will be dazzling audiences on City Hall Plaza through December 30 in the comfortable, spacious, and heated tent. Peter Pan is a show the whole family (except for the very youngest) will enjoy and offers a wonderful outing for the holiday season. Everybody can use a little magic in their lives, especially at this time of year. You can grow up after January 1^st.  

Photo credit: Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures Inc. (Emily Yetter, Chuck Bradley)

 

 

 

 

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