Review: PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Copley Theatre, Aurora IL

“We change. We grow up. It always happens. Nothing is forever. That’s the rule.”  These are the last lines in the prologue of Peter and the Starcatcher now at Paramount Theatre’s Copley Theatre as part of its BOLD Series.

This is an adult intro to Peter Pan. It tells the story of how he became Peter Pan and provides the backstory of Peter and his forever nemesis Captain Hook. I believe that kids under the age of 13 probably won’t understand the story. The script is geared to adults and has some groan worthy (purposely written) lines. The cast of 16 under the direction of Nate Cohen (Paramount debut) will leave you breathless, laughing and a little teary eyed.

That is what makes good art. In his Paramount debut, Terry Bell as Peter, gives a performance that is captivating. We see Peter’s evolvement. We also see part of his past. We learn about his future at the end. He keeps repeating he doesn’t trust adults and he just wants to be a boy. At the beginning of the story, he doesn’t have a home or a name. He is called Boy. He has two very close friends. Ted (Brandon Acosta) and Prentiss (Michaela Shapiro).

These friends are an antidote to the very sad Peter. Peter and the lost boys are banished to the hold of the Neverland ship. It is on its way to an island where the boys will be stranded. The Captain of the Neverland is Bill Slank (Matt Miles). He is feared by everyone. Also on board is the Royal Starcatcher, Lord Leonard Asher (Kevin Kantor). His daughter Molly (Shelbi Voss) is a Starcatcher in training.

She is very determined and a force to be reckoned with. She takes Peter to heart. Molly is under the watchful eye – sometimes – of Mrs. Bumbrake (the hilarious Gabriel Fries) who is very attracted to Alf (Tamsen Glaser’s Paramount debut). The dreaded pirate ship, The Wasp, is after the Neverland wanting the star stuff treasure. The Wasp is helmed by the notorious Black Stache (Nick Sandys in his Paramount debut).

It’s a bravura performance and Stache has the most puns. As the story progresses, we find out how he became Captain Hook. There a myriad of homages to the late, great Cyril Ritchard who portrayed Captain Hook in both the 1955 and 1960 TV versions of Peter Pan starring the legendary Mary Martin as Peter.  Stache is supported by Smee (three-time Jeff award winner Mark David Kaplan).  The two ships come to blows when the trunk of stardust, on its way to Queen Victoria, is secretly exchanged for an empty trunk. The chase begins. The stardust has the power to change lives.

During the chase for the stardust, familiar Peter Pan characters such as the crocodile and finally Tinkerbell are introduced. It is at this moment that Molly and her father leave the island. Peter and the other boys cannot leave the island now renamed Neverland. Peter also learns he will remain a boy and never grow up. This is a very touching moment. And so begins the story that everyone knows about Peter Pan.

The Copley stage is intimate. The props that are used are on the back wall. That set is depicting the two ships. In Act Two it is a barren island. This transformation comes from scenic designer Myra G. Reavis. The sound design by Eric Backus is so true to life. The audience can hear the creaking of the ships. The drip of the water. You are there.

In the production’s Playbill, director Nate Cohen and choreographer Binal Lital Schatsky (Paramount debut), write, “Imagine, for a moment, that anything is possible. Imagine humans speaking to birds, pirates making a comeback and real, live mermaids. Now imagine that each and every one of us is born knowing how to fly. While most of us grew up, moved on, and forgot, this play returns us to the lost art of childhood and reminds us of what we’ve forgotten: that anyone, with the right dose of conviction, can remember how to fly.”  Copley’s production gives us our childhood for a little while. Enjoy the memory. Enjoy the time. Enjoy being a kid again.

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