Review: Nashville Children's Theatre's World Premiere of PETER PAN: WENDY'S ADVENTURE TO NEVERLAND

There is no place more magical - no art form more transformative - than the theater and now, thanks to the continued creativity and sense of wonder shared by Ernie Nolan and David Weinstein (given an assist from a timeless tale by J.M. Barrie), audiences are treated to an exhilarating flight of fancy via the award-winning pair's sprightly and sparkling new musical take on the story of Peter Pan: Wendy's Adventure to Neverland.

Onstage at Nashville Children's Theatre through March 27, Peter Pan: Wendy's Adventure to Neverland is a delightfully engaging new take on Barrie's original play about "the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up or Peter and Wendy," which debuted more than 100 years ago at London's Duke of York's Theatre (the playwright subsequently reworked his fantastical drama into novel form in 1911) and continues to be one of the theater's most beloved titles. In the assured hands of Messrs. Nolan and Weinstein, Peter's followers (whether they count themselves among the famed tribe of Lost Boys or not) will encounter a tuneful new adaptation that adheres to the original tale in ways important and otherwise, yet which somehow seems surprisingly fresh and wonderfully new.

That which remains constant about Peter Pan - whether in the original play, the 1953 animated Disney vehicle, the televised musical update in 1954 that made it an important part of every baby boomer's early life thanks to its annual broadcasts in intervening years or whatever form it has taken to solidify its place in popular culture - is its time-honored theme of making the transition from a fun-filled and innocent child to the more serious and responsible adult. And while that certainly sounds far weightier than what one has come to expect in a contemporary treatment of Peter Pan, there remains a timeless quality of childlike wonder at all things magical which are inherent in any theatrical undertaking.

In Peter Pan: Wendy's Adventure to Neverland, there is no mistaking that the theater is full of magic and wonder from its very first moments, when the company of actors about to enact the tale of Peter, Wendy, Captain Hook, Smee, the pirates and the lost boys take the stage and Megan Murphy Chambers (as The Actress) snuffs out the ghost light at center stage and spreads its illumination (kudos to Scott Leathers for his cleverly inventive design), as if by magic, into the very stars that shine above Scott Boyd's beautifully designed set.

No sooner does the company set about the business of transporting their audience to another world of stage-borne special effects than they are interrupted by the appearance of a girl (played by Amanda Rodriguez) who vehemently challenges the very notion of magic or the existence of fairies with her resolute disbelief. Taking it upon themselves to show the young woman the error of her ways and the folly of her disbelief, the company of actors insist she take on the role of Wendy Darling herself, a process destined to instill in her - and in turn, the rest of their audience - the sense of wonder that inspires and imbues every play in every darkened auditorium in any town in any part of the world any time disbelief is suspended in the never-ending search for enlightenment and entertainment.

For it is there, in "The Land of Betwixt and Between" (the musical's sublime opening number), that the source of magic and wonder may be found.

Nolan directs his eight-member ensemble (in addition to the aforementioned Murphy Chambers and Rodriguez includes a veritable who's who of Nashville stage notables including Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva, Gerold Oliver, Sarah Zanotti, Piper Jones, Jonah Jackson and Alex Pineiro) in a fast-paced, yet thoughtful, manner that ensures every audience member follows their journey with rapt attention and thorough commitment to the story being told. With puppets designed by Jesse Mooney-Bullock, constructed by MoonBull Studio, Nolan fills the stage far beyond the expected presence of his actors, to create a true sense of spectacle.

Weinstein's melodic score allows the actors to more fully express themselves in the way that is only possible in musical theater, adding whimsy and an abiding sense of artistic gravitas to the new work's familiar story and beloved cast of characters. So seamlessly do all the elements of the production come together - the technical and design elements (including gorgeous costumes by Tommy Macon), the compelling and altogether believable performances of the actors, the sumptuous musical score and the staging and choreography that result in what seems like constant movement - that each audience member, no matter their age or their familiarity with the tale, will find their own special connection to Peter Pan: Wendy's Adventure to Neverland.

Peter Pan: Wendy's Adventure to Neverland. Book by Ernie Nolan. Music and lyrics by David Weinstein. Based on the novel by J.M. Barrie. Directed by Ernie Nolan. Musical direction by David Weinstein. Stage managed by Marcus Carroll. Fight choreography by Eric D. Pasto-Crosby. Presented in a world premiere production at Nashville Children's Theatre. Through March 27. For details and tickets, go to www.nashvillect.org.

production photos by Michael Scott Evans

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