Review: PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at The Growing Stage is Ideal Family Entertainment

By Guest Reviewer: Jack Wooldridge

Peter and the Starcatcher is based on the bestselling children's book by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. This Tony Award-winning show by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker, is now showing at the Growing Stage Theater in Netcong, through 10/23. The fast-paced production tells the story of how an orphan with no name became Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. Packed with flamboyant but menacing pirates, fearless children, catchy musical numbers, and almost non-stop puns, the performance, directed by Stephen L. Fredericks, juxtaposes lighthearted humor with heartfelt emotion. It is an ideal show for the whole family.

In the show, an orphan boy with no name and his two friends are thrown into the hold of the Neverland and shipped off to a far-off island ruled by the villainous King Zarboff. Stuck in the dark, eating worms, they have no idea that the hold also contains a chest full of magical, impossibly valuable cargo. Their luck seems to change with they are discovered by Molly, the daughter of the Starcatcher Lord Aster, who convinces them to help her protect her father's chest. When the villainous Black Stache and his band of pirates board the Neverland, the children must all make sacrifices to keep the treasure out of his greedy, grasping hands.

The set is a wonder, transforming the stage into the deck of a ship, complete with rigging, weathered planks lashed together with rope, and a time-worn atmosphere. Later, palm trees and jungle plants crowd in, and colorful puppets of tropical birds and a monstrous alligator weave between the swaying trees. Perry Kroeger, the Growing Stage's resident artist, has really outdone himself in decorating the stage and creating puppets for the show. In addition, there's a great sense of momentum to the choreography. Actors are constantly moving across the stage, changing costumes on the fly, and even becoming part of the stage's scenery. The use of actors holding planks to simulate the inside of a ship's hold was especially inspired.

The music is excellent, setting the tone of Victorian-era adventure from the very first note and never letting up. Musical director Stephen Fox performs the piano score onstage, fading into the scenery, adding a sense of dynamism unique to live music. While the songs are consistently excellent throughout, "The Neverland and the Wasp" ends with a particularly marvelous four-part harmony.

There are some wonderful individual performances, with Davis Lemley (Boy) and Nikki Miller (Molly Aster) putting a lot of heart into their depiction of the two young leads. Josh Carpenter is hilariously flamboyant and over-the-top as the pirate captain Black Stache. He pulls off some of the best one-liners in the show - "They're as elusive as the melody in a Philip Glass opera!" - with aplomb. Although these were real standouts, everyone in the cast gets a chance to shine, and all of them had the audience laughing at one point or another.

Peter and the Starcatcher will be performed at Growing Stage: The Children's Theater of New Jersey three times a week: Fridays at 7:30pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 4:00pm. The house opens 30 minutes before the start of the show. On Fridays, "Everyone is a child," and all tickets are $15. Saturday and Sunday prices are $25 for Adults, $15 for Children, and $20 for Seniors. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.growingstage.com or at the box office at 7 Ledgewood Avenue, Netcong NJ.

Photo Credit: Jerry Dalia

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