New Victory Theater Presents U.S. Premiere of Belvoir's PETER PAN, Now thru 10/13

With no green tights in sight, Belvoir's wild and unlikely Peter Pan lands on 42nd Street in Times Square for its U.S. premiere at The New Victory Theater from today, October 4 - 13, 2013. Adapted by award-winning playwright Tommy Murphy (West End's Holding the Man, Belvoir's Gwen in Purgatory) and directed by Belvoir's Artistic Director - dreamer and lost boy leader - Ralph Myers (Private Lives), Peter Pan and his strange story unfurl on a single set, a kid's bedroom in 1980s suburban Australia. This adaptation of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan launches the 2013-14 season of The New Victory Theater, New York's premier performing arts venue for families.

Myers, who considers Belvoir (The Book of Everything, New Vic 2012) to be specialists in blowing the dust off great classic plays, was looking for a new project to direct in the venue's Upstairs Theatre when he revisited J.M. Barrie's beloved tale. Myers recognized how the story felt instantly and beautifully familiar, but also discovered what he calls a "closet Australianness" in the original story. He comments, "I was struck by the uncanny feeling that this could secretly be a play about Australia - a world off on its own, full of oddities, constantly trying to leave its past behind. Australia, like Peter, has a wonderful and annoying determination never to grow up."

Myers became the company's Artistic Director when Neil Armfield vacated the post in 2011; prior to this appointment, Myers was a leading set designer in Australia working for the country's major theater companies, including Belvoir and Sydney Theatre Company, as well as Melbourne Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Griffin Theatre Company and Legs on The Wall. He also worked in dance, circus, film and opera with credits that include Two Faced Bastard(Chunky Move), Cosi Fan Tutte and Peter Grimes (Opera Australia) and Caligula (English National Opera). Myers has collaborated with many of Australia's prominent directors including Mr. Armfield, Benedict Andrews, Barrie Kosky, Wesley Enoch, Lucy Guerin, Robin Nevin, Gideon Obarzanek and Cate Blanchett.

Belvoir's production of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan stars aboriginal actor Meyne Wyatt in the title role. A rising star of Australian theater, Wyatt was lauded Best Newcomer at the Sydney Theatre Awards and Time Out Sydney's "30 Under 30" the same year he made his film debut in The Sapphires, which premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2012. The charming Geraldine Hakewill (Les Liaison Dangereuses, Sydney Theatre Company) takes on the role of Wendy, and Charlie Garber (As You Like It, Belvoir) is Captain Hook. Paula Arundell, Gareth Davies, Harriet Dyer, Megan Holloway, Uli Latukefu and John Leary (The Book of Everything) round out the cast as various lost boys, mermaids, pirates and more, all on an ingenious set design by Robert Cousins. Alice Babidge is the costume designer, Damien Cooper is the lighting designer and Stefan Gregory is the production's composer and sound designer; Isaac Drandic is the assistant director with fight direction by Scott Witt, and choreography by Sara Black.

Tickets for Peter Pan at The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street) cost $25, $18, $12 and $9 for Members and $38, $28, $18 and $14 at full price based on seat locations.

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