Photo Flash: Spend the Holidays in Neverland! First Look at PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Orlando Shakespeare

Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF presents PETER AND THE STARCATCHER now through January 3, 2016 at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the musical play is a wildly theatrical and innovative retelling of how a nameless orphan came to be The Boy Who Never Grew Up. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Nominated for nine Tony Awards, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER serves as a prequel to J. M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy by providing a deeper understanding of the events leading to an orphan becoming the infamous Peter Pan. In the play, young starcatcher apprentice Molly Aster enlists the help of three orphan boys to return a trunk of precious starstuff to her father. Pursued by a mustached pirate captain, a giant crocodile, and angry mollusks, the children must come face to face with the scariest enemy of all-their looming adulthood.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER features a dozen actors playing over 100 roles. Stephen James Anthony returns to Orlando Shakes as Peter, following his performance as Smike in 2014's The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. Additional credits include War Horse and Skylight (Broadway), The Grand Manner (Off-Broadway), The Glory of Living (Revolve Productions), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Queens Garden Stage), and Charlotte's Web (Theaterworks USA).

Orlando Shakes newcomer Katrina Michaels joins the cast as the spunky Molly Aster. Most recently, she was seen as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at Broward Stage Door Theatre. Additional credits include Tribes (Florida Repertory Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Millbrook Playhouse), and Siren's Den (West Village Musical Theatre Festival).

Also new to Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Perry Ojeda takes on the villainous role of Black Stache. He appeared as Gaby in Broadway's On the Town. Other credits include National Tours of Camelot, Blood Brothers, and Jekyll & Hyde, as well as Off-Broadway's Die, Mommie, Die! and The West End's Dolly West's Kitchen.

Additional casting includes Mark Ferrera as Smee (Bad Dog and The Merry Wives of Windsor), Paul Bernardo as Lord Leonard Aster (A Christmas Carol and Julius Caesar), Chris Mixon as Alf (The Merry Wives of Windsor and To Kill a Mockingbird), Stephen Lima as Grempkin/Mack (Henry V), Topher Embrey as Ted, James Putnam as Prentiss, Larry Daggett as Mrs. Bumbrake, Mark Rimer as Bill Slank/Hawking Clam, and Kenny Babel as Captain Robert Falcon Scott.

Directed by Michael Carleton, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER's creative team includes musical director/show pianist Lulu Picart, choreographer Kim Ball, set designer Bert Scott, lighting designer Eric T. Haugen, costume designer Jack Smith, and sound designer Britt Sandusky.

Tickets to PETER AND THE STARCATCHER are available now by calling (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, visiting www.orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street).

Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo

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