Pioneer Theatre Company Presents PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, Now thru 12/20

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the Tony Award-winning play Peter and the Starcatcher tonight, December 5 through December 20, 2014.

Ever wonder how Peter Pan ended up in Neverland? How Captain Hook became Peter's arch enemy? Peter and the Starcatcher explains all this and more. Based on the bestselling novel by humorist Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, this highly theatrical and wonderfully inventive new play was a sensation when it took Broadway by storm in 2012, and is a holiday offering that's perfectly magical, and magically perfect, for audiences of all ages.

The New York Times called Peter and the Starcatcher, "The most exhilarating Broadway storytelling in decades! You must experience it for yourself."

New York Magazine said Peter and the Starcatcher is, "Miraculous. Spectacle, wit and joy spill out of this production like treasure from a magic pocket."

The New York Daily News said the show is, "Beaming with dizzy humor and delightful stage magic."

LEO ASH EVENS plays the role of Black Stache, who eventually becomes the character known as Captain Hook. Evens appeared on Broadway in Jesus Christ Superstar. His off-Broadway credits include the run of the new Ryan Scott Oliver and Hunter Foster musical Jasper in Deadland at the West End Theatre in NYC, Finks (Bobby Gerard at EST), Ionescopade: Works of Eugene Ionesco (The York), and Wanda's World (PJ Dunbar at the 45th Street Theatre). He also appeared as Riff in West Side Story on London's West End and in the 50th Anniversary US Tour. This is his PTC debut.

Playing the part of "The Boy," or Peter, is LIAM FORDE. Forde appeared off-Broadway in Much Ado About Nothing (Theatre for a New Audience), Big and Six Wives (York Theatre Company). He was a member of the national tour cast of Seussical and has appeared at many regional theatres. In cabaret, Forde is the 2014 recipient of the Julie Wilson Award and Nightlife Award for Outstanding Male Vocalist. Last year, he received the 2013 Bistro Award for Performer on the Rise and second place at the Noel Coward Competition. This is his PTC debut.

JUSTINE SALATA plays Molly, the foremost Starcatcher in the show. Her New York credits include Lovers (TACT), As You Like It (NYSF), Ghosts (Extant Arts Company), Richard III (New York Classical Theatre) and The Importance of Being Earnest (Julii Theatre Company). In film, she has appeared in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Paper Dreams and Drown, and has been seen on television in Inside Amy Schumer, Alpha House, Orange is the New Black, Royal Pains and Curb Your Enthusiasm. This is her PTC debut.

BRIAN SUTHERLAND plays the role of Molly's father, Aster. Sutherland has appeared on Broadway in The Sound of Music, 1776, Victor/Victoria, Steel Pier, Cats, Dance a Little Closer, A Change in the Heir and 110 in the Shade (NYC Opera), and off-Broadway in A Second Chance (Public Theatre). His National Tour credits include The Light in the Piazza, Disney's On the Record, Guys and Dolls (with Maurice Hines), Cabaret (with Joel Grey) and 42nd Street (European tour). This is his PTC debut.

AUSTIN ARCHER plays the role of Prentiss. Archer returns to Pioneer Theatre Company after being seen in the ensemble of The Rocky Horror Show, as Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and in Much Ado About Nothing and A Few Good Men last season. He recently made his fifth appearance in Saturday's Voyeur at Salt Lake Acting Company, where he has also been seen in The Cat in the Hat, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, How I Became a Pirate, Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson and Too Much Memory.

Black Stache's sidekick Smee is played by JAMES BEAMAN. Beaman performed for two years on the road as Sir Robin in the First National Tour of Monty Python's Spamalot and has originated roles in two new musicals, The Road to Qatar! (Off-Broadway/Original Cast Album) and Frog Kiss. He has performed leading and featured roles at regional theaters such as Goodspeed Musicals, The Kennedy Center, North Shore Music Theatre, and at Shakespeare Festivals throughout the U.S. This is his PTC debut.

JEFF GURNER plays the roles of Grempkin and the Fighting Prawn. Gurner appeared on Broadway in The Lion King, and off-Broadway in Five Course Love, Harrigan and Hart, The London Cuckolds, The Comedy of Errors and The Water Coolers. His TV credits include The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Mercy, Rescue Me and Third Watch. This is his PTC debut.

HOWARD KAYE plays the role of Slank. Kaye's New York credits include Miss Saigon, Silence! the Musical, and The Visit starring Chita Rivera. He was a cast member of the original North American Company of Mamma Mia!, and made his stage debut as John Darling in Peter Pan with Sandy Duncan when he was twelve. This is his PTC debut.

Playing the role of Bumbrake is OLIVER WADSWORTH. Wadsworth has appeared in the National Tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, off-Broadway in Endpapers (Variety Arts) and Well (The Public Theater), and in leading roles at regional theatres across the country. His TV and film credits include Deliver Us from Evil, Ed's Next Move, Dotty Gets Spanked and Law & Order: SVU. This is his PTC debut.

Other cast members include JAKE P. EVANS as Ted, DAVID GUY HOLMES as Scott, and REDGE PALMER as Alf.

Guest artist JENN THOMPSON directs the production. Thompson currently serves as a Co-Artistic Director of NYC's TACT/The Actors Company Theatre, where she has directed the off-Broadway productions of: Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers (2012 Drama Desk Nomination for Best Revival of a Play), Vaclav Havel's The Memorandum, Sidney Howard's The Late Christopher Bean, Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce, Tennessee Williams' The Eccentricities of a Nightingale (New York Times' Top Ten for Theatre Pick, 2008), as well as Ladies in Retirement, My Three Angels, Rain and Kind Lady. Other NYC directing credits include the New York premiere of Holly Webber's play Pratfalls (The Abingdon), the world-premiere musical Seeing Stars, (NYMF), Badge by Matthew Schneck (Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre), The Brilliance of Bernstein (American Musicals Project) and Big Doolie (FringeNYC). She was a 2012 finalist for the SDC's Joe A. Callaway Award, for excellence in New York City directing. Thompson returns to PTC after directing The Philadelphia Story.

PATTI WILCOX choreographs the production. Wilcox choreographed the Broadway production of Motown the Musical, which won the Astaire Award for Best Choreography on Broadway 2013, and A Night with Janis Joplin also on Broadway. Her off-Broadway/National Tour credits include Children's Letters to God, Bowfire (and PBS Television Special), Blues in the Night (NAACP Image Award nomination), Seussical and Motown the Musical. She has worked at regional theatres across the country, as well as with many European theatrical groups. Her work has been represented at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. This marks her PTC debut.

Guest artist TOM GRIFFIN is the show's musical director. Griffin was the musical conductor of Disney's Beauty and the Beast on two national tours and music-directed the West Coast and Los Angeles premieres of The Last Five Years, Sweet Charity, Sweeney Todd and The Music Man; the West Coast premiere of Spitfire Grill; Annie, West Side Story, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Bye Bye Birdie; the national tour of My Fair Lady for Theatre Of The Stars; and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's productions of Disney's Mary Poppins, A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Peter Pan and A Christmas Memory. He returns after music-directing/conducting A Christmas Carol: The Musical and Elf - The Musical here at PTC.

Scenic design is by PTC resident scenic artist GEORGE MAXWELL. Some of Maxwell's PTC designs include Sweet Charity, A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Next to Normal, Rent, Sunset Boulevard, Chicago, LES MISERABLES, The Importance of Being Earnest, West Side Story, Proof, Peter Pan and Miss Saigon. He has designed the sets for Utah Opera Company's The Coronation of Poppea and The Ballad of Baby Doe, productions for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and 21 productions for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Maxwell is a member of United Scenic Artists.

PTC resident costume designer CAROL WELLS-DAY designs costumes for the production. Wells-Day is one of PTC's resident costume designers and the costume shop supervisor. Her recent designs for PTC include A Few Good Men, A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Next to Normal, Sunset Boulevard, Dracula, Is He Dead?, Dial 'M' for Murder and The Light in the Piazza, among dozens of others. She was assistant designer for Inherit the Wind at the Ford Theatre in Washington D.C., and worked for the Utah Shakespeare Festival for 13 years as a costume shop supervisor and designer.

Lighting design is by guest designer MICHAEL GILLIAM. Gilliam returns to PTC after designing for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Sweet Charity, The Odd Couple, Of Mice and Men, Next to Normal, Rent, A Chorus Line and others. His Broadway credits include Brooklyn, Big River and Stand-Up Tragedy. He also designed for the national tours of Brooklyn, Guys and Dolls and Big River, and has won the Los Angeles Ovation Award, Dramalogue Award, Garland Award and the 1999 Career Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.

Sound design is by JOSHUA C. HIGHT. Hight is an established live sound engineer in both London and Salt Lake City. His other projects of note include working with Sommerset House for the 2012 Olympic Games, Of Monsters and Men, Collective Soul, Fallout Boy, Slash, the Psychedelic Furs, Citizen Cope, the Dropkick Murphys, Gogol Bordello, Kate Nash, Easton Corbin, Sevendust and many more. Hight is a Graduate with Distinction of London's Alchemea College of Audio Engineering and the Resident Sound Designer for PTC.

Hair and makeup design is by PTC resident designer AMANDA FRENCH. French has worked for Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Opera, Egyptian Theatre Company and the University of Texas at Austin. She is a contributing writer in the tenth edition of Stage Makeup by Corson, Glavan and Norcross, and her work can be seen in The Costume Technician's Handbook by Ingham and Covey, and Wig Making and Styling: A Complete Guide for Theatre and Film by Ruskai and Lowery.

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