Many are familiar with the story of perpetual youngster Peter Pan, the boy adventurer created by J.M. Barrie in the early 20th century. He’s been the subject of numerous plays, musical adaptations, novelizations, movies and reimaginings (despite its shockingly low Rotten Tomatoes score, I’m still partial to Steven Spielberg’s 1991 film “Hook”).
The 2024 national tour of “Peter Pan” — which opened at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh Tuesday night as part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series — updates the original 1954 Broadway musical with some new touches from playwright Larissa FastHorse. With lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Amanda Green, and music by Morris (Moose) Charlap and Julie Styne, the musical is a classic with some dubious modernizations.
“Peter Pan” tells the tale of a young boy from a magical place called Neverland, where no one grows up and the world is full of pirates and adventurous children. He comes upon the home of the Darlings, with fierce and inquisitive Wendy and her two younger brothers. The Darling siblings fly away home with Peter, where they make new family, strike out on their own and defeat the nefarious pirate Captain Hook.
Firstly, the cast of this tour is phenomenal. Aubrie-Mei Rubel is forceful and clever as Wendy Darling, and her brothers (Owen Suarez as John and Zaynn Arora as Michael) are promising talents for such young ages. Bailey Frankenberg was a highlight as Tiger Lily, especially deft with dance and fight choreography and with a powerful singing voice. Another highlight was Kurt Perry as Smee, the comic relief sidekick of Captain Hook, with some hilarious pratfalls.
Cody Garcia, as is typical, portrayed both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook, and he was surprisingly charming as the villainous swashbuckler (the role of Mr. Darling isn’t particularly meaty, but he still shone there, too).
And, of course, no production could stay afloat without Peter Pan. Kruz Maldonado has real star power, with a terrific Broadway voice and boundless energy. The full cast of kids from Neverland came together to present a beguiling ensemble.
It’s the script where I struggled. Of course, we know this plot, and it’s a good introduction to adventure stories for kids — I long ago stopped being the target audience for a play expressly not for grown-ups. The new book certainly makes improvements; it excises the dated and offensive portrayals of Native Americans that were long a staple of this world.
But it also brought the whole musical into the present day, opening with Wendy imploring her younger brother to waltz with her to make a “viral video.” There are plenty of references to modern technology, but the dialogue remains confusingly British and Edwardian, so the modern touches feel more like an incomplete skin on a classic script.
The vision behind the production, which was directed by Lonny Price, was solid. Choreography by Lorrin Latarro was outstanding, especially for the number that closed the first act. “Peter Pan” isn’t complete without flying (directed by Paul Rubin) and those scenes were more impressive than ever, even as an adult.
Scenic designer Ann Louzos created the cozy feel of the Darlings’ cluttered bedroom and the lush, untouched world of Neverland, with atmospheric lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker. A major component of the set was the projection screen, which came in handy for some sequences, but was relied upon a little too heavily; projection designer David Bengali could have scaled back a bit.
And the eclectic, fun and fanciful costumes by Sarafina Bush were another big plus, especially Captain Hook’s ensemble.
“Peter Pan” does have some catchy music, though no true standout tunes. That being said, the orchestra did an amazing job, as did music director Jonathan Marro and Andy Einhorn, in charge of music supervision, orchestral adaptation an additional arrangements.
The best part of the show, though, was the fight choreography by Rick Sordelet and Christian Kelly-Sordelet. The fights in both of the show’s acts were thrilling and fun to watch, and the child actors did exceptionally well.
There are some genuine laughs for all ages, a handful of triumphant moments and — as is tradition — the audience’s enthusiastic reaction when the are asked to believe in fairies. For kids, this is better than any movie and a solid two hours of entertainment. But for those of us who stayed away from Neverland? We may have just grown too old.
“Peter Pan” runs through April 6 at the Benedum Center. For tickets, visit trustarts.org.