By Taylor Landau
When I found out the musical adaptation of Peter Pan was going on the road this year, I was elated! I was in a production of the show when I was about 16 years old and played Mrs. Darling (among others). The show promised a rewritten book to eliminate some of the, er, questionable bits of the original play by J.M. Barrie. But I have to say, what I saw the other night was far from what I expected, in both a good and bad way.
Historically, Peter Pan has always been played by a woman on stage (Mary Martin and Cathy Rigby, to name the most famous). However, in this production, Peter is played by a young man named Nolan Almeida, and he was a breath of fresh air. He lit up the stage with his portrayal of the mischievous, conceited, excitable boy who won’t grow up, and with his vocal and acting abilities, I think Almeida has a long career ahead of him. Cody Garcia as Captain Hook was fantastic. Their comedic timing was perfect, and it was a joy to watch them on stage. Wendy (Hawa Kamara), John (William Foon), Michael (Reed Epley), and Tiger Lily (Bailey Frankenberg, an understudy at this performance) were other standouts in the cast. The ensemble was fun and bouncy, and the choreography and orchestrations were super entertaining.
One of the biggest goals the show set out to accomplish was to eliminate the racist elements from the story in regards to Tiger Lily and the natives. A new song (“Friends Forever”) replaces “Ugg-a-Wugg,” and there are multiple references to native cultures around the world, including a pre-show announcement about the theater residing on stolen land. The sentiment itself was touching and timely, and I liked that they added new aspects to the characters without eliminating their role in the story.
This production of Peter Pan has the most impressive flying sequences by far. While Almeida was up on wires, he actually did look like he was floating around the stage (see photo below). Peter looked like he was in control of his movements, which isn't always the case. Lots of times, it looks like an actor swinging back and forth on a string (see Cathy Rigby), but the flight choreography was stellar, especially in “I’m Flying.” (Props to Paul Rubin, the flight choreographer, for that.) I was sitting up in the balcony, so I couldn't see the wires until all the lights came up for bows, which really added to the performance. The use of the projection wall behind the sets enhanced the flight sequence tenfold. The sets were beautifully designed and took my breath away on more than one occasion, especially the Lost Boys’ hideout and the Jolly Roger. This production absolutely hit the nail on the head visually.
With that being said, I wanted to love this show. Really, I did. I have fond memories of when I was in it myself (aside from my years-long grudge that my director didn't let me sing “Tender Shepherd” despite the script’s instructions, thanks Heather). The movie is one of my favorites from childhood, and I honestly enjoyed myself while watching the show. But this new production of Peter Pan fundamentally doesn’t work.
The show made a number of… interesting changes to the original script that I was not expecting. In the first scene, Wendy emphatically declares that she is making a viral video that will hopefully pay her way through medical school. That entire line sent me into a tizzy, and we were only a minute into the show! I didn’t know this was a modern rendition, which did not fit with the Victorian nursery set the show utilized. Not only that, but exactly how old is Wendy? I thought she was supposed to be around twelve, but for the much of the show, she’s reminding the audience of how she wants to be a doctor and go to med school debt-free. Peter remained very boyish, so it was a little odd trying to create romantic tension between him and Wendy with these changes. The show is now set in America, not in England, though I wonder if everybody on the creative team knew that. During the flying montage, Peter and the kids fly to Big Ben.
Everyone speaks in their natural accents, except Captain Hook who is aggressively Scottish (kudos to Garcia for nailing the accent, though). Nana the dog is nowhere to be found aside from a quirky line from one of the Darling parents about how they should get a dog to watch the kids. In a show mostly aimed at children, getting rid of the canine companion seems ill-advised. There is also a short bit towards the end where the moon comes to life on the projection screen in a very unsettling way to say a quick line. I have no idea what the thought process was with that choice.
The modern aspects of the show are jarring and out of place. Like I said, that opening scene gave me total whiplash. The contrast between the modern-feminist-empowered Wendy and the mischievous-woodland-immortal Peter doesn’t work. The actors have good chemistry, but the characters themselves clash more than they did previously. Similarly, in the original version, Wendy doesn't want to grow up right away. She fights with her father when he suggests she will have to grow up someday. In this version, she fights with her mother insisting she's not a kid and continues on her doctor-related expedition. Making Wendy a modern woman isn't inherently a bad thing, but in a show where the central theme is growing up, it no longer works. Most of the modern elements are abandoned as soon as the kids step foot in Neverland, so the inclusion of them is a bit odd.
There is such a disconnect between the writing and the music that cannot be ignored when talking about the show. From making viral videos to complaining about yogurt (while in Neverland), the show’s modern dialogue completely contrasts from the show’s 1954 songs. Even the new song that replaced “Ugg a Wugg” feels totally out of place in respect to songs like “I Gotta Crow,” “Neverland,” and “I Won’t Grow Up.” The original musical’s score is renowned and very famous, so creating something new to go along with it was always going to be a challenge. In my opinion, the new material did not pass the test.
Aside from the conflict with the music, the book is at odds with itself having replaced most lines from the original script, but not all. In the first scene, Wendy whines about having a sewing kit instead of a suture kit to practice for med school. Not even five minutes later, Mrs. Darling asks the nightlights in the nursery to “burn clear and steadfast tonight” to protect her young kids, which is a line from the original show. The contrasting lines and songs make for a very disjointed, wonky script that leaves actors flip-flopping between poignant, early 1900s language to 21st century dialect, sometimes within the same line.
From acknowledging the extinction of native cultures to lecturing Peter on why he's sexist for not being co-captains of the Lost Boys with Tiger Lily, the show tries to shoehorn in lots of 2024 ideas. Again, I appreciate the sentiment and morals, but the problem lies in the execution. Most discussions on these topics were added sporadically to scenes from the original and usually interrupt the flow of the story. Pausing what should be a high-stakes moment where Tiger Lily is in trouble so she and Wendy can bond over girl power dramatically lowered the tension. If the entire show had been rewritten, including the music, the commentary the show was going for probably would've worked. But to take a well-known show and try to put a modern spin on half of it without going all the way left the show fragmented and moralistic.
There’s a reason why Peter Pan is considered a timeless classic and why over 100 years later audiences still clamor to see it. The message resonates with children and adults of all ages, and divvying up the focus of the show in a hundred different directions lessened the emotional impact at the end of the story. I expected to at least get a little teary-eyed during the last scene, but the lack of buildup throughout the story to get to that moving moment stifled it entirely. I understand what the creative team was trying to go for with this new production, and I applaud them for using art as a means of promoting their message, but it just sadly doesn’t work here.
I believe the idea behind the modernization was to let American children see themselves in the characters, but one of the great things about Peter Pan is that it doesn’t matter what walk of life you’re from, everyone can relate to the struggles of growing up, abandoning childhood, and navigating adulthood.
When the show focused on the original message about growing up, it tugged at my heartstrings. The songs "Distant Melody" and "When I Went Home" propelled the sentimental meaning of the show, and beautiful moments like those are what the story is all about. Wendy wanting to grow up versus Peter pushing back against it is done so well, it’s a shame the rest of the show doesn’t live up to that. Aside from the songs, those emotional beats in the story were the strongest, and I wish the rest of the show was able to capture the same feeling. This new production tried to teach too many lessons and lost sight of what the original was about in the first place.
At the end of the day, the production value of the show is phenomenal in the performances, orchestrations, sets, songs, and flight sequences, even if the book is lacking. If you bring a kiddo, I’m sure they’ll be wowed like all the children who were sitting around me. I still enjoyed the show a lot, despite my complaints, and I truly believe it's a show people of all ages will still enjoy.
Peter Pan is running at the Straz Center from April 30th through May 5th.
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