Has the musical version of “Peter Pan” (initially staged in 1954) grown up? The simple answer is yes and no.
On the one hand, Sicangu Lakota playwright Larissa FastHorse has removed stereotypical portrayals of Indigenous characters like Tiger Lily and empowered women like Mrs. Darling and her daughter Wendy in her smart book for the 2023 edition of this enduring classic. At the same time, the current tour presented by Broadway in Boston could do with stronger pacing in the early going and more exuberant choreography à la Jerome Robbins’s inspired original effort.
Still, especially thanks to David Bengali’s brilliant projection design and Paul Rubin’s sublime flying sequences choreography, there is a lot to crow about at the Citizens Opera House.
In a sense, the FastHorse book has “flown” the musical’s non-Neverland scenes from London – their setting in the 1904 Sir James M. Barrie play – to the U.S. with such contemporary elements as internet and video. With consideration for COVID-19, Mr. Darling works from home. Unlike Barrie’s Mrs. Darling, the American spouse has her own career. Her daughter Wendy wants to become a doctor and actually achieves her goal.
Fans of the Barrie work and the Caroline Leigh (lyrics)-Morris (Moose) Charlap musical – with additional lyrics by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Amanda Green, and additional music by Jule Styne – may miss the large dog Nana, but the relatively slow early proceedings give way to the design-rich remainder once Peter flies in and Tinker Bell magically moves around the stage.
Rubin, known as “The Fly Guy,” lives up to his renown as a flight choreographer as high school senior Nolan Almeida’s impressively agile Peter Pan displays acrobatic skill as he leads the Darling children – Wendy, John and Michael, played by Hawa Kamara, Levi Chrisopulos and Camden Kwok – on an exhilarating adventure to Neverland. Bengali’s spellbinding projection takes the amazed trio over cities and mysterious skyscapes to Peter’s home. Eventually, the children come face to face with the three groups that populate the greenery-rich Neverland: the Lost Boys that Pan captains, Tiger Lily’s natives, and villainous Captain Hook and his fellow pirates.
Under Lonny Price’s generally effective direction, a solid cast does fairly well capturing the varying fortunes of the three groups and the involvement of the Darlings, though Lorin Latarro’s choreography should be more varied and vivid. Bailey Frankenberg has all of Tiger Lily’s courage and spirit. Frankenberg and Almeida sing with good feeling in the first act-closing, “Friends Forever.”
Cody Garcia displays the proper grace and style in the fairly amusing “Hook’s Tango” and “Hook’s Tarantella.” His Hook has more of the menace the role requires in the second act. Still, he proves convincing as the amiable Mr. Darling in the traditional dual portrayal as parent and pirate. Kurt Perry strangely overdoes subordinate Smee’s flamboyance. Kamara, a vocal standout, displays rich phrasing on “Distant Melody” and catches Wendy’s strong maternal authority with the Lost Boys.
Almeida renders Peter’s touching solo, “When I Went Home” (left out of the original staging at the request of Peter-portraying Mary Martin, who considered it too sad) – in which he admits to finding a barred window and another boy sleeping in his bed – with real pathos.
Is this a staging to treasure? Many “Peter Pan” buffs may prefer the earlier editions with gifted actress Sandy Duncan and Olympic gymnast Kathy Rigby portraying Peter. Even so, FastHorse’s fresh book, Rubin’s flight wizardry, Almeida’s cocky Peter, and Kamara’s definitive Wendy should have adults applauding as much as audience children do to revive Tinkerbell.
Presented by Broadway in Boston at Citizens Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston, runs through Feb. 2. For ticket information, visit boston.broadway.com.
