Peter and the Starcatcher -- Off-Broadway Review

If you are in the NYC area, or will be before April 24th I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you take a trip out to a small off-broadway theater to check out this amazing show.  Having been an avid Peter Pan fan since a young child, and for some reason seem to be spending my 25th year on a madd hunt following the lost boys around the country, this is one adapted tale that is unlike any that has come before.

Peter and the Starcatcher is a fun, rather adult, telling of how Neverland and the infamous lost boys came to be.  With a cast of unforgettable characters, witty dialog and a light sprinkling of modern jokes writer Rick Elice has given the ultimate fan a play that I'm likely never going to forget.  Staged in a small theater, and having chosen a front row seat, I got an up-close and personal experience as the cast took me on an amazing journey from England to a small island when the H.M.S. Neverland is shipwrecked.

With a small stage the set design is quite simple, but the originality of items used to create the props, costumes and set itself is quite amazing.  Giving the production more of an improv feel as the actors are fully the ones propelling the story forward as they illustrate the battle between the Bristish sailors and pirates seeking to steal the Queen's chest.  This alone is like a treasure hunt game as it gives children in the audience a chance to try and find how many household items are used to create the set and costumes.  A perfect example is the opening act in the second half.  Being so close to the stage I actually had to avert my eyes from some of the actors because watching them in their mermaid costumes, and the faces they were making as they sang was so hilarious that if I dared look directly at them I knew I would not be able to keep a straight face.  You can tell that these talented actors truly enjoyed playing these characters as they surely got to be children once again playing make-believe.
Peter and the Starcatcher is an amazing play full of amazingly talented actors that really desereve immense recognition for this little play.  I wish I had been able to get this information out sooner so more could enjoy it, but there is a little over 1 week left, and if you are looking for something fun that you will surely never forget this is it.  It is an "all hands on deck" performance as the actors play multiple roles and the bring to life and whole new vibe to the classic Peter Pan story.  If the young kids in the audience are old enough to really appreciate the humor, it will kick off a whole new generation of Peter Pan fans.

So please check out the video below and then check out the link to the New York Theatre Workshop website to grab yourself a ticket before the curtain call.  You will not regret the decision.





Cast:
ADAM CHANLER-BERAT  A Boy/Peter
CARSON ELROD  Prentiss
KEVIN DEL AGUILA  Smee
CELIA KEENAN-BOLGER  Molly Aster 
KARL KENZLER  Lord Aster
GREG HILDRETH  Alf
BRANDON DIRDEN  Captain Scott
ARNIE BURTON  Mrs. Bumbrake/ Teacher
CHRISTIAN BORLE  Black Stache
TEDDY BERGMAN  Grempkin/ Mack/ Fighting Prawn