General Rush: No
Lottery: Yes
Student Rush: No
Where the seats are located: You’re fill-ins.
Box Office: Brooks Atkinson Theater – 47th St (between Broadway and 8th Ave)  Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10 am to 8 pm and Sunday: Noon to 6 pm

Opened: March 28, 2012
Closing: Open-ended

Lotto ($27) starts 2 hours before showtime, and tickets are drawn at 90 minutes to curtain.

As a child, I must have watched Disney’s Peter Pan at least 30 times.  I dreamed about flying off to Never, Never, Land and fighting pirates with the Lost Boys.  I had heard many great things about Peter and the Starcatcher, and had tried to read the book when it came out a few years ago but never finished it.  When I had heard about the production of this show Off-Broadway, I tried to go see it, but never had the chance.  I was very excited to hear that it had transferred to Broadway.

Prequels are always an interesting idea, especially when it comes to a story that is over 100 years old, and known by many generations.  The visionary team of Peter and the Starcatcher offer their version of childlike storytelling cleverly, through the script, the visuals, the direction, and even the musical numbers.  It is designed with an essence of a pop up back yard kids show – with elements like using ropes to make doors, use of whatever they could find as costumes, and toy boats and swords to help explain the plot.  Although it is not just for the kids, as it has many jokes and references thrown in for the adults in the audience, this is a very cleverly mounted production.  This show has a great story, wonderful visual effects, childlike honesty in its storytelling and a wonderful ensemble that I truly would love to see again and again.

Photo Credit: Francesca Palermo

Favorite scene/song: There are many wonderful moments in this play, however nothing beats the mermaid opening
of Act 2.  I would elaborate, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you!
What is the show about? Based on the book by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, this book is about a girl named Molly and her father who are given the duty by the Queen (“God Bless Her”) to watch over and destroy a trunk of “starstuff” a dangerous substance.  Molly and her father split up on two different ships, and chaos ensues.  Molly’s ship also has three orphans on it to be sold by the pirates on the ship.  One of these orphans is a boy with no name; when he is offered a name he chooses Peter.
Who is this show for? Kids of all ages who love the story of Peter Pan and are interested in how he came to be the legend we all know.
What’s good/bad? At the curtain’s rise, the entire cast is on stage, and to tell the exposition of the story, they all talk at a very rapid pace.  This is both good and bad, as it takes a few seconds to understand the dialogue, but the show moves along at a great pace, and it never felt too long, or that pacing was too slow.
What happened at the stage door? The stage door is just out and to the left of the exit.  There were no barriers set up, so it was a little chaotic, but most of the other theatergoers were willing to allow each other space, and not push and shove.  All of the actors were very kind and very willing to sign Playbills and take photos.

Photo credit: Francesca Palermo

Show website!

-Tall Theater Gal, May 2012