Tuesday night the Orpheum was covered in pixie dust and touched by magic after the opening night of “Peter Pan”. The show took the familiar and treasured story and brought it into today both through technology and cultural appreciation.
The lead performance of Peter Pan by 17-year-old Nolan Almeida made the evening and gave the audience the whimsical Pan we all know and cherish. He was perfectly eccentric as he led the lost boys, flew across the stage, defeated pirates, and of course never grew up.
The new adaptation by playwright Larissa FastHorse gave a deserved and respectful spotlight on the indigenous tribe within the show. The addition of the song “Friends Forever” gave a voice to so many and was the dancing highlight of the show. The Lost Boys and Tiger Lily’s tribe exchanged dance moves and came together in the ensemble number which ended the first act with a bang.
Swing Cheyenne Omani played the role of Tiger Lily perfectly, bringing the strong, courageous, and determined girl to life onstage. Her banter and energy sparked the fight scenes.
The Darling family members each brought something different to the production. Hawa Kamara’s Wendy was the voice of reason throughout the show, being the Lost Boy’s mother and a key protagonist. Mr. And Mrs. Darling were not always serious grown ups, but also played Captain Hook and a pirate in Neverland.
Comedic relief was brought by Captain Hook and his pirate crew. Cody Garcia as Hook and Kurt Perry as Smee together had perfect comedic timing and landed laughs every time they were onstage together.
The show was cleverly set in 2024 with minor changes to the kid’s bedrooms and the addition of electronics, which made the story seem current and possible rather than it being a throwback fairytale like it is usually associated as.
The live orchestra immersed the audience into the sounds of the show and the magic of Neverland. The set utilized an animation screen background which showed a moving sky as the Darling children flew to Neverland with Peter, depicted tricks Peter played on Hook, and even had a singing moon accompanying songs.
