This review has been reposted courtesy of the League of Cincinnati Theatres. For more LCT reviews click here to visit their reviews page.
The story of Peter Pan never grows old when performed by the extremely talented CCM team. This old chestnut is enlivened by a frenetic group of dancers and singers who consume the stage with energy while telling the timeless fantasy tale of the orphan boy from Neverland written by James Barrie. The frenzied action, outrageously hued costumes, and set which morphs from a typical English nursery in the early 20th century—not to mention the phantasmagoria of color and ever-changing lighting set against a decrepit amusement park set representing Neverland—sweeps the audience along on a roller coaster ride. Keeping with the tradition of having a woman play the part of Peter Pan (started by Mary Martin), CCM follows suit with two alternating actresses playing the lead role. In the production that I saw, Peter was portrayed by Hannah Zazzaro, who captivated the audience with the proper amount of braggadocio and charm while still hinting at the inherent loneliness of the character. She also belted the songs and danced very well. She did swallow some of her lines, however. The other tour de force was Nathaniel Irvin, who played jointly Mr. Darling and Captain Hook. It is an interesting juxtaposition between a proper English gentleman and a smarmy, evil yet cowardly pirate in Hook. He seemed to be having a good time playing Hook.
Senior Musical Theatre majors Hannah Zazzaro as Peter Pan and Nathaniel Irvin as Captain Hook. Photography by Mark Lyons.
Two scenes in particular stand out in their frenzied best. The first is the fight and then reconciliation between the lost boys and the Indians and the second is the battle between the pirates and everyone else in the final act. Several dozen actors, dancers and singers are in constant motion during both scenes. It is a bit like trying to follow a multi-ring circus simultaneously.
There were some opening night glitches and, at times, the frenzy on stage tended to overwhelm the storyline but the enthusiasm of the company overcame those issues.
Kids should also enjoy the show although, with a three act construction, the play is longer than many. I recommend the show.
For more information on the production, click here.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 