(CINCINNATI) – PETER AND THE STARCATCHER continues the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Marx Theatre season with an inspired, hilarious and epic Peter Pan prequel that mixes grown-up fun for adults, ample silliness for children and storytelling magic for the kid in us all. The captivating winner of five Tony Awards, adapted for the stage by Rick Elice from the Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson novel, will bring Neverland to new life March 7 through April 4.
The story centers on Molly, the insatiably curious daughter of a British lord on a secret mission for Queen Victoria to the remote kingdom of Rundoon. What is supposed to be a standard voyage turns instead into a daring sea mission, during which Molly meets an orphan boy longing for a home. The two embark on the adventure of a lifetime, one complete with not-so-swashbuckling pirates, a breathtaking shipwreck and even singing mermaids.
PETER AND THE STARCATCHER sprang from the imagination of Pearson’s then 5-year-old daughter, who, while they were reading J.M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan, asked her father how Peter met Captain Hook. From there, Pearson and fellow author Dave Barry joined forces to create Peter’s backstory in a series of bestselling books published by Disney.
The inventive tale was then adapted for the stage by Rick Elice, premiering at California’s La Jolla Playhouse in 2009. In 2011, the show took the East Coast by storm, first in an off-Broadway production at New York Theatre Workshop and then a critically-acclaimed Broadway run that earned five Tony Awards the following year.
“When we speak of multi-generational or family-friendly theatre, it’s very hard to find plays that work for all age levels equally well,” says Playhouse Artistic Director Blake Robison, who is directing the Playhouse production. “I’m fond of saying that a good family play is like a Pixar film: accessible and sophisticated, funny and emotional, filled with physical humor that appeals to kids and language-based humor for more literary-minded adults. PETER AND THE STARCATCHER is all that and more. It’s a great way to share the joy of live theatre with all of the kids in your life — whether they’re 8 or 80!”
The delight in both the books and the play is in discovering the backstories of beloved and iconic characters. You get to know the Neverland you never knew.
“In much the same way that Wicked makes you watch The Wizard of Oz differently, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER shines new light on the boy who refused to grow up,” says Robison.
The production asks audience members to use their own imaginations to help create the world of the play and employs stagecraft and other techniques that would have been familiar to audiences of Barrie’s day in 1904.
“PETER AND THE STARCATCHER celebrates the art of theatrical storytelling,” explains Robison. “It’s an ensemble piece, narrated by the entire company, in which places and effects spring to life before your eyes through simple and evocative staging and props. A sense of joy and wonder permeates the play. Scenically, we’ve created a simple, open space in which the actors can play. There’s a bare stage, a big curtain, a ladder and some trunks. From those few items, we make magic. Through the power of language and the manipulation of stage props, the stage becomes a ship, a dungeon, the ocean or an island. It’s a giant theatrical playground.”
The cast for PETER AND THE STARCATCHER features Andrew Carlyle (Ted), Ollie Corchado (Grempkin/Mack/Sanchez/Hawking Clam), Jamal Crowelle (Captain Robert Falcon Scott), Joanna Howard (Molly Aster), Josh Landay (Lord Leonard Aster), Sean Mellott (Prentiss), Andy Paterson (Mrs. Bumbrake/Teacher), José Restrepo (Smee), Arturo Soria (Bill Slank/Fighting Prawn), Tom Story (Black Stache), Nick Vannoy (Alf) and Noah Zachary (Boy). In addition to Robison, the creative team includes set designer James Kronzer, costume designer David Kay Mickelsen, lighting designer Kenton Yeager, sound designer/orchestrator Matthew M. Nielson, movement coach Casey Sams and music supervisor/pianist Patrick Sulken. Andrea L. Shell is the stage manager, and Jenifer Morrow is the second stage manager.
PETER AND THE STARCATCHER production co-sponsors are Johnson Investment Counsel and Ohio National Financial Services. The design sponsor is Skidmore Sales and Distributing; Atkins & Pearce, Inc., is the artist sponsor for Molly and Peter; and Rosemary and Mark Schlachter are the artist sponsors for Black Stache. The production honors the support of The Lemmerman Family.
Ticket prices for PETER AND THE STARCATCHER start at $30. Prices are subject to change, and patrons are encouraged to buy early for the best seats at the best prices. Child, teen and student tickets are $30 each. The show is appropriate for adults and young people ages 8 and up.
The Playhouse is offering a Spring Break Special for PETER AND THE STARCATCHER performances at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 29; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31; 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 1; and 8 p.m. Thursday, April 2. Patrons may purchase half-price children’s tickets with the purchase of regular-price adult tickets on those dates, for a savings of $15 per ticket with the promotion code Spring Break. The special is valid for any section on the above dates. There is a limit of two half-price children’s tickets per adult regular-price ticket purchased (not valid in conjunction with other discounts; tickets subject to availability).
New for the 2014-15 season is Sunday College Night, with tickets to all 7 p.m. Sunday performances priced at just $10 with a valid student ID. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show for all other performances.
Previews are at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 7; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 8; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. The official opening night is Thursday, March 12, at 8 p.m. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays.
Free post-show Meet the Artists programs that allow audiences to interact with cast members and others associated with the production will be offered at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 15; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 29; and 8 p.m. Thursday, April 2.
PETER AND THE STARCATCHER will be audio described for those with visual impairments at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 28, and signed for persons with hearing impairments at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 29.
The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair access are available.
Tickets to PETER AND THE STARCATCHER are on sale now. For more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345-2248 for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf accessibility.
The 2014-15 Robert S. Marx Theatre season is presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation, and Macy’s is the Robert S. Marx Theatre season design sponsor. The season sponsor of new work is The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation.
The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of the community contributors to the ArtsWave campaign.
The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
