Cabaret Scenes Theatre Review

On stage at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Captain Hook hears a crowing sound. He asks himself, aloud: "What's that?" A little boy of about four, sitting near me in the audience, hollers out excitedly in response: "IT'S PETER PAN!" One of the pirates loses it altogether, while Hook (played deliciously over-the-top by Douglas Sills) steps downstage, glowers menacingly, and shakes his hook at the audience.

I love moments like that, when it is clear that the kids in the house are totally caught up in the magic being created on the stage. When Peter asks the audience, "Do you believe in fairies?," kids don't just clap, some call out, "Yes, yes!"

Peter Pan remains a surefire piece of musical theater—one of those extremely rare shows that truly works well for all ages. (Most adults attending shows like The Little Mermaid can grudgingly tolerate them, but they know that such dumbed-down shows are really just for little kids. Peter Pan can delight anyone.) The musical boasts an excellent script—rich with laughter, suspense, and genuine sentiment—based on the famous book and play by James M. Barrie. The score, created by Carolyn Leigh and Mark "Moose" Charlap with additional material by Jule Styne and Comden & Green, includes such enduring favorites as "Never Never Land," "I've Gotta Crow," and "I Won't Grow Up."

This production, directed by Mark S. Hoebee (who understands well these classic musicals), is wonderful. I love the sets by John Iacovelli, from the nursery of the Darling home to the colorful pirate ship. When kids in the show fly, the heart soars. And, oh! Did I mention that Nancy Anderson is the most perfect Peter Pan I've ever seen on stage? (And I've seen the role played by everyone from a female former gymnast to a middle-aged man.) What an inspired choice! (Casting director Alison Franck, take a bow!) I'd never have imagined it; I've enjoyed Anderson in all sorts of roles, in shows from Jolson & Co. to Yank! But I'd never have foreseen how perfect she is in this role—the voice, the spirit, the attitude, the acting. And how tenderly she sings "Distant Melody." I'd enjoyed Douglas Sills in The Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway, but I'd never realized how funny he could be. He makes one terrific Captain Hook!

Peter Pan has been a great favorite of mine since I was very little. Watching Mary Martin play Peter on TV was (along with watching The Wizard of Oz) one of the two biggest television events of my childhood. I took a young niece to Paper Mill's new production, and I was delighted that she enjoyed it thoroughly, too. My complaints about the show are minor. I'm generally a sucker for dancing in musicals. (Usually, I'm the one saying, "The more, the better!") But this production's big dance number with the Indians and the Lost Boys seems endless, repetitive, and a distraction. It is executed cleanly, but it slowed down the action. I think kids are more interested in the main Peter Pan-versus-the-pirates storyline than they are in dancing Indians. And there aren't enough surprises or imaginative touches within the dance routine to hold my interest; I found myself a tad impatient, eager for the story to resume. But for me, that was the only slow patch in a near-perfect production. This is the kind of show Paper Mill does terrifically well, and one of the best things I've seen there in a long time. Go, if you can!

May I ask one question, though, that has puzzled me since boyhood. Why doesn't anyone ever try a production of this particulat musical adaptation with a boy playing the role of Peter Pan? I've seen the role played quite well (and also not-so-well) by grownups of both sexes. But Paper Mill has found lots of gifted young actors over the years, from Nick Jonas (who was in The Sound of Music at Paper Mill before he went on to "Jonas Brothers" fame) to Maxwell Beer (who was first-rate this season in Lost in Yonkers). And I'm sure they could find a youth who could carry off the role. As a child, I loved seeing Peter Pan on TV. But even then, I knew I was watching a woman pretending to be a boy. I went with it, of course, because the story is so irresistible. But I felt then—and still feel—it might be even more believable for kids with an actual boy playing "the boy who never grew up."

(Pictured: Nancy Anderson; Photo by Kevin Sprague)

Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
June 6, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org



	Peter Pan Paper Mill Playhouse Millburn, NJ
On stage at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Captain Hook hears a crowing sound. He asks himself, aloud: "What's that?" A little boy of about four, sitting near me in the audience, hollers out excitedly in response: "IT'S PETER PAN!" One of the pirates loses it altogether, while Hook (played deliciously over-the-top by Douglas Sills) steps downstage, glowers menacingly, and shakes his hook at the audience. I love moments like that, when it is clear that the kids in the house are totally caught up in the magic being created on the stage. When Peter asks the audience, "Do you believe in fairies?," kids don't just clap, some call out, "Yes, yes!" Peter Pan remains a surefire piece of musical theater—one of those extremely rare shows that truly works well for all ages. (Most adults attending shows like The Little Mermaid can grudgingly tolerate them, but they know that such dumbed-down shows are really just for little kids. Peter Pan can delight anyone.) The musical boasts an excellent script—rich with laughter, suspense, and genuine sentiment—based on the famous book and play by James M. Barrie. The score, created by Carolyn Leigh and Mark "Moose" Charlap with additional material by Jule Styne and Comden & Green, includes such enduring favorites as "Never Never Land," "I've Gotta Crow," and "I Won't Grow Up." This production, directed by Mark S. Hoebee (who understands well these classic musicals), is wonderful. I love the sets by John Iacovelli, from the nursery of the Darling home to the colorful pirate ship. When kids in the show fly, the heart soars. And, oh! Did I mention that Nancy Anderson is the most perfect Peter Pan I've ever seen on stage? (And I've seen the role played by everyone from a female former gymnast to a middle-aged man.) What an inspired choice! (Casting director Alison Franck, take a bow!) I'd never have imagined it; I've enjoyed Anderson in all sorts of roles, in shows from Jolson & Co. to Yank! But I'd never have foreseen how perfect she is in this role—the voice, the spirit, the attitude, the acting. And how tenderly she sings "Distant Melody." I'd enjoyed Douglas Sills in The Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway, but I'd never realized how funny he could be. He makes one terrific Captain Hook! Peter Pan has been a great favorite of mine since I was very little. Watching Mary Martin play Peter on TV was (along with watching The Wizard of Oz) one of the two biggest television events of my childhood. I took a young niece to Paper Mill's new production, and I was delighted that she enjoyed it thoroughly, too. My complaints about the show are minor. I'm generally a sucker for dancing in musicals. (Usually, I'm the one saying, "The more, the better!") But this production's big dance number with the Indians and the Lost Boys seems endless, repetitive, and a distraction. It is executed cleanly, but it slowed down the action. I think kids are more interested in the main Peter Pan-versus-the-pirates storyline than they are in dancing Indians. And there aren't enough surprises or imaginative touches within the dance routine to hold my interest; I found myself a tad impatient, eager for the story to resume. But for me, that was the only slow patch in a near-perfect production. This is the kind of show Paper Mill does terrifically well, and one of the best things I've seen there in a long time. Go, if you can! May I ask one question, though, that has puzzled me since boyhood. Why doesn't anyone ever try a production of this particulat musical adaptation with a boy playing the role of Peter Pan? I've seen the role played quite well (and also not-so-well) by grownups of both sexes. But Paper Mill has found lots of gifted young actors over the years, from Nick Jonas (who was in The Sound of Music at Paper Mill before he went on to "Jonas Brothers" fame) to Maxwell Beer (who was first-rate this season in Lost in Yonkers). And I'm sure they could find a youth who could carry off the role. As a child, I loved seeing Peter Pan on TV. But even then, I knew I was watching a woman pretending to be a boy. I went with it, of course, because the story is so irresistible. But I felt then—and still feel—it might be even more believable for kids with an actual boy playing "the boy who never grew up." (Pictured: Nancy Anderson; Photo by Kevin Sprague) Chip Deffaa Cabaret Scenes June 6, 2010 www.cabaretscenes.org

Peter Pan

Paper Mill PlayhouseMillburn, NJ

Paper Mill Playhouse
Millburn, NJ