Last night, I saw an entertaining new musical at the New York Theatre Workshop, "Peter and the Starcatcher, based on the Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson novel of the same name. It was fun, clever and a delight. It is a bit bawdy, a play for grown ups. Should it live beyond its limited run downtown? Most definitely, but should it make the broad jump to Broadway? Less sure. Aspects of the production that seemed clever, fun, and sweet might get lost on a gargantuan Broadway stage. Perhaps an off-Broadway house would be a better venue to let this production maintain its air of intimacy and fun, while giving more theatregoers the opportunity to enjoy it.
It reminded me of "Spamalot" with its primarily no-name cast performing multiple roles; its occasional anarchy, broad acting style, and adult humor. However, "Spamalot" came to Broadway with legions of Monte Python fans that would and did fill its Broadway house. This production of "Peter and the Starcatchers" does not seem appropriate for the younger readers among the novel's fans. One of this play's delights is that it is decidedly for adult fans of that iconic childhood hero, Peter Pan.
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What really bothers me about the Barry/Pearson stories is that they compeltely ignore the backstory Peter Pan already HAS, as per his creator, Sir J.M. Barrie. They have a TON of mistakes, too, changing personalities and even the very reason Pan doesn't grow up. How can they be so disrespectful? List of Differences
ReplyDeleteThere is a faithful novel that's based on Barrie's own notes for more: Click!
And a cool 'What if?' story charting a new course for it all while staying anchored in Barrie's core themes: Click!
BELIEVE!