newjerseynewsroom.com

‘Smash’ star Christian Borle hooks big laughs in a Peter Pan prequel

BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

BROADWAY REVIEW

“Peter and the Starcatcher” proved to be a magical show last spring at New York Theatre Workshop.

Crafted from a 2004 novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the piece mixed smart storytelling, bravura acting and atmospheric visuals to provide a glowing account of how Peter Pan came into being.

Imaginatively adapted by Rick Elice as a story-theater work in which a dozen actors morph into many characters, the Victorian-era yarn tells how a nameless orphan became Peter Pan, thanks to a plucky lass named Molly and their seafaring adventures involving a mysterious chest packed with magic.

Pirates, orphans, natives, mermaids and a gigantic crocodile romp through a two-act tale bursting with dastardly doings, epic chases, daring escapes and silly humor. Co-directed by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, the off-Broadway production offered delightful entertainment.

Some of that charm is missing, unfortunately, from the Broadway version of the show, which opened on Sunday at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

Underscored by Wayne Barker’s quasi-19th-century music, the show’s dizzy text and grand performance style slyly riff upon Britain’s Christmas Pantomime traditions. Puns and anachronisms punctuate the bustling proceedings.

But some of that archly British funny stuff now looks rather campy and forced uptown at the Atkinson, where designer Donyale Werle’s setting has been stretched somewhat too much for the larger theater.

The show’s swashbuckling events are framed by a gaudy proscenium decked with maritime curios and swagged with crimson portieres. While gorgeous, the greater scale of the architecture here tends to be oppressive and makes the intentionally fragmentary visuals within it look more cheesy than choice.

Although the production takes a while to hit its stride, the fluent quality of the staging is admirable. Yards of rope are deployed by the actors to evoke doorways and tight spaces while – in one nifty moment – a double line of cordage flaps with triangular pennants to create the monster crocodile’s choppers. Jeff Croiter’s lighting conveys the story’s many shifts in place and mood.

Among the show’s highlights is a come-hither song warbled by a vamping chorus line of mermaids swishing in fishtail drag fancifully crafted from found objects by costume designer Paloma Young.