PETER PAN: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL
Pantages Theatre
Los Angeles
July 12 – 28, 2024
On Wednesday night, I headed toward the second star to the right and straight on till the Pantages Theatre. Waiting for the curtain to rise, I noticed that I was surrounded by adults. How ironic, I thought, that a production of Peter Pan should attract so many grown-ups—totally missing the fact that I was a “grown-up” myself. That’s the magic of J. M. Barrie’s beloved tale: regardless of your age, it whisks you away to Neverland for a brief, beautiful moment and then drops you back where you started, albeit slightly older and wiser than you were before (sorry, Lost Boys).
I was seated for the new Broadway tour of the musical, directed by Lonny Price with a reimagined script by Larissa FastHorse. Of course, the decision to adapt a story known for its glaringly awful depiction of Native Americans in the year 2024 might raise some eyebrows — but FastHorse, who is Indigenous, has amended the script in a way that builds upon Barrie’s mythos rather than simply doing damage control. Her revisions aren’t the only change that Pan fans might notice: here, the “boy who never grew up” is played by a real boy, Nolan Almeida, rather than an adult woman (as has been theatrical tradition for decades). Price and FastHorse were wise to believe that a male actor could convey Peter’s characteristic gaiety and innocence. Almeida brings all the requisite faith, trust, and pixie dust to the stage — and then some.
Like the original, this Peter Pan begins in the children’s nursery — a seemingly mundane space that hides a portal to unknown wonders, as evidenced by Tinker Bell’s twinkling light beyond the window. Unlike the original, this production was set in the 21st century. It didn’t quite dawn on me that we weren’t in Victorian England until Wendy began talking about making a dance video, which admittedly snapped me out of the fantasy. Thankfully, any subsequent modern-day allusions remained subtle, reminding audiences that Peter’s invitation to fly away is one that transcends time.
Barrie’s classic sense of whimsy emerged when Wendy’s mother explained that a strange visitor to the nursery had “left his shadow behind” — and unfurled said shadow, made of black cloth. Shortly after, Peter himself barreled into the room. Almeida demonstrated a brilliant grasp of Peter’s physical comedy and quick wit. Hawa Kamara proved the perfect match for him as Wendy: fiercely independent yet also unafraid to display tenderness and longing. Later in the show, Raye Zaragoza’s Tiger Lily, levelheaded and loyal to her friends and tribe, rounded out the crew in an expanded role that saw her playing a more active part in their adventures — even, in the end, becoming Peter’s “co-captain.”
The show’s combination of practical and digital effects successfully transported us all to another realm. One flying sequence — during which the actors were suspended in midair as a screen behind them showed a sequence of aerial views — drew forth a collective gasp. The few audience participation sequences were equally charming. After intermission, Captain Hook (Cody Garcia) marched onstage to change an outline of Peter into his own silhouette, a feat at which much of the crowd hooted and hollered, while others booed the dastardly villain. Of course, nothing could compare to the iconic moment when Peter, desperate to save the wounded Tinker Bell’s life, begged the theatergoers to clap their hands if they believed in fairies.
A light round of applause grew into a deafening roar, reminding us all why Peter Pan works best onstage. In the darkness of the theater, mere feet away from the pirates’ swishing swords and Peter’s clouds of pixie dust, the call back to childhood wonder feels especially immediate — even as the crocodile’s clock ticks determinedly on.
