David Pichette plays Captain Hook in the Seattle Children’s Theatre production of Peter Pan, playing now through Jan. 10. He’s pictured with his gang of pirates (clockwise from left) Auston James, Hugh Hastings, Maggie Stenson, Dane Stokinger, Peter Crook and Geoffrey Alm.
From the moment I saw the stage of Seattle Children's Theatre's Peter Pan, I knew my daughter and I were in for a magical evening. Wendy and her brothers' nursery set is a work of art. The walls are decorated with old picture book scenes that took me back to the imaginative world of childhood. I actually gasped when Peter flew through the window. I glanced down at my daughter and she was teetering on the edge of her seat, her eyes wide with wonder. That was just the beginning.
The hilarious Captain Hook, played by the scene-stealing David Pichette, makes an equally memorable entrance. After the show, one little girl I met in the ladies' room declared he was her favorite because “He was so funny!” When the curtains opened for the second act, the audience actually applauded the elaborate Neverland scenery. (How often does a set get applause?)
Eric Ankrim, who makes his SCT debut in this production, has a melodious voice and plays an endearing and funny Peter Pan. Tinkerbell is created using lights and bells and the audience's imagination. (After all, fairies only exist if you believe in them.) My daughter loved clapping to prove she believed.
The costumes for the nursemaid dog, Nana, and the tick-tocking crocodile are delightful. The actors inside really bring them to life. I love the approach Director Linda Hartzell takes with Tiger Lily and her tribe. Dressed in attire inspired by The Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, their dance number in the second act was my daughter's and my favorite – a heart pumping, Bollywood dance-style drum sequence.
I think the recommendation of ages 6 years and up is right on the money for this two-hour production. There is enough originality in the show to keep it entertaining, even if you've seen or read it many times. The flying effects are seamless and really added to the magic. Peter Pan really does have something for everyone: sword fights, pirates, fairies, even a few jokes sprinkled in just for the grown-ups. When I asked my daughter what part she would want to see again, she said, “The whole thing!”
The musical is adapted by Jerome Robbins from the original James M. Barrie play. And the production benefits sick children. Barrie left the copyright of Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London. Every time the play is staged, it helps a child get well. Thousands of children have benefited from his gift in the years since his death.
After refusing to go back to London with the other Lost Boys to be adopted by her parents, Peter Pan tells Wendy, “I don't want to grow up and learn about solemn things.” This play invites you to take a break from your solemn grown-up worries and spend a couple of hours with your children in Neverland, a place where youth, joy and freedom conquer all. I promise you will be clapping your heart out when Peter asks if you believe in fairies.
IF YOU GO
Where: Seattle Children's Theatre's Charlotte Martin Theatre, 201 Thomas St. in Seattle, located at the west entrance of Seattle Center, just north of Pacific Science Center and west of the Space Needle.
When: Through Jan. 10, 2010. Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 and 5:30 p.m. ASL interpreted performance on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m.
Admission: From $18 for children up to $42 for adults, depending on the day and time of the show. Discounts for groups of 10 or more are available by calling the Group Sales Office at 206–859-4054.
