“Collaboration” seems to be the watchword for The Milwaukee Repertory Theater this season. No sooner had it closed Five Presidents, a joint production with a Cleveland theatre, than it launched yet another joint project with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. The result? Peter and the Starcatcher.
Without dwelling on long explanations of why such regional theater collaborations make sense – both financially and theatrically – lets hone in on Peter, the Tony Award-winning musical that contains elements to delight both young and seasoned viewers.
Peter is a prequel to the well-loved and well-known “Peter Pan.” About a dozen actors portray nearly 100 roles in this non-stop adventure. Many of the characters are later tied to “Peter Pan”: Molly, the spunky kid who helps Peter find his identity, becomes Wendy’s mother. The “lost boys” are orphans who, like Peter, end up on an island that Peter calls Neverland. What’s great about this show is its emphasis on “low-tech” theater magic. To quote a reviewer in The New York Times, the musical is “staged with unending inventiveness.” Sometimes smart, sometimes silly, it tries to touch almost everyone.
The brilliantly idiotic plot involves getting some of the queen of England’s “treasure” to an island where it can be safely disposed of. To make things more complicated, two identical trunks are sailing on two different ships. One trunk contains a precious though potentially deadly quantity of “starstuff.” The other trunk, a decoy, is loaded with sand. Of course, the trunks are switched at the dock.
Once the ships set sail, it is revealed that the one called the Neverland has been taken over by pirates. Their cutthroat leader, Black Stache (who, of course, wears a large, curled mustache throughout), is as much of a main character in this tale as the Boy who eventually becomes Peter Pan. Black Stache, one learns at the end, will become Captain Hook. However, his playful antics and quips throughout (some aimed directly at the audience) makes him a pirate that not even the tiniest child will fear. He “fights” with a toilet plunger and is not above throwing a tantrum if things don’t go his way.
My only quibble is with the endless exposition in Act I. Even adults will strain to follow this convoluted plot. Things are far better in Act II, which opens with a gleeful production number by island mermaids. Imagination plays a central role as most of the mermaids are barely concealed pirates. Their new “finery” is so gaudy that one may miss the fact they are still wearing pants and shoes (not to mention mustaches and beards). This is intentionally the ugliest group of lovelies one could ever see. Still, they sing their hearts out so joyfully that this becomes one of the show’s highlights. To top it off, the clever choreography contains a few touches of Busby Berkeley.
.Notable among the large cast is its only female member, Joanna Howard. As the spunky Molly, she puts her upper-class education to use in solving all sorts of predicaments. This is in stark contrast to the orphans, who have been sold to the ship’s captain and are trapped below the deck. The ever-inquisitive Molly finds them, and puts them on course to a better life. She is particularly impressed by one of them (Noah Zachary). Although the audience doesn’t see his potential at first, Molly immediately does, and she behaves accordingly. Although the large cast is too large to mention individually, there are a few standouts. These include Andy Paterson as a hilarious Mrs. Bumbrake; Jose Restrepo as Smee, the leader of Black Stache’s cheering section; and Clinton Brandenhagen as a wise and comforting presence as Molly’s father. Under the able direction of Blake Robinson, artistic director of the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the actors work seamlessly to let the story unfold. The entire show takes place on a meager set. Draped curtains in the background suggest waves at sea. A tall ladder is used for all sorts of things, and a few ropes and logs are scattered on the stage’s weathered planks. Some wood grates in the floor serve various purposes as well, thanks to Kenton Yeager’s lighting. Various props come and go, such as toy boats and a stuffed animal that serves as the ship’s cat. There is much to enjoy in Peter and the Starcatcher, which can bring forth a child’s imagination in even the oldest among us.
