Peter and the Starcatcher | |
---|---|
Written by | Rick Elice |
Characters | Peter Pan Molly Aster Black Stache |
Date premiered | February 13, 2009 |
Place premiered | La Jolla Playhouse |
Subject | Peter and the Starcatcher |
Peter and the Starcatcher is a play based on the 2004 novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, adapted for the stage by Rick Elice. The play provides a backstory for the characters of Peter Pan, Mrs Darling, Tinker Bell and Hook, and serves as a prequel to J. M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy . [1] After a premiere in California at the La Jolla Playhouse, the play transferred to Off-Broadway in 2011 and opened on Broadway on April 15, 2012. The show ended its Broadway run on January 20, 2013, and reopened Off-Broadway once again at New World Stages in March 2013, ending in January 2014.
At a bustling port in England, two ships set sail for the kingdom of Rundoon. The Wasp carries Lord Leonard Aster, escorted by a squadron of British navy seamen, led by Lieutenant Greggors. The Neverland, captained by the sinister Bill Slank, carries Lord Aster's daughter Molly, her nanny, Mrs. Bumbrake and three orphan boys: Prentiss, Ted, and a nameless orphan known only as Boy. Each ship has a trunk aboard, one containing precious cargo belonging to the Queen and the other a decoy. After realizing that no one cares enough to say goodbye to the orphans, the Boy proclaims that he hates grownups.
Aster places an amulet around his own neck and a matching one around Molly's. He warns her never to take it off or let anyone else touch it, and to use it if she is ever in trouble. Molly says that she is only an apprentice Starcatcher.
Once at sea, Lieutenant Greggors reveals that his real name is Smee and the seamen are pirates. Captain Scott and the real seamen have been taken prisoner. Smee introduces Captain Black Stache, who threatens to kill Molly unless Aster gives him the key to the trunk. When Aster refuses, he steals the trunk key. The amulet around Lord Aster’s neck begins to glow. Molly’s matching amulet starts to glow and the boys notice. Molly divulges that her father is on a secret mission for the Queen. It is revealed that Slank swapped the trunks and the Queen's treasure is on board The Neverland. Stache commands that the ship be turned around. The Wasp pursues The Neverland.
Lord Aster contacts Molly through the amulet and instructs her to bring the Queen’s trunk to him once the two ships meet. Aster tells Molly that she is now a part of the mission. The Boy overhears and insists that Molly tell him what is going on. Molly tells the Boy about Starcatchers, a handful of people whose sole mission is to protect "starstuff." Molly explains that a Starcatcher’s primary duty to collect starstuff as it falls to earth and dispose of it. Slank catches the Boy and throws him overboard. The Boy starts to drown and Molly saves him.
When the two ships meet, Molly asks the Boy to stall the pirates while she gets the Queen’s trunk to The Wasp, and the Boy sits on the decoy trunk to “protect the treasure”. Stache tries to lure the Boy off the trunk by offering him a place on his crew. Stache suggests some piratical names for him. One of them, ‘Pirate Pete’, strikes a chord with the Boy and he chooses a name for himself: ‘Peter’. Losing patience, Stache knocks Peter off the trunk, opens it, and realizes he has been tricked. As Peter celebrates his own cleverness, Stache knocks him overboard. Molly dives into the ocean and swims after Peter.
Atop a mountain on the island, Peter absorbs the freedom of open skies and clean air for the first time in his life. A yellow bird flies around his head. Ted and Prentiss arrive, and Peter enlists them in the mission to get the trunk to The Wasp.
The island’s natives, the Mollusks, capture the boys. The chief, Fighting Prawn, sentences them to death. They are to be sacrificed and fed to Mr. Grin, the island’s hungriest crocodile. Trapped inside Mr. Grin’s cage, Molly and the boys bicker about what to do. Peter gets Mr. Grin to open his mouth and Molly tosses her amulet in. Mr. Grin grows to an enormous size, bursting out of the cage and floating away as Molly and the boys flee. The Mollusks are furious and pursue them. Peter falls into a lake, where he is greeted by the mermaid who calls herself ‘Teacher’. Teacher and the island give Peter a second name: ‘Pan’. Peter climbs out of the grotto and bolts back up to the mountaintop.
The next morning, Smee and Stache try to lure the children into the open. Smee reveals he has taken Mrs. Bumbrake and Alf prisoner. The Mollusks enter with prisoners of their own — Lord Aster and Captain Scott. Mrs. Bumbrake recognizes Fighting Prawn as her long-lost kitchen boy from Brighton.
Stache captures Molly with his razor at her throat. Peter realizes the only way to save Molly is by giving Stache the trunk, although this means he will never leave the island. Stache lifts the lid to find an empty trunk. The water that seeped into the trunk has dissolved the starstuff and it is now diffused into the ocean. Frustrated, Stache slams the lid down on his right hand, cutting it off. He vows to be Peter's foe for all eternity. Hearing Mr. Grin approaching, the Pirates feed Stache’s severed hand to the crocodile. Fighting Prawn honors Peter as a true hero and allows the English to leave.
Lord Aster makes Molly a full-fledged Starcatcher. Peter mentions his encounter with Teacher. They realize that Peter, by being dunked in the starstuff-infused waters of the grotto, has been transformed and cannot leave the island. Lord Aster captures the yellow bird and turns it into a pixie to protect and guide Peter. As The Wasp sails away, Peter settles into the eternal present of childhood.
The play premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in California, running from February 13 to March 8, 2009. It was co-directed by playwright Rick Elice's partner Roger Rees and Alex Timbers. [2] An instrumental score was written by Wayne Barker. [3] The cast starred Adam Green as Peter Pan. [4]
The play, now titled Peter and the Starcatcher, opened Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, beginning performances on February 18, 2011. [5] The show received several extensions, eventually closing on April 24, 2011. [6] [7] The new cast starred Celia Keenan-Bolger as Molly, Christian Borle as Black Stache, and Adam Chanler-Berat as Peter. [8] From mid-March through April 1, Borle shared the role of Black Stache with Steve Rosen. [9] Adam Chanler-Berat shared the role of Peter with Jason Ralph. [10]
The show then opened on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, with previews starting on March 28, 2012 and officially opening on April 15, 2012. [11] [12] The original Broadway cast included Christian Borle (Black Stache), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Molly), Adam Chanler-Berat (Boy), Teddy Bergman (Fighting Prawn), Arnie Burton (Mrs. Bumbrake), Matt D’Amico (Slank), Kevin Del Aguila (Smee), Carson Elrod (Prentiss), Greg Hildreth (Alf), Rick Holmes (Lord Aster), Isaiah Johnson (Captain Scott) and David Rossmer (Ted). [13] Art for the Broadway production, which draws upon the whimsical, imaginative content in the show, was crafted by Vermont-based woodworker John W. Long, and featured in The New York Times. [14] On July 2, 2012, Matthew Saldivar replaced Borle in the role of Black Stache. [15] The Broadway production of Peter and the Starcatcher closed on January 20, 2013 after 18 previews and 319 regular performances. [16] [17]
The show re-opened Off-Broadway at New World Stages beginning on March 18, 2013. [18] It closed on January 12, 2014. [19]
A national tour launched in Denver on August 15, 2013 [20] and concluded in Pittsburgh on May 25, 2014. A second national tour launched in Toledo on February 5, 2015 and concluded in Burlington, VT on April 14, 2015. [20]
In 2024, a new version of the play opened in Australia, featuring Colin Lane as Black Stache, Peter Helliar as Smee, Otis Dhanji as Peter and Olivia Deeble as Molly. This new production was directed by David Morton, with additional music by James Dobinson and movement direction by Liesel Zink.
The play is currently available for licensing from Music Theatre International. [21]
Character | World Premiere [22] La Jolla Playhouse (2009) | Off-Broadway [23] New York Theatre Workshop (2011) | Broadway Brooks Atkinson Theatre (2011) | Off-Broadway [24] New World Stages (2012) | US Tour [25] (2013) | Original Australian Cast |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black Stache | Christian Borle | Rick Holmes | John Sanders | Colin Lane | ||
Molly | Celia Keenan-Bolger | Nicole Lowrance | Megan Stern | Olivia Deeble | ||
Boy (Peter) | Adam Green | Adam Chanler-Berat | Jason Ralph | Joey deBettencourt | Otis Dhanji | |
Grempkin Mack Sȧnchez Fighting Prawn | Teddy Bergman | Josh Grisetti | Lee Zarrett | Ryan Gonzalez | ||
Mrs. Bumbrake Teacher | Maggie Carney | Arnie Burton | Jon Patrick Walker | Benjamin Schrader | Lucy Goleby | |
Slank Hawking Clam | Andrew McGinn / Jared Dagar | Matt D'Amico | Jimonn Cole | Paul Capsis | ||
Smee | Ron Choularton | Kevin Del Aguila | Luke Smith | Peter Helliar | ||
Prentiss | Carson Elrod | Andrew Mueller | Carl Howell | Morgan Francis | ||
Alf | Greg Hildreth | Evan Harrington | Harter Clingman | John Batchelor (actor) | ||
Lord Aster | John G. Preston | Karl Kenzler | Rick Holmes | Edward Baker-Duly | Nathan Hosner | Alison Whyte |
Captain Scott | Charlie Reuter | Brandon J. Dirden | Isaiah Johnson | Alex Hernandez | Ian Michael Stuart | Hugh Parker |
Ted | David Rossmer | Nate Miller | Edward Tournier | Benjin Maza | ||
Sailor / Pirate | — | Eric William Love | — | |||
Ammm | Irungu Mutu | — | ||||
Jim | Kevin Johnston | — |
Although the show garnered positive-to-mixed reviews by most critics, [26] it received a rave review from The New York Times , with Ben Brantley writing: [27]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Lucille Lortel Awards [28] | Outstanding Play | Nominated | |
Outstanding Choreographer | Steven Hoggett | Won | ||
Outstanding Lead Actor | Christian Borle | Won | ||
Outstanding Scenic Design | Donyale Werle | Won | ||
Off Broadway Alliance Awards [29] | Best New Play | Nominated | ||
Drama Desk Awards [30] | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Christian Borle | Nominated | |
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Celia Keenan-Bolger | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Choreography | Steven Hoggett | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Music in a Play | Wayne Barker | Won | ||
Outstanding Costume Design | Paloma Young | Nominated | ||
Tina Awards [31] | The Best Of Off-Broadway (Play) | Nominated | ||
Best Ensemble (Play) | Nominated | |||
Best Actor (Play) | Christian Borle | Nominated | ||
Best Director | Roger Rees and Alex Timbers | Nominated | ||
Best Choreographer | Steven Hogget | Nominated | ||
Best Scenic Design | Donyale Werle | Nominated | ||
Best Lighting Design | Jeff Croiter | Nominated | ||
Best Sound Design | Darron L. West | Won | ||
Best Costume Design | Paloma Young | Nominated | ||
Obie Awards [32] | Best Director | Roger Rees and Alex Timbers | Won |
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Tony Awards [33] | Best Play | Nominated | |
Best Direction of a Play | Roger Rees and Alex Timbers | Nominated | ||
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play | Christian Borle | Won | ||
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play | Celia Keenan-Bolger | Nominated | ||
Best Sound Design of a Play | Darron L. West | Won | ||
Best Lighting Design of a Play | Jeff Croiter | Won | ||
Best Costume Design of a Play | Paloma Young | Won | ||
Best Scenic Design of a Play | Donyale Werle | Won | ||
Best Original Score | Wayne Barker and Rick Elice | Nominated | ||
Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards [34] | Favorite Play | Won | ||
Favorite Actress | Celia Keenan-Bolger | Won | ||
Favorite Funny Performance | Christian Borle | Won |
Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain of the brig Jolly Roger. His two principal fears are the sight of his own blood and the crocodile who pursues him after having previously eaten Captain Hook's hand cut off by Pan. An iron hook that replaced his severed hand has given the pirate his name.
Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and its 1911 novelisation Peter and Wendy. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 animated Walt Disney picture Peter Pan. She also appears in the official 2006 sequel Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital as well as the "Peter and the Starcatchers" book series by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry.
Finding Neverland is a 2004 biographical film directed by Marc Forster and written by David Magee, based on the 1998 play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee. The film stars Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Radha Mitchell, and Dustin Hoffman, with Freddie Highmore in a supporting role.
Roger Rees was a Welsh actor and director. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. He also received Obie Awards for his role in The End of the Day and as co-director of Peter and the Starcatcher. Rees was posthumously inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in November 2015.
Celia Keenan-Bolger is an American actress and singer. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for portraying Scout Finch in the play To Kill a Mockingbird (2018). She has also been Tony-nominated for her roles in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005), Peter and the Starcatcher (2012), The Glass Menagerie (2014), and Mother Play (2024).
Peter and the Starcatchers is a children's novel that was published by Hyperion Books, a subsidiary of Disney, in 2004. Written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, and illustrated by Greg Call, the book is a reinterpretation of the character Peter Pan, who first appeared in J. M. Barrie's novel The Little White Bird.
Christian Dominique Borle is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher and as William Shakespeare in Something Rotten! Borle also originated the roles of Prince Herbert, et al. in Spamalot, Emmett in Legally Blonde, and Joe in Some Like It Hot on Broadway, each of which earned him a Tony nomination. He starred as Marvin in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos. He also starred as Tom Levitt on the NBC musical-drama television series Smash and Vox in the adult animated black comedy musical series Hazbin Hotel.
Richard "Rick" Holmes is an American actor. He received his BA from Gettysburg College and an MFA in acting from New York University. He has played numerous stage roles, including roles in such Broadway productions as Cabaret, Spamalot, Peter and the Starcatcher and Matilda, among others.
The Lost Boys are characters from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and later adaptations and extensions to the story. They are boys "who fall out of their prams when the nurse is looking the other way and if they are not claimed in seven days, they are sent far away to Neverland," where Peter Pan is their captain.
Mr. Smee is a fictional character who serves as Captain Hook's boatswain in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy.
Peter and the Shadow Thieves is a children's novel that was published by Hyperion Books, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, in 2006. Written by humorist Dave Barry and novelist Ridley Pearson, the book is a sequel to their book Peter and the Starcatchers, continuing the story of the orphan Peter and his latest adventures with the Starcatchers. The "Starcatchers" series is an epic story of a battle between good and evil, incorporating a reimagined version of characters and situations from J.M. Barrie's classic novel Peter and Wendy. It was illustrated by artist Greg Call.
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon is a children's novel that was published by Hyperion Books, a subsidiary of Disney, in 2007. Written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the book is an unauthorized reimagining of Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J. M. Barrie, and tells the story of an orphan named Peter. It was illustrated by artist Greg Call. It is a sequel to Barry and Pearson's Peter and the Starcatchers and Peter and the Shadow Thieves, best-sellers released in late 2004 and mid-2006. This book was released on October 23, 2007, and was described at the time as the last novel in the series. However, in May 2008 the writers announced a fourth book: Peter and the Sword of Mercy.
Rick Elice is a writer and former stage actor.
Peter Pan is a 1954 musical based on J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and his 1911 novelization of it, Peter and Wendy. The music is mostly by Moose Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne, and most of the lyrics were written by Carolyn Leigh, with additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
Alex Timbers is an American writer and director best known for his work on stage and television. He has received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Drama Desk Award, as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Grammy Award. Timbers received the Drama League Founder's Award for Excellence in Directing and the Jerome Robbins Award for Directing.
The works of J. M. Barrie about Peter Pan feature many characters. The numerous adaptations and sequels to those stories feature many of the same characters, and introduce new ones. Most of these strive for continuity with Barrie's work, developing a fairly consistent cast of characters living in Neverland and the real-world settings of Barrie's stories.
Peter and the Sword of Mercy is a children's novel that was published by Hyperion Books, a subsidiary of Disney, in 2009. Written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, the book is an unauthorized reimagining of characters and situations from Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J. M. Barrie, and tells the story of an orphan named Peter. It was illustrated by artist Greg Call. It is a sequel and fourth installment to Barry and Pearson's "Starcatchers" series, best-sellers released in 2004–2007, which was originally said at the time to be a trilogy. This book was released on October 13, 2009. The next book, called The Bridge to Never Land, was published in 2011.
The Bridge to Never Land is a children's novel written by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry and published by Disney-Hyperion in 2011. It is the fifth book in the Peter and the Starcatchers series but unlike the others is set in the present day. The main characters in the story are two young Americans, Aidan and Sarah Cooper.
Finding Neverland is a musical with music and lyrics by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy and a book by James Graham adapted from the 1998 play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee and its 2004 film version Finding Neverland. An early version of the musical made its world premiere at the Curve Theatre in Leicester in 2012 with a book by Allan Knee, music by Scott Frankel and lyrics by Michael Korie. A reworked version with the current writing team made its world premiere in 2014 at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Following completion of its Cambridge run, the production transferred to Broadway in March 2015.
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