In this particular re-telling of the musical, Wendy Darling is also reluctant to grow up. She’s just been told by her father that this will be her last night in the nursery where she can read stories to her younger brothers, John and Michael. So when Peter soars through the nursery window in search of his lost shadow, he encourages her to come with him to Neverland where she’ll never grow a day older, and can forever continue reading stories to young boys.

The young boy Peter is played by Sarah De La Isla, a most impressive fourteen-year-old talent with both a great singing voice and personality, giving us a boyish Peter Pan with some depth. She can be whimsical in I’ve Got to Crow and I Won’t Grow Up, but also reveal his internal struggle between being a proudly independent youth and missing the idea of a mother and family as he does in the Distant Melody duet. That duet is with Wendy, with Meagan Flint as the girl who wants to act as the mother to the Lost Boys and the wife to Peter Pan. Meagan imbues the role with remarkable vocals and an excellent turn-of-the-century English accent to boot. They are joined by enthusiastic little brothers John (Tyler Tafolla) and Michael (Blake Thomas) in Flying to Neverland, which includes flying over Big Ben and the moon thanks to set pieces being slid across the stage courtesy of stagehands on their backs.

But not everyone in Neverland will be welcoming them with open arms. Most notably, the one with the hook at the end of his arm, with the talented Taylor Peckham as the dastardly Captain Hook, doing a great job leading his band of pirates in their escapades, waltzing with them, tangoing with them, shooting one of them because he doesn’t like the way she plays the violin, and checking to see how fast asleep Peter Pan is before playing a dirty trick with some poison (and stealing his teddy bear).

Elsewhere, Blake Thomas is a hoot as the loyal pirate Smee, making a hilarious team with Hook (and getting his butt kicked by the green Tinkerbell light during The Battle). That battle also includes some very entertaining fight choreography, like Michael giving one of the pirates the what-for. Ariana Ramirez leads the Indians as Tiger Lilly as she saves Peter and as she leads the group in a well-choreographed and performed Ugg-a-Wugg scene that includes both good dancing and good drumming (choreographed by Chelsea Lapp). The pirates stand out as Hook’s eager crew, and in this case include three “Pirate Wenches” who are clearly unimpressed with, or a little jealous of, Wendy.

Performed November 7 - 15, 2008.

Rob Hopper
National Youth Theatre

Peter Pan: