Peter Pan

This review may skip around a lot, as my thoughts were all over the place last night -
"Peter Pan" - J M Barrie's version and threesixty's production. Presented on the Pemberton Place site next to the World of Coke in Atlanta. This show was definitely built to move: the outside, the seats, the little garden area where smokers can sit, the rigging for the fly system, the bleechers for the audience...everything. In my generation we call that "very Cirque du Soleil" of them.

The thing that stood out to me was the crocodile. What a great idea! To cycle in a crocodile, manned by two people, audio in the house...it was such a great idea and it looked fantastic! And now I know it was a girl - unlike Disney's croc in the same story.

The music was great. It set each scene well, it wasn't too much, minus one song and I can't remember exactly where it was...perhaps with Tiger Lily, not sure...but all in all, well done by Gregory Clarke, Sound Designer. There were times things were sung, but this was not a musical. The sung songs added to the life of the show and well done to the cast for their excellent voices!

Peter Pan himself was ok. Nothing very outstanding in my eyes about him. He did his job, he was the focus, and then the show was over. Wendy was ok as well. Tinkerbell, on the other hand, was not the Disney version at all! This Tinkerbell, played by Emily Yetter, was waaaaayyy out there. Along with the cuss word "ass" three times in the show, she was just very mad at the world and bratty.

I really, really liked the pirates. They were funny, their costumes were fantabulous, and they just worked well! Comedy and scariness all in one! Captain Hook, played by Darrell Brockis, was excellent. It wasn't until the end of the show when I realized that he also played Mr. Darling. Nicely done! The only thing about the pirate side that caught me off guard were the killings. Really? Slit his throat with children in the audience? Sword fights, yes, but running a man through who is defenceless? I dunno..

The only thing I'd question on Costume Supervisor, Margie Bailey, on her choice of pink ruffled arm for Hook on his right hand. It was longer than the other arm and threw off the realism a bit with all that pink.

The puppetters did a fantastic job! Nana, mastered by Christopher Keller, is a credit to his profession. Well done in maknig us believe the dog instead of the puppetmaster! Now, the ostrich was a different matter entirely. Didn't see the reason for one. Other than to have a pet for the Lost Boys, there wasn't a real reason to have the ostrich there.

Tiger Lily - really? I mean, yes, she's in the story, but really? The dance she did for Peter was a mix of hyper and modern dance. Not really in the period style of the rest of the show. It was more movement appropriate for any dance club in Buckhead or Five Points.

I loved the fact that Peter lost his memory a bit at the end of the show. It just goes to show kids, that it's not only the Elderly that lose their memory. :)

Also the comment from Peter not wanting to be captured by a woman and be turned into a man. I heard more men around me laughing than women. Great line!

Technically - there were some scene changes that seemed off. Like when they first took flight - might have wanted those beds to clear to a clean stage as they lifted off and the audience had their eyes directed to the 360 sky of London. The underwater scene might have been early - seemed John and Michael were already in the water as they talked about going to the water. It was odd.

The on and off of the safety lines in the fly rigging was weird. I wondered the entire time if there was a way to smooth that out so that it wasn't the focus of any scene on the stage. It bothered me at one point that we had to wait for Tinkerbell to get her hooks un-done before she responded in a scene. Just...I know that safety is first but...maybe more slight of hand about it.

The 360 view of the landscapes was wonderful. Well done and well worth the price of admission. I'd advice American parents to see the show first before bringing their children. I noticed there were some that discussed leaving during intermission and another parent saying that she didn't know this show was like this. It's good to do research first. For those of us in theater, I'd say go see it and enjoy the ride!