Peter and the Starcatcher

I loveeed this show, especially the fact that it’s an Off-​Broadway and the cast does whatever it can within its budget to create a fantastical world (including human props, which I found delightful).
While starting off extremely slow and confusing, the play does quickly suck you in with its uniqueness, and sharp lines.

My review is very late … I actually saw this some time ago when it was still on Broadway.
I can’t say enough good things about this play. it is so SMART and so ENTERTAINING. Brilliant stripped-​down non-​staging type of staging :). It works.
I wish I could see more Broadway shows as good as this one. It’s a great time at the theater.

Warning — this show is NOT for children!
If you don’t know what it’s about, it is the prequel to Peter Pan, so you learn how Hook lost his arm (the funniest point of the play for me), why Peter Pan doesn’t want to grow up, how they got to Neverland, and how Peter got his name. It’s kind of a «joke» play and the humor was the positive for me. There’s barely any music or singing fyi, so if that is what you are looking for, go for something else. I wasn’t amazed by this show, but I don’t even think «amazed» is what they are going for. The first act was so confusing, so I didn’t really like it that much. The second act is more colorful, with a pretty set, and funnier. There are also strong hints of homosexuality, so if you are very conservative, stay away. Black Stache stole the show. He was so funny! It was a fun (and long! 2.5 hrs!) off-​broadway show, and it doesn’t disappoint, but it wouldn’t be the first show I’d recommend to people.

I thoroughly enjoyed Peter and the Starcatcher. I’m indecisive, so I’m generally happy to participate in group events that leave very little decision-​making to do on my part. I went to this play (note: not a musical) as part of my college alumni social event, which included a nice, intimate pre-​show reception with the show’s co-​producers and discounted tickets. Winner of 5 Tony Awards (!), Peter and the Starcatcher is a prequel to the story of Peter Pan. Maybe I’m biased because the show is produced by former UW Huskies or because this is (secretly… shhh) a Disney production (and I have a somewhat blind obedience to the Mouse), but I thought the show was fantastic.
Although it started out a bit awkward, akin to watching the pilot episode of a new sitcom where you’re just getting the handle of each character’s personality and quirks, the characters quickly grew on me. The play kept me a captive audience with each incredibly catchy song, laugh-​out-​loud moment, and brilliantly simple line. The mostly all-​male cast (except for the actress playing Molly and her understudy) had an amazing energy about them and were just so much fun to watch. This incredibly harmonious dynamic was made the story truly come alive, suspending my disbelief in flying cats and other magical shenanigans, and transforming the relatively simple set into vivid, colorful scenes of Neverland.
I would highly recommend this show for all ages. I also love the fact that it’s an off Broadway show; the small venue adds to its cozy story-​telling feel and the price seems really reasonable.

I actually really enjoyed this show — it is good for all ages, cleverly written, and well acted. the night we went 2 of the main characters were performed by understudies but they did a fantastic job. cant imagine the main actors doing any better.
the set is very simplistic and it is a lot about using your imagination with the help of the cast.
i found myself laughing quite often and thought the time went by quickly. made me want to go home and watch hook and peter pan again since it has been decades (sheesh).
would recommend!

The entire show was amazing, but I particularly loved the actor playing «Fighting Prawn». So subtle, nuanced and unassuming in a relatively small role, but totally worth a full-​priced ticket in and of himself. The rest of the cast is good also.
TWO THUMBS UP! TWO THUMBS WAY UP!

We saw Peter and the Starcatcher on our recent trip to New York and LOVED it. It has been nearly two weeks now and I cannot stop thinking about how much I enjoyed the performance.
I should note that, unlike some of the other reviewers, I had extremely high expectations going into this show. I had been excited to see it since I saw the little clip on the 2012 Tony Awards. Were my expectations exceeded? Definitely. It’s been a long time since I have been asked to view anything with a childlike wonder and imagination. That is really the only way to enjoy all this show has to offer. The cast also had that certain something. They had amazing chemistry and perfect comedic timing. We even saw the newest understudy for «Boy» and he was fantastic. The company really seemed to have fun on stage. We had great seats and it was easy to see that they were also trying to make each other laugh… which really just added to the overall fun, in my opinion.
Also worth mentioning — the staff at New World Stages was extremely friendly compared to the staff at some of the larger and busier theaters. It was a refreshing change from the surprisingly rude ushers at the theater we visited the night before.
We saw five shows that week and Peter and the Starcatcher was my favorite. Hands down. I was so disappointed to read that the show is closing in January and even more disappointed to know that we won’t make it back to NY to see the show one last time before then.
My advice? If you have the opportunity to see the show before it closes… do it. Well, unless you have absolutely no imagination and you don’t like fun. If that’s the case, this is not the show for you.

Like most people I really had no clue what to expect going into the play. I took my wife here and this was our first play as we usually migrate towards musicals. I will say it was difficult to get into at first if you are used to big marquee musicals. After intermission it was really easy to follow along for whatever reason but I had to get mine right to be a bit more creative and your brain as to remain on.
The story line gives you reasoning as to why Peter Pan doesn’t want to grow up, hesitant of grown ups, how he got to Neverland, why he named it Neverland, how hook lost his arms, how Tink came about, etc. I will say Hook took the show and added much needed comic relief. We got tickets half off at TXTS and had pretty solid seats in general. Just off the stage but to the left of center.
I am really happy I went and looking forward to trying out more plays soon.

I went into Peter and the Starcatcher with zero expectations or assumptions – I didn’t know the story or even the tone of the play. It was just something a friend recommended.
I have not been that entertained in a long time. The production is just outstanding – great comic timing of the actors, surprising emotional depth and truly creative staging.
The performances were all terrific. Rick Holmes’ Black Stache and Kevin Del Aguila’s
Smee would feel at home in a Monty Python movie – they are funny and hit the mark with everything from subtle asides to contemporary references (a «milkshake brings the boys to the yard» joke can still bring the house down in 2013) to physical slapstick. Jason Ralph’s Boy/​Peter and Nicole Lowrance’s Molly are difficult roles that the two handle with finesse – they are both very funny but also bring the necessary weight to quieter moments that deliver the heart behind the manic story.
I can understand why people see Peter and the Starcatcher multiple times. There is a lot going on on stage throughout the play, and sometimes the funniest things are not what is happening in the spotlight but some subtle reaction or facial expression from an actor in the background.
The staging is very creative. The stage isn’t particularly large at the New World Stages, but with lighting, a rope and some select props, it never feels claustrophobic as the scene shifts from the deck of a ship to the top of a mountain to a grotto to a beach.
While the show is based on childhood characters, there are some mature themes. Peter and the Starcatcher may not be appropriate for younger children, but teens and adults should enjoy the great performances and frequent laughs.

When I saw the show Christian Borle was in the cast as black stash and stole the show. He was amazing! Now that he’s gone I’m sure his replacement is good but not as good. The writing of the play (which has a few songs but is not a musical) really puts more emphasis and humor on black stash (aka Captain Hook) than it does Peter. This is supposed to be a prequel to Peter Pan but didn’t really hit home as such. I never really cared to much for Peter’s character in the play.
The sets were very simple and you’ll be surprised at what the cast does with a simple rope. It makes you use your imagination and in that way makes you connects to your childhood.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going to this show but don’t think you’d be disappointed if you did.

There is such an energetic music-​hall sense of ribaldry in this farcical, fanciful version of Peter Pan’s back story that it’s hard to resist the infectious spirit of the whole venture. Low-​rent stagecraft and an idiosyncratic sense of creativity greatly inform Rick Elice’s imaginative adaptation of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s 2006 children’s book, and a winning company of twelve actor/​performers keep the pace from flagging. The sometimes confusing plot introduces a gang of overage orphans and social outcasts who eventually become the Lost Boys and Captain Hook’s pirate crew. They are separated into two ships, one called the Wasp and the other the Neverland. Each carries identical trunks, one filled with treasure and the other with sand.
Yes, there is a delicious sense of symmetry to the otherwise chaotic proceedings. The captain of the good ship, Lord Leonard Astor, has a willful daughter named Molly who befriends the boys, in particular, a nameless one who gets named Peter. Of course, the captain has a dastardly counterpart in a pirate king named Black Stache who will eventually become Hook. Everyone ends up on a mysterious island complete with a giant crocodile and savages. We soon discover the origins of both Tinkerbell and Wendy and why Peter refuses to grow up. The simplest props are used creatively, for instance, a piece of rope replicating a ship’s hull and a fluttering yellow rubber glove masquerading as a tropical bird. There are even a few musical numbers (composed by Wayne Barker) thrown in for good measure, the most winning one being a mermaid drag review that opens Act II.
The performances across the board are terrifically game in a Monty Pythonesque manner. Convincingly playing 13-​year-​olds, Adam Chanler-​Berat and especially Celia Keenan-​Bolger capture the youthful zest of their adolescent characters Peter and Molly with just the right precocious spirit. Arnie Burton steals his brief scenes as Mrs. Bumbrake, and with the unenviable task of replacing Christian Borle in his acclaimed, Tony-​winning turn, Matthew Saldivar brings a swarthier sense of swashbuckling dash to his ham-​fisted interpretation of Black Stache. He handles the comically lengthy amputation scene with furious finesse. Truth be told, it’s a bit too long and the story lapses can be trying at times, but all in all, it provides an evening of genuine mirth. Currently playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theater on West 47^th, the show is scheduled to close on January 20, 2013.

A friend raved about Peter and the Starcatcher, and I love the story of Peter Pan, so I bought the cheapest tickets I could find, thinking why not give it a try? This was a good decision, as it is a small theater so there’s not a bad seat in the house. We were at the center aisle in the second-​to-​last row, so I could see everything. Bravo.
The story is a dialogue-​driven prequel to Peter Pan. How did Hook lose his hand? How did Peter become enchanted to stay a boy forever? How’d he even end up in Neverland? The show aims to answer all these questions, while entertaining the audience with very creative use of props, ropes, ladders, and lights. However, it never takes itself too seriously and almost mocks its low budget (yet visually acceptable) setting. One example is when Peter encounters a little canary. The «bird» in this case is the yellow rubber glove on an actor’s hand, flapping away. However, it is funny to see the actor doing this, and it does create an illusion of a bird.
The actors were all acceptable, with Christian Borle (Black Stache) stealing the show with his Tim Curry-​esque over the top portrayal of the silly villain. Peter, as a character, is solemn, joyless, and not particularly likeable. He did not have the typical heroic morality, the personality, or the humor to win me over. Watching him was kind of just sad, and it isn’t til the very very end of the show where he gains the tiniest bit of cockiness that subsequent Peters embrace.
Overall, I giggled a few times, but I found the play to not be THAT funny. It leaned more towards «Broadway funny», if you know what I mean. I caught most of the puns, I liked how they dropped random Italian restaurant words into the dialogue (IE: the native islanders chanting Manicotti and Montepulciano), the Mermaid scene was brilliant, and the physical comedy was top notch. You can really admire the hard work, effort, and technique. But the jokes tried a little too hard, and while the audience was in stitches when Stache lost his hand, I was looking at my watch wondering when the moment would end. It was like watching Family Guy where they just drag the joke on too long. I appreciated all the detail work that went into executing this play, but I just didn’t love it.

Before I saw this play I read that it was off-​broadway before and is now on Broadway. Watching the play you can definitely sense that it was low-​budget, especially when you see how and what they use as props. Not that this is a bad thing. A few years back I saw a musical called «Rooms» where the only prop was a door, but they utilized it in such a way that you can visualize movement to and from different places. The cast in «Peter and the Starcatcher» do something similar. I did find what they did with the rope clever, but using people as props was sometimes confusing.
You can tell that the writers put a lot of thought into the dialogue of the play since puns were being thrown out in rapid fire (especially during the first act). I was able to catch some of them, but a good number of them escaped me. Saying that this is a «punny» play is an understatement. A handful of people did catch all of the puns since the same section of people were laughing when the majority of the theater was not. I believe that this handful of people may have seen the play before and knew where to listen for the puns.
Before you see the play it would be a good idea to familarize yourself with the story of Peter Pan since this play is the pre-​quel to that story. There are many references from that story in this play that would not be as good without that knowledge.
The first act is slow-​moving compared to the second act. A large part of it has to do with the setting since act one takes place on ships that are gloomy and dull. Act two takes place on an island, so it is a lot brighter that act one. The other part of it has to do with the fact that the character Black Stache (what Captin Hook was called before he had the hook) had a larger role in the second act. This was the standout performance, indeed! An eccentric, flamboyant pirate with an overinflated ego that is just clutsy enough to be funny, and then some. Smee also did a good job supporting Stache’s odd behaviors.
Although I would not say that this play is a must-​see play it does have its good moments. If you come across a discount it would be worth visiting. Part of the team from «Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson» created «Peter and the Starchatcher» and you can see it from the style of the play. Fans of «Bloody…» would like «Peter.». If you do end up going just be sure to come to the show with a sharp mind so you will catch all of the puns.

Peter and the Starcatcher is Peter Pan’s back story; when Peter was the orphan boy with no name, and Captain Hook –then known as the Black Stache– was a queeny narcissist. The first couple of scenes were dizzying, with fast paced plot definitions. The (fake) British accents didn’t help much either. I was so freaking lost! I didn’t know what the hell was happening so I zoned out.
Thankfully the pace slowed and I was able to follow and enjoy the story as it developed. What intrigued me the most about this play was the clever use of simple props like ropes, ladders and even humans. It really called up the audience to use their imagination, which aligns perfectly with the whole Peter Pan story!
I never read the books, but I deduced from online reviews that the books are kid friendly. I don’t know how much the play deviated from the books, but kid friendly it is not. There were lots of adult jokes and references, most of them coming from the hilariously irreverent Black Stache. But kids these days are so damn precocious, so I’m sure they understood the «Milkshake brings all the boys to your yard!» reference and laughed heartily with the adults.
Overall the play was very entertaining but lacked cohesion. Some scenes were a bit too frenetic and disjointed. I’d recommend only if tickets are on sale.
Many thanks to Unilocal for hooking it up with complimentary tickets and unexpected yummy treat. Woot!

Based on the best-​selling children’s novel ‘Hyperion Books’, the story revolves around a fast paced adventure on the high seas and on a faraway island, an orphan boy named Peter and his pretty, mysterious new friend, Molly. They together overcome bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a fantastical secret safe and save the world from evil. The show is directed by Roger Rees.
We got really nice seats in the theater. The first half of the show though was very boring and it was hard to focus on the plot being played on the stage. The story did pick up pace after the interval during the second half. But still the second half was not that entertaining. This show though was brimming with richly developed characters, from the scary but somehow familiar Black. The cast did an incredible job and tried their best to entertain the audience. The background music by the live band was really good.
Thanks to Unilocal for the tixs!

Thanks to Unilocal,I got to check out this show.
For a Unilocal Elite event: 5 stars. Thanks Jane and Sumeet! You were easy to find and it was well organized.
For the play: 1 star if not 0.
1 star seems kinda harsh for a freebie. Yes it was a freebie, and I’m going to review this honestly. See the Unilocal logo: Real people. Real reviews.
Background:
My boo and I are not your typical broadway showgoers. We LOVED Lysistrata Jones, but yet that was panned by critics and cancelled. We had a great time at P is for Parenthood. I saw on the NY Times that this show had some glowing reviews so it looked promising.
From the beginning it failed to catch our attention. We found it to be entirely boring and we had a difficult time following along. Perhaps it was because we sat in the back (I had a hard time hearing — it sounded like they weren’t using microphones?). I didn’t think any of the dialog was funny and I swear it sounded like they were playing a laugh track, because even though some reviews say everyone was in stitches, I didn’t notice anyone ROFL or even LOL around us. It was so bad for us that we ended up walking out after 30 minutes. Luckily we were sitting in the back and on the edge of an aisle so we got to make our escape.
We thought it would eventually get better, but we feel we gave it a fair shot after a half hour.

Thanks to Unilocal,my friend took me as her plus one to watch this show. I had no idea what this show was about, except for that it was something to do with Peter Pan.
Peter and the Starcatcher is basically the back story to Peter Pan. It’s not a musical but there were some singing to it. Although the plot wasn’t the most riveting, the way they dealt with changing scenes and the use of a few props was ingenious. As a backstage theater nerd, I enjoyed watching how they used a wall of humans as doors and a rope to create spaces and waves!
The cast is obviously talented. As many reviewers have mentioned, the actor playing the «Black Stache» (aka Hook) stole the show.
This show delivered on plenty of laughs! It was light-​hearted, witty and comical, especially towards the end. I wasn’t wowed by it but it definitely tickled my belly!

I am a life-​long-​fan of Monty Python & Mel Brooks’s style of comedy so Peter and The Star Catcher is right smack on target!
The light-​hearted humor and actions is delightful to watch if you are a fan of this type of comedy.
The show is entertaining and the acting is very good. Timing is everything to get the greatest laughs and smiles; the cast delivered with a wonderful performance.
My favorite part was the mermaid on parade right after the intermission.
I missed several lines from my seats in the back.
A good sound system could have helped!

The talent from the actors in the cast of Peter and the Starcatcher is abundant.
Christian Borle, who played «Black ‘Stache», is fast becoming one of my favorite actors. I love him in Smash too.
This play is about how Peter Pan came to be. It’s what they call nowadays a prequel. It tells the story of an orphan and how he became who we know as Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, pre-​Wendy. The sets were fun for me. There was really good and witty choreography that made me laugh throughout the show. There was a lot of movement that helped move along the story and set up the stage for the scenes. That was the part I liked. The way they used ropes was quite clever, for me. The second act was a bit more exciting for me.
Thank you Jane! The seats are great as always. I got to see new friends and old ones. It was great to see familiar faces always.

Obviously, the cast of Peter and the Starcatcher are very talented individuals who have some well honed stage acting chops between them. Too bad they are hunkered down by a play that is a bit clunky, if even boring at times. Thank goodness there are some very funny bits that lighten the tone and help keep the pace between each scene.
It became quite obvious who the real star of this show is — Christian Borle, who played «Black Stache». His flamboyant over the top characterization kept everyone laughing as he pretty much stole the show along with Kevin Del Aguila (Smee) in every scene they appeared in. The witty banter and dialog, along with some laugh out loud moments, kept me wishing the play was actually about them. The actors and actresses that played Peter, Molly and the rest of the cast were affable enough and worked hard in their roles.
The play itself is a re-​imagining of Peter Pan and Captain Hook and how they came to exist and become eternal enemies. The use of props such as ropes, ladders, and even lights were used ingeniously to portray movement with the whole cast involved at times. Even the cast members were used as props. Most of the time it was pretty cool to watch and was comical in a Monty Python kind of way.
Still, the first half of the show was a bit boring and only perked up when Black Stache and the pirates were on the stage. Too many acts were cumbersome and dragged a bit between the more humorous bits, and I felt like I was watching an off-​off-​Broadway play. The second half was much better and full of laughs, with Black Stache again stealing the show.
As always, thanks to Jane K and Unilocal for offering us some terrific seats to a Broadway performance. It’s always good to see my Unilocal friends and get to mingle a bit while catching up.