‘Peter Pan’ musical ready to ‘Hook’ families at Broadway in Chicago

How do you sprinkle fairy dust on a dusty children’s story and make it seem contemporary? The touring production of the musical “Peter Pan,” now playing at the Nederlander Theatre in the Loop, hasn’t reinvented the wheel, but based on the smiling faces of numerous first-time Broadway in Chicago attendees (as indicated by the stickers handed to youngsters who identified as newbies), they were all able to think happy thoughts long before being encouraged to clap their hands to resuscitate a sparkling fairy.

Sir James M. Barrie’s play “Peter Pan” is 120 years old this year, and the stage musical version that starred Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan, Cathy Rigby and others as the title character over the years first opened on Broadway 70 years ago (1954). With songs like “Neverland,” “I Won’t Grow Up,” “I’m Flying” and “I Gotta Crow,” the musical about a magical boy who never wants to be an adult has entertained generations through stage, TV and movie adaptations.

In the new version, many of the songs by Carolyn Leigh and Morris (Moose) Charlap (as well as Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne and Amanda Green) are still there in a musical originally directed, choreographed and adapted by the great Jerome Robbins. But Larissa FastHorse is credited with “additional book” – aka dialogue that brings us into the 21st century – and that’s why we see in early scenes: an oblivious babysitter for Wendy, John and Michael Darling rocking out in headphones; Wendy discussing junk mail; and Mr. Darling getting upset about smudges on his computer printer.

As the show opens, we meet the Darling family, including eager-to-have-some-freedom teenager Wendy (Hawa Kamara), studious Michael (played by William Foon on press night), and youngest son Jonathan (Reed Epley at press night), who’s a fan of pirate stories. Mr. Darling (Cody Garcia) is seen as a bit of a workaholic. Mrs. Darling (Shefali Deshpande) is a loving mother with an open mind – after all, she believes she recently saw a boy’s face outside the second-story window of the children’s bedroom, and she says she was able to take his shadow away from him.

Yep, she didn’t realize it, but Mrs. Darling was the first family member to have seen Peter Pan (Nolan Almeida) and Tinker Bell (“a ball of light the size of my fist”). When Mr. and Mrs. Darling go away for an important dinner (after a touching lullaby, “Tender Shepherd,” is beautifully sung by Deshpande, Kamara, Foon and Epley), you know we’ll soon spot Peter and “Tink” on a mission to retrieve that shadow. When Wendy awakens and sees Peter shedding a tear, she befriends him, helps him and agrees to go with her younger brothers to where Peter is from: Neverland. That’s the island where Peter and the Lost Boys live a life of fun and adventure, although they constantly must defend themselves against the exotic Tiger Lily (Raye Zaragoza) and Captain Hook (Cody Garcia again) and their tribe members and pirates, respectively.

There’s a lot to enjoy in this production, first and foremost being our primary nemesis for Peter. Trust me, with Cody Garcia’s fun performance, you’ll be hooked on Hook. As a vain comedic villain who blames Peter for the loss of his hand in a sword fight, and who fears the alligator who swallowed that hand and now stalks Hook, Garcia has a role he can sink his teeth, or at least his hook, into. Other standouts in the cast include Kamara and Zaragoza, the two young women whose characters can help “mother” the Lost Boys or fight alongside Peter, or both. Kurt Perry is also a comedic joy as Hook’s right-hand (or left-hook?) man, Smee.

The pit orchestra is excellent, starting from the overture and going all the way through the end of a “Neverland” reprise at the end of Act 2.

The special effects in the show are also a treat – from characters “flying” to Tinker Bell’s sparkling bit of light dashing about the stage (kudos to Tinker Bell designer Paul Kieve) to Peter’s shadow having a mind, or actions, of its own.

The only partial disappointment is Almeida as Peter. He’s certainly agile enough to do the aerial stunts and battles/dances, and his singing voice is quite good. However, there were times in both acts when I had to strain to hear his spoken dialogue. Either he needs to project more – I was only in Row F on the main floor, after all – or his mike needs to be turned up.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not panning “Pan.” This is a great show to introduce children to the experience of live theater, so just “think of lovely things” and get your family to the Neverlander, er, Nederlander by April 7. They’ll be Hooked.

• Paul Lockwood is a communications consultant at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) in Chicago, as well as a local theater actor, singer, Grace Lutheran Church (Woodstock) and Toastmasters member, columnist and past president of TownSquare Players. He and his wife have lived in Woodstock for over 23 years.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Peter Pan” musical

WHERE: James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago

WHEN: Through April 7

INFORMATION: www.broadwayinchicago.com/shows/peter-pan