Goldstar

• Rated 4.0
• Written on Dec 01 2008

I went to this show with my mom and sister, and we all absolutely loved it. I have loved the story of Peter and Wendy for as long as I can remember and have watched every movie related to Pan, including the version with Mary Martin, Disney's two Pan flicks, Hook, Finding Neverland, and the newest Australian production. I thought this version of the story was fantastic. It was the same story that I have always enjoyed, with the same dialogue and songs. The set and costumes were very different from what I've seen in the past, and while they may not be traditional (i.e., the Lost Boys and Pirate costumes), I thought they were wonderfully imaginative. I admire that this production of Peter Pan put a different spin on things as it made me look at the entire tale from a new angle. One of the great things about the story of Peter Pan and Neverland is that we all view it differently; no two Neverlands are the same. I especially liked the fact that a man played Peter. The actresses playing Wendy and Tiger Lily were also fun to watch. I feel that Hook's character could have been a little louder and a bit more menacing, and the actor playing John was a bit old, but in all, it was a very enjoyable experience. I plan on attending a second performance.

• Rated 1.0
• Written on Nov 24 2008

I was completely disappointed. The show was boring from start to end. It was almost unbearable. I almost fell asleep. I wanted to leave. and I LOVE LOVE LOVE musicals. There wasn't a single chuckle or surprise or dramatic moment. The dialogue and story were just dull and uninteresting. On top of that it felt very amateurish. The songs were NOT entertaining at all, and that's being nice. They were poor in both their writing and performance. As I sit here and write this review I cant hum or remember the melody of even a single tune from the show -- and I saw it LAST NIGHT! The actor who played Perter pan did not sing, act or dance well. His voice made me wanna cover my ears as he sand those drab, forgettable, uninspired songs. The few moments were there music itself started to sound at least pleasant, (as the pianist and violinist were competent musicians and those instruments can create upbeat harmonious sounds) it would be accompanied and utterly ruined by the sound of some brass horn instrument (I'm not sure which horn). Any chance that a song had to be semi uplifting or passably melodic were destroyed by the inclusion of that horrible sounding instrument. I cant imagine why any composer or musician or conductor would feel that its appropriate for a "fun" theater performance. Its meant to create a somber mood at a funeral or other somber event, not a happy fantasy tale like Peter Pan. that terrible sound puts a damper on the entire production. It took its grade from a D to an F.

• Rated 2.0
• Written on Dec 29 2008

This show was OK and did not, in any way, live up to the other plays I've seen at the Olney. I think they are definitely in a budget crunch as neither the set nor the costumes were impressive at ALL! In fact, I think they detracted a lot from the story. As was stated before, the Nana costume was just plain weird and I didn't read 'dog' in it at all and Peter Pan looked like a spaceman/angel--he should be in GREEN!! I'm sure if I was a kid, I would have had a great time, not knowing the potential of this fabulous theater.
The disparity between good reviews/bad reviews may be owing to just that--if you bring children, you'll have a good time, if you're a bunch of adults looking for a whimsical escape from reality you'll be sorely disappointed.
The only highlight for me was Captain Hook. I thought he was well costumed, well acted and well sung! I was almost upset when he was eaten by the alligator... almost, because I knew that it meant the play was ending!