The Peter Pan Broadway musical tells the classic story of the boy who never grows up., based on the novel of James Matthew Barrie. The central plot focuses on the adventures of Peter Pan and three Darling children, Wendy, John, and Michael, in Neverland. After Peter Pan brings Wendy to Neverland to replace a mother for him and the Lost Boys, the characters explore what it means to be a child and a parent. Just as in the original novel, pirates led by Captain Hook and Indians, led by Tiger Lily, also constitute a significant part of the musical. However, the main characters whose development and motives are thoroughly captured in the play are Wendy, Peter Pan, and Captain Hook.
Even though the musical is mostly targeted at the younger audience, viewers of all ages will find comfort in rediscovering familiar characters and their journey as they come to life on the stage. The play ends with Peter Pan now taking Wendy’s young daughter to Neverland on a journey as Wendy is grown up and cannot join him. While the musical’s plot easily captures the viewers’ attention, the ending emphasizes the main idea of the play to illustrate how childhood is the only time when people can fly and travel to imaginary worlds.
The main idea is easily translated to the viewers by the incredible emotional performance of Wendy and Peter Pan actors. Wendy is the central character representing the point of view of an ordinary girl. In the beginning, Wendy feels amazed by the new world full of magic opened in front of her. Then, after facing the challenge of being a motherly figure of several boys in Neverland, Wendy becomes frustrated with the way Peter cannot help her and play a role of a father. In a very touching scene, Wendy becomes aware that Peter will stay a boy forever due to his deep resentment of his mother for giving birth to another child. The scene made an emotional impact on me as I felt sorry for both Peter Pan and Wendy as at that moment, she knew that Peter would never share her romantic feelings. Wendy decides to come back home as she and her brother miss their parents and offers other Lost Boys to join the Darling family, emphasizing how magical adventures will never replace parental love.
The other main character, Peter Pan, is portrayed by Cathy Rigby, whose gymnastic background and physical mobility provide an additional visual component to both the show and the character. Rigby’s Peter Pan is a naïve and slightly narcissistic boy who is deeply concerned about finding a mother that would care for him. In the moments of victory, Peter Pan’s excitement turns into arrogancy as he loudly exclaims that there is nothing he cannot do. However, most of the girls he encounters either do not agree to act like his mother, like Tiger Lily and Tinker Bell, or agree in hopes to become something more than just a motherly figure. Although Peter Pan leads the Lost Boys, he proclaims himself as a Captain, just like Captain Hook, drawing a distinct line between being a leader and a parent or father.
Finally, there is only one character in the musical whose narcissism prevails over Peter Pan’s arrogancy, Captain Hook. Just like Peter Pan, Captain leads the group of pirates without necessarily caring for them. Obsessed with revenge, Captain Hook tries to poison Peter Pan and the Lost Boys and eventually captures Wendy, her brothers, and the Lost Boys. Even though captain Hook is the villain of the play, his lively expression of fear of the crocodile is as entertaining as other comedic moments of the musical, and he was my favorite character. My favorite moment was the introduction of Captain Hook, where he arrived as a powerful figure but slowly started to tremble with fear after remembering hearing the clock “striking six” inside the crocodile’s belly (Peter Pan). The addition of comedy to the Captain’s Hook character in the musical seemed natural and not forced.
The main theme of the musical is all about childhood and the children’s imagination. The island of Neverland and Darling children’s story demonstrates how inevitable the process of growing up is. The musical shows how important it is for the children to take their time to grow up without hurry, as there is no second chance to relive childhood. Even though the musical’s plot tells about an exciting journey and magical creatures, such as fairies and mermaids, its theme and morals focus on children’s relations with parents and the process of growing up.
The musical is filled with interesting points and nuances that add more details to the story, besides the beautiful songs and dances. Peter Pan and Wendy use a different lexicon that illustrates the contrast between Wendy’s erudition and ladylike behavior and Peter Pan’s freedom to do whatever he likes. On the other hand, Captain Hook uses pirate lingo, with an emphasis on the roaring sounds. The music and sound design of the play assist in the viewer’s journey to Neverland, complimenting the impressive visual component of set designs and decorations. What impressed me the most about the set designs was the scene with the Marooners’ rock, where the stage was transformed into a lagoon with the help of fog.
Overall, I liked the musical because of its beautiful visual component, great comedy, and talented actors. The musical explores a familiar theme that could be perceived differently from the children’s and adults’ perspectives; therefore, it could be recommended to viewers of all ages. I enjoyed remembering the history of Peter Pan and rediscovering a new representation of the story and a less appalling adaptation of Captain Hook.
Reference
Halvorson, G., & Casale, G. (2000). Peter Pan [Film]. BroadwayHD.