Peter and the Starcatcher - Previews

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/28/12 at 11:18pm

Did anyone go to the first preview tonight??? I'm so excited for this show.

[michellek45]

Posted: 3/28/12 at 11:27pm

Just got back from it! I definitely loved the show- very funny, and a lot more raunchy in terms of jokes than I expected. There were a few jokes that fell on the more predictable side, but I laughed more than I've laughed at most shows. The set is amazing and looks both run-down and fantasy-like. Lighting design was excellent- there were plenty of colors to make the set and the actors pop out. The few songs that they do have are either gorgeous or hysterical. I thought all of the characters where well-developed in the way that children's story characters develop (if that makes any sense), but one of Peter's friends was a little too one-note for me to do much but roll my eyes at a lot of his lines. The ending is on the rushed side, and I had some logical problems with the book, but overall I would certainly recommend going. It has that magic that you can only ever really find in simple children's stories.

[aja]

Posted: 3/29/12 at 10:52am

is there any actual flying (wires)? Or is everything done imaginatively and theatrically? Very excited to see this next week!

[michellek45]

Posted: 3/29/12 at 12:45pm

Some props "fly" by being attached to sticks and wires, but none of the actors do. They only talk about flying, but the only instance of it is when Molly "levitates" a foot or so off the stage, which isn't done with wires. The way they do Tinkerbell is very clever.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/29/12 at 12:47pm

It's less than halfway down the page, people.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?page=1&thread=1043483&boardname=&boardid=1

[bjh2114]

Posted: 3/29/12 at 12:51pm

To be fair, this thread WAS created first...

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/29/12 at 1:01pm

Ha! 15 minutes! It totally was. I was being a snob and didn't even realize it.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 3/29/12 at 4:02pm

i loved it at the NYTWorkshop, only selfishly wishing there were more songs! can't wait to see this version of it and wishing Dieney Theatricals all success in the most daring thing they have done since LION KING and mebbe NEWSIES...

[michellek45]

Posted: 3/29/12 at 4:43pm

^ That was my biggest wish, too, TxTwoStep! There were moments where I was expecting a song, and then there wasn't, I got a little disappointed.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 3/29/12 at 6:13pm

my armchair psychology, which along with 73 cents will buy you a Coke, is that for a "Disney property" we expect a bit more song and dance...if the show hits the road (and i hope it will) maybe they want to explore that. Hopefully Disney Theatrical learned some lessons about what their "brand" is on the road with ON THE RECORD.

[michellek45]

Posted: 3/29/12 at 6:20pm

To be honest, I barely even thought about it being Disney. I think my thought process was more like, "OK, Adam Chanler-Berat, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Christian Borle are in this and everyone's saying it's a play with music, so there have to be a decent number of songs." It just seemed odd that they would have 3 stars mostly recognized for their musicals in something with little music.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 6:34pm

can totally understand that mind set too, MichelleK45.

[Markecib]

Posted: 3/30/12 at 11:11pm

Just got back and I loved it!

Ridley Pearson one of the writers of the actual book was in the row in front of me.

Alex Timbers and Roger Rees deserve all the credit for their inventive and creative staging. I was engaged the whole time and the audience around me loved it, except the 13 year old girl behind me who kept saying over and over "It's different from the book and there's no flying."

Christian Borle is amazing as Black Stache. I loved Celia Keenan-Bolger, Arnie Burton, Carson Elrod, David Rossmar etc..

I have mixed feelings about Adam Chanler-Berat, I found him annoying in the first act, but warmed up to him in the second and it was really an enjoyable night.

The the orchestra was full except for 4 seats in front of me, no clue what the mezz looked like. I hope this finds an audience.

[leefowler]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 1:00am

Am I the only one who couldn't follow the plot of this? There was never a moment when I had the slightest idea what the hell was going on...

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 1:08am

It's funny because I don't feel like Disney has put their name on this at all. At least on the Newsies marquee it says Disney on top. Nowhere on the Peter and the Starcatcher marquee.

[viola13]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 4:49am

While Disney's listed as a producer on the website, I think that's due to their involvement with commissioning the show and the NYTW run. Looking at the article from Playbill about the start of previews, it says "Disney Theatrical Productions commissioned the work, which is not billed as a musical, but features a handful of songs by Wayne Barker. Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Greg Schaffert, Eva Price and Tom Smedes produce the Broadway engagement."

Doesn't make it seem like Disney really has any new money in the Broadway run.

[BroadwayFan12]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 10:50am

Haven't seen it on Broadway yet, but I loved it at NYTW. Speaking of flying, how did they do Molly's "flying?" I couldn't figure it out.

[Markecib]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 11:46am

She's sitting on a ladder and the cast member playing scenery steps on it and she rises, like a seesaw.

[bearhorn]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 12:04pm

Between this and "Newsies", which will adults appreciate more?

[holdyourbatboy]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 4:34pm

Peter and the Starcatcher is much more adult than Newsies.

[Markecib]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 4:41pm

I agree with Starcatcher being more adult. The one liners go right over kids heads and the adults are laughing at them.

[macnyc]

Posted: 3/31/12 at 11:28pm

I just got back from the performance, and I'm still digesting it. While enjoyable, the play is very talky, and I had to concentrate really hard to catch everything. Even so, I missed some of the jokes. And the storyline is hard to follow sometimes, as one of the above posters alluded to. I think because the actors play multiple roles, it's easy to get confused. Still, it was very funny in parts and unexpected. The opening to act two with the "mermaids" was hilarious!

Quite a few children were in attendance, and I was wondering how they were following all the dialog. They seemed to enjoy it though.



Updated On: 4/1/12 at 11:28 PM

[Amarone]

Posted: 4/1/12 at 10:34pm

I saw the third preview and I loved it. Fast paced, unique and very funny. Christian Borle and Celia Keenan-Bolger are sensational. Agreed, more adult than "Newsies".

[Felm_heart]

Posted: 4/1/12 at 10:58pm

By all accounts they should have had a preview tonight. (Their website, Playbill, etc. all say that during previews they have performances at 7 on Sundays.) When I arrived at the theatre to do the lottery, the box office was closed. The only people there were other confused theatre-goers. Anyone know why?

[CurtisB]

Posted: 4/1/12 at 11:35pm

If you ever have a chance to sit close, on the Mermaid Show Curtain, there is a crab in the lower right corner smoking a joint. Hardly kid-friendly. ha. :)