THREE AND A HALF STARS
Director Kelli Bocock-Natale has fashioned another ensemble-driven piece that is physically and theatrically similar to her staging of “Macbeth” in this same theater two seasons ago.
Both utilize space and body language in a figurative way, imploring its audiences to imagine more than just watch.
Ben Siegel, The Buffalo News
"Peter Pan...has all the enchantment it needs to beguile a new generation of theatergoers. Every moment is
brimming with the playful invention of director
Kelli Bocock-Natale... inspiring dozens of handmademiracles that reveal themselves with delightful grace...
Take your children to see Peter Pan.
Tony Chase, Artvoice
THE NEW PHOENIX THEATRE
PROUDLY ANNOUNCES
PETER PAN
NOVEMBER 26 – DECEMBER 23, 2011
By J.M. Barrie
Adapted by John Caird and Trevor Nunn
Directed by Kelli Bocock-Natale
With R.J. Voltz as Peter,
Christina Golab as Wendy, Jessica McKay as Tinker Bell
and Jane, Marie Hasselback-Costa as Mrs. Darling and
Tiger Lily, John Kreuzer as the Storyteller,
and Eric Rawski as Captain Hook
Performances are Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 PM
Matinee performances are Sundays at 2 PM
J.M Barrie’s beloved story of Peter, Wendy, Captain Hook,and Tinker Bell and their adventures in Never Land -- comes to the New Phoenix Theatre on November 26. This physicalized, ensemble-driven version of the classic, based on an
adaptation by John Caird and Trevor Nunn, is directed by
Kelli Bocock-Natale, who stunned New Phoenix audiences with MACBETH last season.
Photos by Michael Walline
Bocock-Natale has assembled an energetic cast that rediscovers the adventurous spirit of Barrie’s timeless classic through the inventiveness of ensemble theatre. There will be no elaborate flying devices or special effects; rather, Bocock-Natale’s production seeks the rough, playful magic of boyhood, the frisson of danger, and the careless vitality of "The boy who wouldn't grow up." The production is certain to inspire patrons of all ages.
The New Phoenix production is designed by Tanner Moody, lighting design by Chris Cavanagh, and costumes by Loraine O’Donnell.
The Never Land Diaries Facebook page chronicles
the making of our PETER PAN and allows fans to
follow along as the cast and crew share their insight
into the production. The page also offers cast
interviews as well as rehearsal photos and videos.
This page is available by clicking here.
J.M. BARRIE
The New Phoenix production marks Peter Pan’s centennial: Barrie’s novel Peter and Wendy was published in 1911, making it 100 years old this year. But the tale itself is reputed to date to Barrie’s own childhood.
When James Matthew Barrie was six years of age, his older brother David died in an ice-skating accident. Barrie’s devastated mother found comfort in the fact that her dead son would forever remain a boy, never to grow up and leave her.
In 1902, J.M. Barrie published a novel about a baby boy who has magical adventures in Kensington Gardens, entitled The Little White Bird. It was the Llewleyn Davies boys, who Barrie met and befriended in London, who inspired this novel; like Lewis Carroll, Barrie wrote partly to entertain his young friends. It was this book that introduced the character and mythology of Peter Pan.
The first staged performance of PETER PAN, OR THE BOY WHO WOULDN’T GROW UP took place on December 27, 1904. This play introduced audiences to the name Wendy, inspired by a young girl named Margaret Henley who affectionately called Barrie ‘Friendy’, though Margaret’s difficulty pronouncing ‘R’s caused this nickname to come out as “Fwendy”. The novel Peter and Wendy saw countless adaptations into feature films, musicals, and more.
PETER PAN’S run coincides with The New Phoenix Theatre’s Mortgage Burning Party on Friday, December 9th, which will celebrate the outright ownership of our home on 95 Johnson Park. Tickets to the event are $50.00 and include admission to PETER PAN and a reception to follow. (Patrons may opt to see the show only, and miss the subsequent celebrations, at regular ticket prices.)
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8.00PM
Matinee performances are Sundays at 2:00PM
GENERAL ADMISSION $25.00; STUDENTS, SENIORS AND PROFESSIONAL COURTESY (artists and industry) $15.00
ALL THURSDAYS ARE PAY-WHAT YOU CAN, sponsored by M&T Bank.