Great Lakes Theater’s ‘Peter and the Star Catcher’ is punderful

There is something absolutely awesome about attending a Great Lakes Theater weekend matinee. It is usually when the parents and grandparents bring the younger children that for some is their very first experience in live theater. Thus you have an enthusiastic audience primed to be entertained. Currently on stage is a musical play by Rick Elice based on the 2004 novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson taken from the books by J. M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” collection.

“Peter and the Starcatcher” is the prequel to Barrie’s original masterpiece and is the back story that helps us understand the various characters from Barrie’s classic. We are introduced to Peter Pan, Mrs. Darling (Molly), Tinker Bell, Smee and Captain Hook. The show first saw stage light in California at the La Jolla Playhouse before moving on to Off-Broadway in 2011 and finally to Broadway on April 15, 2012 where it ran until January 20, 2013 with a brief reopening at the Off-Broadway theater New World Stages. The show is currently on stage at the Hanna Theatre until March 2, 2025.

At the teeming town of Portsmouth, England two ships are being made ready for a trip to Rundoon. The Wasp Captained by Lieutenant Scott (M. A. Taylor) has as a passenger Lord Leonard Aster (James Alexander Rankin) with a contingent of British navy seaman aboard. The Neverland is captained by Lieutenant Greggers (u/s Gabe Subervi) who has as passengers Lord Aster’s daughter Molly (Angela Utera), Mrs. Bumbrake (Grayson Hehl) and three orphan boys: Prentiss (Evan Stevens), Ted (Nic Scott Hermick) and a nameless orphan known only as “Boy”.

On board each ship are identical trunks. One contains precious cargo belonging to Queen Victoria and the other is filled with sand. The trunks are safely stowed away and the three orphans are locked in the dark and dismal hold of the Neverland. As they are saying their goodbyes, Aster gives Molly an amulet that matches the one he is wearing warning her to never take it off and never let anyone touch it but to use it if she was ever in trouble.

Once at sea Greggers on the Neverland is revealed as Smee who introduces his boss the pirate Black Stache meanwhile the “British seamen” of the Wasp are in fact his pirate crew. While protecting the false trunk the boy is “befriended” by Peter (one of Stache’s crew) and the boy decides to take that as his first name.

When a huge storm comes up both ships try to outmaneuver each other as Molly is revealed as a Starcatcher and part of her mission is to save the trunk that is filled with the valuable and magical “starstuff”. As the storm increases in intensity the ships collide and split in two as Molly throws the trunk overboard along with Peter (the boy) who rigs a sail that takes him to a desert island. As the trunk nears the island, the seawater infiltrates sending the starstuff into the water changing fish into talking mermaids and mermen. Later, Peter falls into a pool of water that has large amounts of starstuff as it grants his wish to be a boy forever as the mermaid gives him a family name of Pan.

Soon, Peter Pan is reunited with his friends Prentiss and Ted as well as Molly as they try to outwit the Mollusks (a tribe bent on mischief who worship a large alligator Mr. Grin (Ensemble) and Black Stache soon to become Captain Hook.

This is comic farce at its best. Twelve actors take on the roles of over 30 characters with lightening speed costume changes throughout the show. There is a constant barrage of witty double entendre, play on words, obscure film references and just horrible puns but it is all for laughs. Every cast member is on their mark with their timing and witticisms. Adults need to pay careful attention to the dialogue or they will miss much of the fun. The Mermaid/Merman dance number is laugh out loud hilarious.

At last, a show comes along that is truly for the entire family. There is magic, familiar characters and songs to entertain the youngsters as well as some mild adult humor to keep the adults on their toes and paying attention. This is your chance to learn all about Peter Pan back when he was a nameless orphan.

The Great Lakes Theater production of “Peter and the Starcatcher” will be on stage in the Hanna Theatre at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio through March 2, 2024. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.greatlakestheater.org/ or call (216) 241-6000.