Fairy dust, Lost Boys, ticking crocodiles…it can only mean one thing. We must be in Neverland. That’s right, for the next two weeks the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati, OH has been transformed into the magical land where there are no grown-ups and absolutely no rules. Feeling up for the journey? Well join Peter, Wendy, and of course Tinkerbell for a magical adventure. But before you take flight, there are a few things you must know. Let us share what we learned when we had the opportunity to enjoy a performance of Peter Pan for ourselves.
The first, and perhaps most important thing that you should know about attending Peter Pan is there is no age limit for being a kid. Boys, girls, men, and women of every age meet the requirements of being a citizen of Neverland. You only need to have an imagination, think happy thoughts, and oh yes, believing in fairies is a must! Once you meet those requirements, and a proper sprinkling of fairy dust, the cast and crew of Peter Pan will do the rest. It was amazing how only minutes into the performance we forgot that we were sitting in a theater. It felt like we had truly climbed into the fairytale that we had heard for most of our lives.
A large part of the success of Peter Pan is the talented cast that brings these magical characters to life. We have to start with Nolan Almeida in the Role of Peter. We can’t imagine how difficult it has to be to take on this iconic character known by people around the world, but Almeida took the role and made it his own. On the surface, Peter is whimsical and maybe even a little arrogant. But the talented actor takes Pan to deeper levels of fear and regret. It was awesome to watch Nolan bring a sense of realness to the boy who never grew up.
And what would a story be without a bad guy? Obviously, in the tale of Peter Pan, we have to be talking about the dastardly Captain Hook. In this telling of the story, Hook is played by Cody Garcia. Garcia gives a masterful performance as the captain of the Jolly Roger. He plays the role with the perfect mixture of unsavory and fun. As we watched Cody Garcia lay down his traps for Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, it was hard not to get Tim Curry Vibes. That is said as the highest level of praise for the actor’s performance. As if portraying Captain Hook is not a big enough task, Garcia also takes on the role of Wendy, John, and Michael’s father.
Those are just two examples of the superb acting featured in Peter Pan. Hawa Kamara and Raye Zaragoza both give excellent performances as Wendy and Tiger Lilly. But the lead actors can only be as strong as the ensemble behind them allows them to be. And the ensemble cast of Peter Pan were all superstars. From bumbling pirates to Lost Boys, their dancing and choreography helped bring Neverland to life!
While we could continue to sing the praises of the cast, we have to take a moment to talk about the scenery and effects that make Neverland the magical place it is. The story of Peter Pan becomes real from the first time you watch Peter, Wendy, John, and Michael take flight. The characters soar high above the stage through the sky, and they take each member of the audience along for the ride. It is clear that Flying Sequence Choreographer, Paul Rubin put many hours into making the effect look and feel so real. The flying sequences felt magical. And there was the character of Tinkerbell. The single ball of light made its way across and above the stage, and we never once doubted that it was the infamous fairy doing her thing. They really nailed Tinkerbell and created magical moments throughout the night. The men and women who worked behind the scenes definitely brought the story to life.
If you are looking for a way to escape the stress of real life, Peter Pan is the ticket you need to buy. Let the cast and crew transport you and your family from to the magical world of Neverland. If even only for a couple of hours, you can escape reality and become a kid again. Don’t forget the Fairy Dust!
