Learning to Fly

Play Review:
Peter Pan

by J.M. Barrie
Musical Adaptation by Mark Charlap and Carolyn Leigh

Company: Redmond High School
Venue: Redmond High School
Run: 5/18/2010 – 5/22/2010

There is a certain appropriateness in having a high school stage a production of Peter Pan, as it is a story about the necessity of growing up, of overcoming one’s fears about adulthood and admitting that eternal youth in Neverland is not an enviable lifestyle. This week Redmond High School, along with select performers from local junior high and elementary schools, brings J.M. Barrie’s story to life in the musical incarnation by Mark Charlap and Carolyn Leigh.

The story, of course, is the familiar tale of Wendy, John, and Michael Darling, and their encounter one night with Peter Pan, the spritely boy in green who can fly and who has sat outside their bedroom window, more evenings than they know, listening to Wendy tell her younger brothers their bedtime stories. Now Peter offers to take Wendy back to his home of Neverland, where you never grow up, so she can be “Mother” to all the Lost Boys there and tell them stories forever.

Peter’s constant enemy in Neverland is Captain Hook, who wants to kill the Lost Boys. And when he discovers a “Mother” on the island, his plan is to keep her on board to tell stories to his pirates forever. This leads to the grand swordfight finale between Pan and Hook aboard the pirate ship, and a happy ending that becomes a slightly bittersweet ending and then we all go home. If that felt rushed, it’s because I’ve written it before in a film review.

Frankly, it would be easy to attack this latest production on many levels. For one, I’m just not crazy about the Charlap & Leigh musical version. Apart from the iconic “I Won’t Grow Up”, the songs strike me as not really striking me, and in some places feel desperately tacked on to no good purpose. It is possible, if I ever make myself watch the classic Mary Martin performance, that the songs may feel more integrated and catchy when performed by professionals, but I doubt it – amateur delivery does not seem to be the problem here. If you like the musical version, you may ignore this old codger’s opinion with abandon.

In this run, Peter Pan is played by two students. At my showing, Una Wagner was the featured performer; the other is Billy Brandt, and I might see if I can catch a snatch of his performance Friday by buttering up the right school administrators. Miss Wagner has a lot of the necessary charm and energy for the part, though I am partial to having actual males in male roles, as when Jeremy Sumpter played the role in the 2003 film. Wagner has an enthusiastic smile as well as a delightful singing voice, and does a fine job skipping, jumping, and crowing about the stage.

As can be expected from a school production, the talent level covers a wide spectrum. The performance that surprised me the most was Jeffrey Richards, a cute little speck of a thing I am assuming was recruited from an elementary school. As Michael, Richards shows more confidence and personality than some of the high schoolers, and has the advantage of being totally adorable in his white night shirt.

And naturally, as a school production, there is a disjointed blend of strong and weak elements. Some characters had microphones and were clearly audible, others went unaided in their projection and were lost completely under the ruckus of Indian chases and sword fights and the orchestra. At times the orchestra was simply too loud, though when the piano had the melody, the pianist seemed reticent to actually speak up.

Costuming was surprisingly extensive, and included a vibrant pirate costume for Captain Hook, and full-body dog and crocodile outfits as well. And though I’ve seen better sets at previous RHS productions, the large cut-outs and the “coloring book” look are very fitting for a children’s story. The school also managed to secure the services of Flying By Foy, so that they do indeed fly through the air as gracefully as any professional company. They even managed to do one better than the high school production I saw in Utah, where either John or Michael had to make repeated efforts to get off the ground while a banging sound backstage suggested some trouble with the wires.

I will also point out that the playbills are very professional. I mention this because six or seven years ago the RHS playbills were flimsy, poorly laid out, and riddled with typos. A good playbill should present a professional welcome to audience members, and the one for Peter Pan achieves this.

And now I have to be cruelly honest: The quality of the production does not justify the $10 ($12 at the door) ticket price. Certainly as a former drama teacher I am aware that a school play is mounted as an experience for the students. At the educational level, the audience is not there to be entertained; they are there to provide an audience for the young performers learning what it is to memorize lines, create characters, and go out on a stage and face down a paying crowd. The audience becomes another facet of the students’ dramatic education.

And I have happily paid between four and seven bucks in the past for some very good shows at Redmond High, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream and even that depressing Woody Allen drama with the title I cannot recall that was very well acted despite its dreary message of hopelessness. So I am not just being a mean old critic who does not know how to view school plays for the educational value they present to the students. I simply did not receive a twelve-dollar show last night.

I think any and all troubles can be summed up as the director Phil Neely biting off a bigger project than the school was ready to chew. One of the first signs is that almost every Lost Boy and pirate is played by a female (much like the female Russian soldiers in my junior high adventure through Fiddler on the Roof). And I could be wrong but the presence of students borrowed from other schools would suggest that there was not enough in-house student interest to pull the play off.

Were I to list all my thoughts, they would largely revolve around little things that could have spiced up the production a notch. One example: Despite having a choreographer on the crew, some moments were a little bland. While Peter Pan sings “I Gotta Crow” the character pretty much just stands there. I so wanted to see him bound about the room like the cocky and vibrant imp that he is. I’m surprised no one on the creative staff found anything interesting to do with that scene.

I could go on, but I will retreat and remind myself that it is for the students that a school play is put on. And as such, several dozen kids are getting a good experience putting on a massive production. They are learning what it is to get into costume, enter on cue, act and react. In the wings, the crew are learning about timing of curtain, lights, music. And certainly they are learning that when cast members are flying fifteen to twenty feet off the stage, there is no room for getting distracted. I was not satisfied as an audience member, but I would not have the students involved miss out on this facet of their education no matter what the crusty old critics say.

Despite the play’s rough edges – of which there were plenty – as I sat there with my five-year-old son and heard again the play’s message about growing up, I did have to hold back a tear or two. They grow up so fast, don’t they? But the alternative of remaining a petulant child forever would not truly be as wonderful as it sometimes sounds.

I certainly hope that if you are a family member or friend of cast or crew that you will go see what they have achieved. For all others, I leave it up to you.

Lowest ticket price: $10
Value for money: Very hard to justify the expense