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A review of Theatre Victoria's "Peter Pan" By AprillBrandon in Pop Goes the Culture July 23, 2009

When doing a review, there are many different ways to approach it. For me, I go the simple route.

How do I feel right after walking out of theater?

In the case of Theatre Victoria’s “Peter Pan,” I walked out feeling good and with a huge smile on my face.

That pretty much says it all.

Unfortunately, a three-inch review probably won’t pass the muster of my editors and so let me explain why this show is such a delight for all ages.

First off, there is the flying. Yes, Peter Pan and company actually fly across the stage, which garnered many ‘ohs’ and ‘ahs’ from the children in the audience. Granted, you adults will probably be able to figure out how they’re doing it pretty quickly (wink, wink) but still, I mean, they’re flying, man.

The show was actually more humorous than I thought it would be as well. I was delighted to find myself busting into some rather loud and uncontrollable laughter throughout it (which I’m sure the people in front of me just loved).

Plus, there’s a reason why “Peter Pan” is a classic. It’s something we can all relate to. Considering I haven’t watched it since I was a kid, I was glad to find it still held magic for me (and as an adult, the story of a boy who didn’t want to grow up to become a man gave me some rather sudden insight into most of my previous relationships).

But it’s the actors that really make this show worthwhile. The biggest highlight for me was watching the immense talent of Brett Jones, who plays both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook. He was absolutely mesmerizing and stole every scene he was in. A veteran of Theatre Victoria, Jones is truly gifted and it shows whether he is singing, dancing or making the audience laugh with a mere look on his face.

Another scene stealer on a smaller scale (literally), is 6-year-old Christian Reynolds, who plays Michael Darling. Whether he knows it or not, this kid has natural comedic timing and stole the hearts of everyone in the audience. One of the youngest in the cast, if not the youngest, he never missed a beat and managed to keep up with the big boys. On a more personal note, I’d like to extend an invitation to Christian’s parents that should they ever want to get rid of him, I’d be more than willing to adopt him.

Of course, what would any review of “Peter Pan” be without mention of, well, Peter Pan. Played by Brett Hager, it’s obvious why he got the part. The guy has got a voice. In fact, during one scene in the second act, I’m pretty sure he hit notes that would make Mariah Carey jealous. Even though he is still in high school, he has a voice with not only range but power.

I’d also like to mention Chase Bennett, an eighth-grader from Crain Middle School, that played both Nana the dog and the infamous crocodile. It can’t be easy spending an entire performance dressed up like a giant dog on all fours or crawling on your belly as an alligator, but Chase did it and did it well and garner some laughs.

But ultimately this is an ensemble production and that’s where this show really shines. Whether it’s a bunch of big, burly men dressed as pirates doing the tango (which if you don’t find funny, I seriously think you should seek help) or the Indians doing wonderfully choreographed dances, the cast of 45, along with director Scott Mohon, managed to pull off some magic.

It’s enough to make a girl never wanna grow up.

The show opens tonight (re: Friday) and continues through this weekend and next. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.TheatreVictoria.org or call 361-570-8587.

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