The Pittsburgh Musical Theater production now at the Byham Theater takes its time getting to Peter Pan’s arrival, but it’s worth the wait to see Michelle Coben in graceful flight, trailing golden glitter and looking for Tinkerbell’s green glow.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Stage Review: When it gets rolling, PMT's 'Peter Pan' takes flight
The Pittsburgh Musical Theater production now at the Byham Theater takes its time getting to Peter Pan’s arrival, but it’s worth the wait to see Michelle Coben in graceful flight, trailing golden glitter and looking for Tinkerbell’s green glow.
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4 comments:
Something that I really didn’t realize is how much Peter Pan is now being performed with the NBC performance and numerous other regional productions I’ve heard of. I was thinking of a reason of why this is happening, what interest do people suddenly have to tell this story again. I started to think from a business standpoint and realize that this story sells incredibly well. It is so well recognized and there is the opportunity for spectacle, which is now, what more and more audiences are demanding. In a way building off of that, I have seen some PMT shows and I wish that they would try more non-stereotypical musicals. I realize that it may be a part of their mission and they also have a big emphasis on children’s education but shows like Peter Pan aren’t changing the way we look at theatre. That story sells tickets. But I guess there is just a different type of theatre for everyone.
This looks like a very cool show, and provides a strong counterpoint to the television production of Peter Pan. I think that a lot of what I didn’t like about the Peter Pan that aired on television is the fact that some of the magic is lost when shown on the screen. I love that theatre can make people fly: but movies do it all the time, and so it loses something special. When seen on stage, I think there is a greater appreciation for the magic that is at work behind the scenes, when people can say “wow, that was really cool. I wonder how they did that?” In movies, I think people put it down to computers due to all of the CG and special effects that are in movies and television now. Even though in the production of Peter Pan on tv they did use those traditional methods, I think seeing it on the big screen made it lose some of that magic.
Like Ben, I didn’t originally understand the craze of all of these different theatre companies simultaneously producing productions of Peter Pan. I assumed it was because of the recent live action viewing of NBC’s production earlier this year. However, thinking back, Peter Pan was the first Broadway production that I had ever seen. Cathy Rigby was absolutely amazing and magical. The reason that this production keeps on being produced is because it’s so relatable and puts you in a magical state. It makes you feel like a child again. Although it has qualities of being extremely stereotypical, it can be amazing if done well and not overplayed. The Byham Theatre is going to be doing the same heart warming production with Michelle Coban as the lead role of Peter Pan. Personally, I feel that as overplayed and stereotypical as the play is, it will always be magical and will always be amazing regardless of who performs it.
It's wonderful to see live, stage productions of "Peter Pan," after the popular NBC production. Hopefully, audiences will be drawn to the theatre, because the television viewing attracted attention to the show itself. However, I wonder how well the production faired, seeing as the review harped on the idea that there was a lack of energy and pacing, until later on. However, I think that it's great for a college to put on this type of musical, because the messages will permeate the college students, who might not feel inclined to ever go out and see "Peter Pan" otherwise. In all, attracting viewers to the live theatre is vital, and using the ignition from NBC's production was certainly a smart, bold move.
Kevin Paul (54-102 :: A, Acting 1, Cameron Knight)
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