The 2023/2024 Broadway in Orlando season is in full swing at Dr Phillips Center and next up on the stage to thrill Central Florida audiences is the show Peter Pan! This high-flying musical has been delighting audiences of all ages for nearly 70 years and is now being brought back to life in a new production directed by Emmy Award winner Lonny Price with an additional book by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse.
About Peter Pan
The adventure begins when Peter Pan and his mischievous fairy sidekick, Tinker Bell visit the nursery of the Darling children late one night. With a sprinkle of pixie dust and a few happy thoughts, the children are taken on a magical journey they will never forget. This extraordinary musical full of excitement and adventure, features iconic and timeless songs including “I’m Flying,” “I Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Neverland.”
A quick review of Peter Pan
As always, it is fantastic to get to see a show on tour in my own backyard without having to venture to New York to be able to experience Broadway. It is even better when I get a chance to bring my children to see a show. For Peter Pan, I brought my 12-year-old son and he had an amazing experience. I will always be thankful to touring shows for giving the opportunity for young people to have accessibility to not just community based productions, but productions that reach for the stars and the bright lights of Broadway.
As an adult who has seen more Broadway level productions than most people I know, it can be quite easy to pick at details when it comes to a touring production. It was a unique chance to explained to my son who noticed little things like harnesses that didn’t retract quickly or set pieces that seem to move the realities of a touring production. The incredible amount of work and effort it takes to mount these productions and for them to present them to our cities, requires a tiny bit of grace. This is live theater and the magic should go beyond those details. I love that he got to experience seeing Pixie Dust at work and Tinker Bell flying. While we do live in Central Florida and have more experience at Disney than most, there is something about the collective emotional experience of live theater that is a special brand of magic.
Another amazing element that made bringing my 12-year-old to the show even better was that he was able to see young people doing big things. This is a young cast, not just in the Darling children and Lost Boys, but even the adults. A lot of the people who graced the stage at the Dr. Phillips Center for Peter Pan showed us what young people can really do. This is a talented cast, and they brought a fresh energy to the stage! That was wonderful to witness.
Fun facts you might not know about Peter Pan
- Peter Pan was NOT a novel first, it began as a play!
The first staged production was called “Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” and it opened at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre on December 27, 1904. The play was a hit and was it was brought back every season for the following 10 years. It wasn’t until 1911 that the play was adapted into the novel, Peter and Wendy.
- Did you know Peter Pan wasn’t always wearing green?
Disney was the one who made the choice to dress Peter with the color green that we all recognize him in when the animated film was released in 1953. Since the success of that film, you rarely see Peter Pan dressed in a different color.
- The role of Peter Pan is most commonly played by a female, though J.M. Barrie hoped to see a boy play Peter Pan someday.
Unfortunately, J.M. Barrie never lived to see the day that the long-standing tradition of women would fill in the roles of young boys was broken to have a male in the role. These days you can see men portray Peter Pan on stage, but tradition seems to win out to this day and women can still be seen wearing green, especially in pantomime versions and musicals.
- It is also common to see the same actor portray both Captain Hook and Mr. Darling!
It is unclear where the common thought that it was always intended for the actor cast to play both roles, it is believed the tradition likely started out with early productions of Peter Pan being on a budget and requiring an actor to double up with two roles. Eventually people started to believe that the character of Mr. Darling is tame when around his wife, but when she’s not around, Mr. Darling begins acting like a pirate so the role should be portrayed by one person to communicate this point to the audience. Some believe that J.M. Barrie’s original intention was actually to have an actress portray Captain Hook and Mrs. Darling, but he never managed to achieve it.
Take a chance on this show if you can and bring the family out to a wonderful night at the theater!
@theangiewhite Thank you to #DrPhillipsCenter in #Orlando for bringing #BroadwayInOrlando to my backyard! I loved bringing my son to see #PeterPan ♬ original sound – Angie White
ATTENDING A SHOW AT DR PHILLIPS CENTER
Tickets for Peter Pan are on sale now and you click here for more information on how to secure your seat to the show! Don’t wait until the last minute, because this show will fill up fast. Have you attended a show at Dr. Phillips Center before? Before your visit here’s what to expect: Check out the “Know Before You Go” guide.
The AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando 23/24 Season is presented by Florida Theatrical Association in partnership with Broadway Across America and the Dr. Phillips Center. The arts center’s Walt Disney Theater has been home to Broadway in Orlando for the past seven seasons, following Broadway’s two seasons at the former Bob Carr Theater before the Dr. Phillips Center opened in 2014.
If you are an AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando 23/24 subscriber, renewals will begin March 10. Click here for more information on tickets for the 2023/2024 season! If you would like to become a new subscriber to AdventHealth Broadway in Orlando at Dr Phillips Center then click here for more information. The 2024/2025 season is going to be amazing and you will not want to miss it! Check out this post about the entire Broadway in Orlando season here.
About Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in downtown Orlando supported by the City of Orlando, Orange County, the City of Winter Park, the State of Florida and generous donors and sponsors. The 698,312-square-foot venue includes the grand 2,711-seat Walt Disney Theater, the community-theater style 296-seat Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, the new adaptable 1,464–1,770-seat Steinmetz Hall and, opening in 2023, the dynamic cabaret-style music room Judson’s. In addition, the venue has various versatile event spaces like the DeVos Family Room, the Rooftop Terrace and the 3-acre outdoor Seneff Arts Plaza. In addition, the arts center’s AdventHealth School of Arts offers classes, camps and pre-professional productions. For more information, visit drphillipscenter.org.
