Based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter and the Starcatcher first premiered Off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop March 9, 2011, where it extended its run twice. The entire Off-Broadway cast returned for the Broadway transfer that began March 28, 2012, and opened to acclaim April 15 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. It ended its Broadway run Jan. 20, 2013. The new Off-Broadway transfer is open-ended.
Tony Award nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, The Addams Family) authored the stage adaptation that is co-directed by Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers and Tony winner Roger Rees (The Addams Family, Nicholas Nickleby). It features original Tony Award-nominated songs by Wayne Barker.
Rick Holmes portrays pirate Black Stache, with Jason Ralph as Boy and Nicole Lowrance as Molly. Holmes and Ralph also appeared in the Broadway production.
Returning Broadway cast members include Kevin Del Aguila as Smee, Matt D'Amico as Slank and Evan Harrington as Alf. New to the cast are Edward Baker-Duly as Lord Aster, Josh Grisetti as Fighting Prawn, Alex Hernandez as Captain Scott, Nate Miller as Ted, Andrew Mueller as Prentiss, Jon Patrick Walker as Mrs. Bumbrake, as well as Jordan Geiger, Joanna Howard, Graham Stevens and Jose Restrepo.
Starcatcher received nine Tony Award nominations, and took home honors for Best Costume Design (Paloma H. Young), Best Lighting Design (Jeff Croiter), Best Sound Design (Darron L. West), Best Scenic Design (Donyale Werle) and Best Featured Actor (Christian Borle). The play, according to producers, takes audiences on "a journey to answer the century-old question: How did Peter Pan become The Boy Who Never Grew Up? This epic origin story of one of popular culture’s most enduring and beloved characters proves that an audience’s imagination can be the most captivating place in the world."
Steven Hoggett (American Idiot, Black Watch, Once) created the movement for the production, which has set design by Tony Award winner Donyale Werle, costume design by Tony Award winner Paloma Young, lighting design by Tony Award winner Jeff Croiter, sound design by Tony Award winner Darron L West and musical supervision by Marco Paguia. Greg Anthony is musical director.
Peter and the Starcatcher is produced by Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Greg Schaffert, Eva Price, Tom Smedes and Disney Theatrical Productions.
Disney Theatrical Productions commissioned the work. Peter and the Starcatcher began life at the La Jolla Playhouse as part of the company's Page To Stage Play Development program.
A national tour will begin this August at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver, CO.
