A mix of theatrical storytelling, language and stagecraft, Peter and the Starcatcher is based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Tony Award nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, The Addams Family) authored the stage adaptation that 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.
Casting is currently underway for an Off-Broadway engagement that will arrive at New World Stages March 18. The original creative team will repeat their work. In addition, a national tour will launch in August at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver, CO.
The production 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. 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."
Peter and the Starcatcher features Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal, Rent) as Peter, Matthew Saldivar (A Streetcar Named Desire, Grease, The Wedding Singer) as Black Stache, Betsy Hogg (Fiddler on the Roof, The Crucible) as Molly, as well as Teddy Bergman (Seven Minutes in Heaven), Arnie Burton (The 39 Steps), Matt D'Amico (Fizz), Kevin Del Aguila (Jacques Brel...), Carson Elrod (Reckless), Greg Hildreth (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), David Rossmer (Don't Quit Your Night Job), Betsy Hogg (Fiddler on the Roof), Orville Mendoza (Pacific Overtures), Jason Ralph (All's Well That Ends Well) and John Sanders (Mamma Mia!).
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 direction by Marco Paguia.
Peter and the Starcatcher is produced on Broadway by Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Greg Schaffert, Eva Price, Tom Smedes, Disney Theatrical Productions, Suzan & Ken Wirth/DeBartolo Miggs, Catherine Schreiber, Daveed Frazier & Mark Thompson, Jack Lane, Jane Dubin, Allan S. Gordon/Adam S. Gordon, Baer & Casserly/Nathan Vernon, Rich Affannato/Peter Stern, Brunish & Trinchero/Laura Little Productions, Larry Hirschhorn/Hummel & Greene, Jamie deRoy & Probo Prods./Radio Mouse Ent., Hugh Hysell/Freedberg & Dale and New York Theatre Workshop.
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.
