"We're working on seeing if moving it to Broadway is possible. I'm feeling optimistic and excited that it might have a future life," Starcatcher co-director Alex Timbers, who received a 2011 Tony nomination for the book to Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, told Playbill.com at the 2011 Tony Award nominees reception.
Industry sources also confirmed to Playbill.com that there has been a great deal of interest in Peter and the Starcatcher since its Off-Broadway run and that discussions are ongoing about a future commercial run.
Tony Award winner Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, The Addams Family) penned the stage adaptation — based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson — which was staged by Tony Award nominee Timbers and Tony winner Roger Rees. Peter and the Starcatcher used inventive staging, actors and the imagination of the audience to conjure the world of Neverland and explore how a young orphan ultimately became Peter Pan.
The production opened to acclaim Off-Broadway March 9 and extended its run twice. NYTW is also where the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent debuted prior to its Broadway bow.
"It was really great to hone and develop it," Timbers said of the project. "I'm not interested in the sorts of plays and musicals that are recreating movies on stage. The stagecraft I'm really interested in is stuff that feels inherently theatrical. Obviously, I think that's what we should all be doing." Disney Theatrical Productions commissioned the work, which is not billed as a musical, but features a handful of songs by Wayne Barker. Steven Hoggett (American Idiot, Black Watch, Once) created the movement for the production, which has set design by Bloody Bloody Tony nominee Donyale Werle, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Jeff Croiter and sound design by Darron L West.
The Off-Broadway cast included Tony nominee Christian Borle (Angels in America, Legally Blonde, Spamalot, Mary Poppins) as Black Stache, 2005 Tony nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Les Miserables, Bachelorette) as Molly; Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal) as Peter; Teddy Bergman (Hell House) as Fighting Prawn; Arnie Burton (The 39 Steps, Amadeus) as Mrs. Bumbrake; Matt D'Amico (Fizz) as Slank and Hawking Clam; Brandon Dirden (Enron, Edgewise) as Captain Scott; Carson Elrod (Reckless, Wedding Crashers) as Prentiss; Kevin Del Aguila (book writer of Altar Boyz) as Smee; Greg Hildreth (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson) as Alf; Karl Kenzler (Mary Poppins, Twelve Angry Men) as Lord Aster; and David Rossmer (Fiddler on the Roof, Don't Quit Your Night Job) as Ted.
