Peter and the Starcatcher: Broadway in Spring 2012
Producers Nancy Nagel Gibbs and Greg Schaffert have announced that in the Spring of 2012 Tony Award nominee Rick Elice's (Jersey Boys) new play, Peter and the Starcatcher, based upon the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, will open on Broadway.
In Peter and the Starcatcher, directed by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, a company of twelve actors plays some 50 characters - all on a journey to answer the century-old question: How did Peter become The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up?
Peter and the Starcatcher played earlier this Off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) where it opened on the 9 Mar 2011, following previews from 18 Feb 2011.
The sold out run, which was originally scheduled to end on 4 Apr 2011, was extended twice and played through to 24 Apr 2011.
The show opened to mixed, but mostly positive reviews: Superb story telling (newyorktheatreguide); Never stops flying (NY Times); An imaginative and wildly entertaining adaptation (Back Stage); A magical show in every radiant way (Newsroom Jersey).
The play set a record for the highest grossing single day in NYTW's history. The production went on to receive five Drama Desk nominations (and a win for Outstanding Music in a Play); two Obie Awards (for Direction and Design) and two Lucille Lortel Awards (for Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Choreography).
The entire creative team reunites for the Broadway production and includes scenic design by Donyale Werle, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Jeff Croiter and sound by Darron L. West.
No cast has been announced for the Broadway production of Peter and the Starcatcher.
The Off-Broadway production, which was also directed by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, featured Adam Chanler-Berat (Peter), *Christian Borle (Black Stache), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Molly), and also included Teddy Bergman (Fighting Prawn), Arnie Burton (Mrs. Bumbrake), Matt D'Amico (Slank), Hawking Clam (Fizz), Brandon Dirden (Captain Scott), Carson Elrod (Prentiss), Kevin Del Aguila (Smee), Greg Hildreth (Alf), Karl Kenzler (Lord Aster) and David Rossmer as (Ted).
*from 1 Apr 2011 Steve Rosen alternated the role of 'Black Stache' with original cast member Christian Borle.
Peter and the Starcatcher began its journey to the stage in 2003 when Disney Theatrical Productions president Thomas Schumacher discovered the first Barry and Pearson book while it was still in galleys, and its development has been shepherded by DTP ever since.
With just a few scenes outlined, the project received its first lab in 2007 at Williamstown Theatre Festival under the direction of Rees and Timbers. A full length version of the play was then written by Elice and developed in a Page to Stage production at La Jolla Playhouse in the winter of 2009.
Following further revisions, the play received its first fully staged production with the spring 2011 run at NYTW.
Scene from Off-Broadway production of of Peter and the Starcatcher More production photographsOriginally published on