Reviewed by Fran Heller
Contributing Writer

James Barrie’s Peter Pan is 104 years old.

But to generations of families, he is simply the boy who never grows up.

An immortal children’s tale of fantasy and adventure, Barrie’s 1904 play speaks to the child in all of us.

In 1954, a musical version of “Peter Pan” flew onto Broadway. Conceived, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, with music by Mark Charlap and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, (additional music by Jules Styne and additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), it starred Mary Martin as the high-flying Peter Pan and Cyril Ritchard as the villainous Captain Hook.

Director Fred Sternfeld, whose trademark extravaganzas include “Ragtime,” “Fiddler on the Roof ” and “South Pacific,” does it again with “Peter Pan.” Brimming with comedy, song, dance, and high-flying wire acts, the show keeps the younger set, if not their parents, mesmerized throughout the almost three-hour production.

Some of the dancing and comic antics are interminable, but all of it is enjoyable. It’s at The Beck Center for the Arts through Jan. 4.

Sternfeld is a meticulous director, whose casting is unerring and whose attention to detail is a constant source of surprise and pleasure. Equally amazing is the extraordinary discipline, cohesiveness and heart of the 35-member ensemble, only one of whom is an Equity actor. An ace production team outdoes itself in recreating the enchantment of this beloved classic.

“Peter Pan” is not a great musical. Save for a few memorable melodies, the tunes and lyrics are forgettable. What endures is the story’s universal appeal to children.

The fantasy begins with Ben Needham’s storybook set, which undergoes a total metamorphosis for each of the three acts. Act I takes place in the toy-filled Victorian nursery of the Darling household, including a dog house for Nana, the children’s canine nurse, and a façade of large windows framed by Michael Boll’s starry night. Act II transports the audience to Neverland, the lushly verdant island home of Peter and the Lost Boys, where even the flowers exude a fairy-tale charm. Act III takes place on the pirate ship, which Needham recreates with delightful verisimilitude.

A campy, dandified Michael Mauldin is brilliant as the deliciously malevolent Captain Hook. Mauldin also doubles as Mr. Darling, the children’s much put-upon father, who is little more than a man-child himself.

From first to last, John Paul Soto as the eternally youthful Peter Pan owns the show. The exuberant Soto sings, dances and acts with equal ability and agility. Peter’s song of triumph, “I’ve Got to Crow,” is one of the musical’s more memorable numbers.

Whether sparring with a jealous Tinkerbelle (Boll’s flittering ball of green light always summons a smile), or beguiling a smitten Hook as a veiled Egyptian princess, Soto’s Peter remains priceless.

Kelly Smith is perfect as Wendy Darling, who becomes mother to Peter and the Lost Boys. Wendy’s affections for Peter are more than maternal, but the perennially boyish Peter remains stubbornly non-committal. Wendy and her brothers, Michael and John, (Stephen Sandham and Lincoln Sandham respectively) have the English dialect down pat.

Peter, Wendy, Michael and John fly through the air suspended from wires that are visible to the audience. This serves as a reminder that theater is about make-believe and the power of the imagination.

Other cameo gems include Brendan Sandham as Captain Hook’s skinny sidekick Smee, Maggie Stahl-Floriano as devoted wife and mother Mrs. Darling, Gregory K. White as the protective dog nurse Nana, and Michael Columbro as the slithering Crocodile with an unusual tick in his vocal chords. The entire cast is exceptionally fine.

Martín Céspedes’s choreography works wonders, but the dance numbers go on too long. Watching the excellent Alexis Generette Floyd as Tiger Lily and her band of Indians fan out like a centipede with perfectly synchronized arm movements is a treat.

Richard B. Ingraham’s comic sound effects don’t miss a trick, from a trapped Tinkerbelle and nattering birds to the watery splash of a pirate jumping ship.

Aimee Kluiber’s colorful costumes charm throughout. Larry Goodpaster and orchestra give the musical numbers their lively due.

A family tragedy inspired the playwright to create “Peter Pan.” When Barrie was 6, an older brother, David, his mother’s favorite, was killed in a skating accident on the eve of his 14th birthday. While James Barrie grew to manhood, David in his mother’s mind was still a boy of 13. David’s death inspired a Peter Pan divided between time stopped and time continuing.

“Peter Pan” was the very first show I saw on Broadway, and I have been hooked on the magic of live theater ever since. That magic was brought to sparkling life once again in Sternfeld’s sterling production. Take a child and see the show.

WHAT: “Peter Pan”

WHERE: The Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Ave., Lakewood.

WHEN: Through Jan. 4

TICKETS & INFO: 216-521-2540, ext. 10, or www.beckcenter.org

The musical Peter Pan, based on the play by James M. Barrie opened last weekend at The Beck Center for the Arts on Detroit Road in Lakewood. I attended the Saturday evening performance with my three and a half year old son, who was one of many children in the audience -- though he was one of the youngest. We both know the story well -- its one of my son's favorites. He has the video of Disney's animated Peter Pan which includes at the end a history of the stage and film versions. I also saw the movie Finding Neverland, which is about James M. Barrie and stars Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.

The Beck Center's interpretation of Peter Pan is more complex, politically correct and in some ways darker than the Disney version. The musical is directed by Fred Sternfeld, musical director is Larry Goodpaster and staging and choreography is by Martin Cespedes. One of the most creative aspects of the musical is the casting of Peter Pan. Peter Pan is played by John Paul Soto (in the original stage version and many others Peter Pan was played by a woman). John Paul Soto is more frat boy than imp, but is entirely believable as a boy who refuses to grow up. Wendy and the other Darling children are very real and developed characters. Michael Darling, played by Stephen Sandham is particularly adorable.

One of my favorite aspects of The Beck Center's Peter Pan is the Indians. I have always been embarrassed by the ugly racist caricatures in the Disney movie, but In this version the Indians are more like Amazons. Tiger Lily, dressed in a sexy red and yellow costume leads a band of female warriors. Tiger Lily, played by Alexis Generette Floyd is more of a tigress than a princess in peril. Her performance is outstanding! Captain Hook is a wonderfully grotesque and detestable villain complete with makeup, frock coat and lace. My son immediately noticed that his hook had not one but two sharp points. Captain Hook is ported around like Louis XIV by his strange crew. Their costumes depart from the expected pirate garb to include a kilt and lederhosen - Neverland is a fantasy world for everyone in it. The songs were not particularly memorable but the cast sang them well. The sets were very well done too. The bedroom in the Darling home was very Victorian London complete with a a large window that opened to a night sky and twinkling stars. It was not hard for me to suspend belief so it must have looked very real to the children in the audience. True to the original stage version Nana the dog and the crocodile that drools over Captain Hook are played charmingly by costumed actors.

The performance I attended seemed to captivate the audience. Despite the audience being about half children under twelve years of age there was barely a sound to be heard during the three acts. My son sat silently watching with great interest during the three hour performance (there were two intermissions). A few times he could not contain his excitement and had to comment or ask a question. He was particularly impressed by Captain Hook's hook.

Peter Pan runs December 5 - January 4, Thursday - Sunday with evening and matinée performances. Visit The Beck Center's website for more information or to purchase tickets. Tickets are very affordable and ticket prices are reduced for children under 12, students and seniors.

My son and I braved a blizzard to come to the Westside for the Saturday evening performance but it was well worth the trip.

At the end of the performance Claes asked if we could watch it again.

Are all the children in Lakewood little angels or are they just being good because Santa Clause is coming to town? The little ones in the audience at the matinee I attended were very obedient and attentive. Maybe that’s a testament to how endearing the story of Peter Pan is. Not to mention, who can resist the mesmerizing affects of pirates, Indians, alligators, lost boys and the ubiquitous Tinkerbell.

Beck Center breaks a long-standing tradition by having a male play the title role. You may recall that traditionally female actors including Cathy Rigby, Sandy Duncan and Mary Martin have played Peter. John Paul Soto does a fantastic job conveying the nonconformist ways of the boy who never grew up…and Wendy, ever the nurturer, is playing charmingly by Kelly Smith.

When the curtain opens on Act I, the stage is set beautifully in the bedroom of the Darling children. At center stage is the portal that will deliver a brash Peter into the lives of the cloistered Darlings. The dialogue between Mr. & Mrs. Darling is from a by-gone era, but no matter how prim and proper it is it still survives and has since James M. Barrie penned the tale in 1904.

As the Darling children settle in for sleep, Peter makes his entrance enveloped in a cloud of fairy dust and that is when the magic begins. Act I ends with the kids joining Peter in the flight to Neverland, yes they really do fly. The scenery on stage dramatically breaks apart and the curtains close for the first of 2 short intermissions.

The rest of the show is a menagerie of eccentrics including the abominable Capt. Hook played by Michael Mauldin with his cartoonish sidekick Smee (where did he get those pants?). The music throughout the entire show is fantastic and memorable.

So what was so great about Peter Pan? Everything…family entertainment, good for the soul, elaborate and beautiful scenery, magic, great music and children of all ages will love it.

It’s important to note that James M Barrie left the copyright of Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London. Thousands of children have benefited from his gift in the years since his death in 1937 and his legacy lives on.