It’s always fun when I get the chance to check a much talked about show off of my list and even better when that show proves to be a great experience. I recently had the chance to do so with Hale Center Theatre’s new production of Finding Neverland. This magical night of theatre combines heart and soul with the spectacle and fun only Hale can provide in this state.

Most people grow up hearing the story of Peter Pan, Wendy and Captain Hook and all the imaginative fun of Neverland. Finding Neverland, on the other hand, dives a little deeper telling you the backstory of the playwright J.M. Barrie. It is based on a play called The Man Who Was Peter Pan and of course the Oscar nominated film of the same name from 2004.

Going into this production I was honestly worried it would be on the dry side. I’m not the biggest Peter Pan person and it all sounded a little bit boring, but I was pleasantly surprised with how engaging the story is. A lot of credit has to go to the book writers Allan Knee and James Graham who expertly combine together the whimsical side of the creation of Peter Pan with the more grounded story of Barrie’s widow friend Sylvia Llewelyn Davies getting sick and dying with 4 young children to care for. That’s not an easy combination to make work but they do.

Presented in the larger Young Living Centre Stage director Dave Tinney has mostly used the bells and whistles of the big stage to its advantage and to help telling the story. There is one set that had a pole obstructing the view of the couple singing “What You Mean to Me” which was frustrating. I understand they need to have the platform for the dancers to perform on but I wish they had made the poles thinner or come up with some other solution for that scene. Nevertheless, the stage was mostly quite effective in combining elements of dance, aerialists and large setpieces like a giant crocodile’s head that was quite exciting.

The cast at Hale is all excellent with Keith McKay Evans leading the large ensemble as Barrie and Bre Welch as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (they aren’t usually together but were the night I was there.) Some of the highlights musically are “We Own the Night,” which had almost a Tim Burton Beetlejuice quality to it, “When Your Feet Don’t Touch the Ground” is a very pretty number and “Play” made me smile. The 4 child actors are all wonderful, but I was particularly impressed with young Flynn Mitchell who has the emotional climax of the show when he tells Barrie to stop lying to him about his mother. He owns that scene.

As I said, the production elements are very strong with beautiful costumes by Joy Zhu and some inventive work with light, shadows and silhouettes by lighting designer Jaron Kent Hermansen. No matter the tastes Finding Neverland at Hale should have something for everyone! It is playing through June 14th but tickets are selling fast. They can be purchased here.

Finding Neverland features music by Scott Frankel, Gary Barlow, Eliot Kennedy with lyrics by Michael Korie, Barlow and Kennedy and a book by Knee and Graham.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.