By Kendra Hill
The city of Orem, Utah doesn’t seem to be a particularly magical land—unless you attend Peter Pan at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre. The tale of the ever-young Peter Pan is well known, and this play follows closely to the original story; however, Director Shawn M. Mortensen made it his own by creating a colorful and fun story to captivate even the youngest of viewers. The efforts of all the production crew blends together flawlessly. The movement on stage never ceases as characters dance, run, fight, and fly across the stage, adorned in amazing colorful costumes designed by Costume Designer Kelsey Seaver.
Peter Pan is a musical based on a play by Sir J. M. Barrie. Barrie bequeathed his story to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London in 1929, and a portion of the proceeds at every performance of his tale (including this one) are donated to the children’s hospital.
I attended this production with my 5-year-old daughter, Kinsey. While Mortensen’s Peter Pan would have been fun to watch on my own, having my child there made the experience even more fulfilling. She gasped when she saw Peter (Kevin J. Bigler) fly for the first time and would grab my hand whenever Captain Hook (Nathaniel Noyes) sauntered onto the stage. “Mom! The Pirates are coming!” She would tell me when she heard them start to sing, or “Oh, they are so pretty!” as the Indian girls danced onto the stage. During a time in the play when all seems lost and the Pirates have won, she turned to me, broken hearted, and said, “The bad guys are going to win, Mommy.” Kinsey enjoyed the show so much that she didn’t stop talking about it during our 25-minute drive and started telling her stories all over again to her father when we got home.
The story begins at the Darling Family’s house inside the children’s nursery. The three children, Wendy (Ella Child), John (Cameron Ward), and Michael (Rome Stewart) are being put to bed by their dog nanny, Nana (Lily Elison), housekeeper Liza (Kristin Young) and their parents Mrs. Darling (Karen Milne) and Mr. Darling (Noyes, who also portrays Captain Hook). Milne is wonderful as the children’s mother and has a stunning voice as she lulls the children to sleep. We also get to hear her sing later in the show as the Ostrich.
Bigler has a fantastic energy in the lead role as Peter Pan, and his playfulness carries the show forward at a good pace that keeps the audience enthralled, ready to see what happens next. Good job to the Fly Crew (Jared Ellis, Sam Wille, Ryan Honeyman, and Ty Hawton) for keeping all of the children safe, even with four cast members flying through the air together.
The cast also acts as the stage crew with Stage Manager Danielle Berry to transform the bedroom to the magical Neverland before our eyesDirector Mortensen, was also the Scenic Designer. Creating a set for an outdoor theater can be a challenge because the stage doesn’t have curtains or legs as is seen in an indoor theater. Mortensen took the challenge and created great looming set pieces that could be moved and turned to show different locations in the play. There are even multiple levels in the set pieces for the cast to use. Mortensen had a large crew to help him bring his set to life, including the Scene Shop Manager (Garrett Smit), Scene Shop Supervisor, (Jacob Sevy), Carpenters and Painters (Jared Ellis, Zippy Hellewell, andTy Hawton), and Scenic Artist (Rachael Gibson).
As we wait for the children to arrive in Neverland, we are introduced to the Lost Boys who are led by Peter Pan. The Lost Boys (and girls) are children who fell from their prams as babies and weren’t found, so fairies brought them to Neverland. As the children wait for Peter Pan, they hear a Pirate’s Song drifting through the trees and dash into their hideout. The Lost Boys and Pirates actors and actresses are fantastic portraying their characters, even if they didn’t have lines in the script. They are all very committed, and it makes the scenes with these two groups hilarious and fun.
Noyes’ villainous Captain Hook is often fairly silly as he dances with his crew and sings fun songs in a variety of tempos, but he still is scary enough that Kinsey was nervous about meeting him after the show.
We are also introduced to the Indians who reside in Neverland, who are led by Tiger Lily (Emily Mckell). The girls were my favorite to watch on the stage and performed with flair and skill the difficult dances choreographed by Sunny Watts. During live theater, anything can happen. I have had my own experiences with malfunctioning lights, torn curtains, and even being run over by a set piece. Mckell experienced one of the “joys” of live theater when her microphone pack slipped during a dance. Despite this minor malfunction, she spent the rest of the song continuing singing and dancing, which really speaks volumes for her professionalism and talent.
When Peter Pan and the Darling children finally reach Neverland, they join the Lost Boys, and Wendy begins acting as their mother and tells them stories. Child, who plays Wendy, has a beautiful singing voice and I wish we could have heard it more throughout the show. Child and Bigler (Peter Pan) have great chemistry and are perfect onstage together as Wendy seeks a kiss, and Peter remains oblivious to her intentions. Their relationship brings out jealousy in Tinkerbell (Lyla Oakenson), who also has feelings for Peter Pan. I enjoyed watching Oakenson flying and stomping around as Tinkerbell, as I have always seen the character portrayed by a spotlight or other small light zooming around rather than an actress. Oakenson added more magic to the story, and my daughter begged for a picture with her after the show.
All of the actors are easy to hear, whether they are singing or speaking, thanks to the prowess of the Sound Designer and Audio Engineer Chase Elison. Elison not only took care of the sound, but is also the Lighting Designer and Master Electrician, keeping everyone well-lit even through the changing light as the sun set. The vocals sound great, not only when the soloists sing, but when the cast is onstage—the harmonies are easily heard thanks to Music Director Brandalee Bluth Streeter.
While this performance of Peter Pan is targeted toward children, it is good to be aware that two minor curse words are used in the first scene of the Darling House while Peter is translating for Tinkerbell, who is upset.
While the late start time (8:00 PM) may seem to be daunting, here are a few tips you can do to help your child(ren) enjoy the show despite the later hour:
~Have a nap earlier in the day.
~Avoid doing activities in the sun.
~Have dinner before coming.
~Take advantage of the concession stand if they become hungry during the show.
~Arrive early and let the kids play on the playground near the theatre.
~Let them wiggle on the grassy hills they can play on during intermission, though SCERA does ask they do not roll down the hills as that can be dangerous to them and others.
~Bring light jackets and a blanket in case it gets chilly as the sun goes down.
~Use bug spray, though bugs aren’t much of an issue. Just in case.
Peter Pan is a great show to experience with your family and is perfect for children of all ages to enjoy. Come to the beautiful SCERA Shell Outdoor Theater as soon as you can. Pixie dust optional.
Scera Shell Outdoor Theatre presents Peter Pan based on the play by Sir J.M. Barrie, Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Music by Morris (Moose) Charlap.
Scera Shell Outdoor Theatre, 699 South State Street, Orem, UT
July 5-20 Excluding Sundays and Wednesdays 8:00 PM
Tickets: Adult $12-18 Child $10-16
Contact: 801-255-ARTS
SCERA Shell Outdoor Theater Facebook Page
Peter Pan Facebook Event
Photos by Rachael Gibson. Thanks to Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point for the beautiful location.
Wendy has an amazing voice and should have had many more singing parts than she did, I was left wanting to hear way more from her!