Review of Peter and the Starcatcher at Drury Lane Theatre

Once upon a time I went to a show and it was called Peter and the Starcatcher. It was written by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker. It was directed by William Osetek. The music direction was by Ben Johnson and the choreography was by Rhett Guter. It was about a boy named Boy (Caleb Donahoe) and a girl named Molly (Emma Rosenthal) who were on this ship called the Neverland and there was another ship that belonged to Queen Victoria (God save her!) and one of the cargo that was supposed to go on the Queen's ship has been swapped. They have to get the right cargo back on the right ship. That's their mission, but several things happen that conflict with them doing that. It is about friendship, love, and origin stories. I thought this was a really fun show and I think this might be one of my favorite scripts ever. It is just so funny and touching, and it is all the right mixes, and I just love this play.

I felt like the vibe of the show was really cool. I liked how it seemed kind of like a storefront production even though it was a very big show in a theater with like a thousand people. The set (by Scott Davis) was very budgeted looking, which I think is a very cool look for this kind of show. I really like that vibe in a show because it brings you closer to the characters. Since it was originally not a broadway show, it kind of has a not super-high-budget set. I also thought it was cool how they used people as doors and stuff like that. Like one of the instances that they used people as the set that I really liked was when Molly was going through all these doors made by people and then they would be the people inside the rooms and then they would scatter to be the doors again. In each room something terrible was happening, like someone was getting beaten up or something, but then they would just scatter back and be doors. I thought that was very fun and cool and I really liked it.

I thought Black Stache (Matt Mueller) was very funny. I love that character. He was so hilarious and I love all the modern references that he makes. Like how he says, "And your milkshake brings all the boys to the yard." And when he slams his hand in the chest he sings, "Oh my god, oh my god, you guys" like from Legally Blonde but in a British accent which might be the funniest thing ever. And also it is coming from a person with the biggest mustache on the planet! I laughed my pants off almost the entire time he was on stage.

I really loved Ted (Zack Colonna). I loved how he was so obsessed with pork all the time. You think he is waking up during a romantic moment and that he is going to disturb the two lovebirds, but then he just says "pork" in like a loving way but he doesn't wake up. And Prentiss (Aaron Kirby) was very very stuck-up and very funny. He always pretended to be the leader, but when anything bad happened he got scared and wasn't a good leader at all. I found that very funny. The real leader is always Peter/Boy or Molly. I like that Molly gets to be the leader because at the very beginning they are very skeptical of a girl being a leader. And she is a very good leader but she brags a lot, although she is a very nice and amazing person. She might have to brag so much to make herself feel confident because her father (Rod Thomas) goes and does stuff without her all the time.

I saw some of the audience members had left at intermission. And I didn't understand that because I thought it was a good show. The thing is, I think the reason that they left might have been that they wanted it to be more like a musical. But if they just wait, they get all that in the second act. It starts with a big dance number and there is also a lot of heartwarming and sad stuff at the end. And in the middle it is all goofy and funny. I don't think the first act is bad, but I think some people don't get everything they want from a big musical from it. But if they just wait, they'd get everything they want in the second act.

People who would like this show are people who like amazing back stories, fabulous mustaches, and pork. I think people should definitely go see this show. I thought it was a fun production and I enjoyed it a lot.


Photos: Brett Beiner