Last night I saw the musical Peter Pan at Wright State University. It was based on the play by Sir James M. Barrie with all the traditional details — a colored light representing Tinker Bell, the role of Peter played by a young lady, and the audience clapping to save Tinker Bell after she drinks the poison meant for Peter (hence this piece’s title).
This is the 40th season of “Stage Wright” at Wright State University and they always do an excellent job. (If there is a university with a performing-arts program in your area, it’s probably a wonderful entertainment value.) This was no exception — Peter was played at a professional level by Alyson Snyder, a Junior Acting/Musical Theatre major with an impressive list of credits, and the role of Captain Hook was absolutely nailed by Professor Bruce Cromer.
Whenever I see a production based on a classic, I often wonder how close it comes to the original. This makes me curious to go back to Barrie. The same is true about the works of L. Frank Baum (who was a very prolific author) after recently watching Oz The Great and Powerful on DVD. I feel compelled to add these to an ever-growing list, right after The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Phantom of the Opera, and Les Miserables.
And while I’m on the subject, it’s always interesting to see how a work is adapted from one medium to another. The stage production of Beauty and the Beast didn’t have the horse, and the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone had some visual effects that weren’t in the book. True to the original? I had no problems with them.
It’s interesting to see and it’s all part of the creative process.