DETROIT — “Finding Neverland” tells the story of a struggling theatre owner seeking to find a new musical to keep his doors open for years to come. Boy, what a story it is! Playwright J.M. Barrie works to solve that problem and ends up selecting the musical Peter Pan.
The play began with a shiny star moving around on the curtains. Then, the curtains went up to a musical number featuring the entire cast.
I was surprised to learn that legendary actor John Davidson was part of this play. He has two roles in the play–theatre owner Charles Frohman and Captain James Hook. Davidson is best known as a game show host of “That’s Incredible!,” “Time Machine” and “Hollywood Squares” in the 1980s, and a revival of “The $100,000 Pyramid” in 1991.
My favorite scenes were both in Act II. “Play” featured the adult cast members acting like children. They danced and played around to famous songs about London. I also enjoyed the following scene when the four boys sang “You Can Be Anything You Want To Be.” It was very inspirational to watch.
“Finding Neverland” featured several costume changes and set changes. They kept the musical flowing very well. I was impressed by the use of lighting and pixie dust falling from the ceiling. There were a few loud sounds during the musical so you might want to bring some ear plugs.
The play is two hours and 30 minutes long. There is one 20-minute intermission. It is based on the critically-acclaimed Academy Award® winning film, “Finding Neverland.”
Run, don’t walk to see “Finding Neverland” at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre. And don’t forget to bring the kids. You won’t be disappointed. Trust me.
OVERALL RATING: A
“Finding Neverland runs from February 6- 18 at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit. Performances include: Tuesday – Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday Evenings at 6:30pm, Saturday matinees at 2:00pm and Sunday matinees at 1:00pm. Tickets start at $29 and are available at BroadwayinDetroit.com or Ticketmaster.com.
