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Peter Pan by Christian Community Theater  The summer is off to a flying start on the top of Mt. Helix,
with Christian Community Theater kicking off their season with a bunch of
Darling children, a bunch of not-so-darling but very amusing pirates, a gang of
Lost Boys, a number of dancing Indians trying to find them, and that boy who
never grew up – Peter Pan!Under CCT founder Paul Russell’s direction, they are putting on one of the funniest Peter Pan’s ever that includes (but is not limited to): A highly original fight scene between Peter Pan (Moriah Angeline) and his Shadow (Kristien Olson), a borderline gory scene as Wendy (Janie Russell Underwood) sews Peter’s shadow back onto him, a most hilarious watchdog Nana (Evan Macy-Beckwith) who fills the role with all manner of amusing mannerisms and talks like Scooby-Doo, the most unusual sleeping positions for the Lost Boys, and a tricky flying maneuver that has Wendy and John (Austin Cesear) put the top hat on top of Michael’s (Michael Drummond) head in the most dramatic of ways. So yes, they do indeed fly over the Mt. Helix stage – one of the many spectacular visual effects used in the show to bring out the magic of Peter Pan. Other effects include splashes of much more color than usual with some highly exotic and strangely hued animals running around, some flashy Indian costumes (Elayn Thoeny) along with the dazzling costume adorned by the most striking Tiger Lily (Kasey Jordan) you’re likely to see, with all those Indians using multi-colored glow-in-the-dark drumsticks. Some fine choreography by KC Grulli adds to the exciting visuals of the Indian scenes. In addition to all the creative and visual splashes thrown into it, the show features many great performances as well. Moriah Angeline does a fine job in the title role as she fights the pirates, makes friends with the Indians, and tries to get a mother for his group of Lost Boys, Moriah presenting a charismatic and very boyish Peter Pan who likes to make raspberry sounds. Daniel Blevins is just a riot as Mr. Darling/Captain Hook, as are the entire gang of pirates led by his hilarious assistant Smee (Bryant Callihan). The Indians are a band of fantastic dancers led by the lovely Tiger Lily who, in addition to her looks, can sing too! The Darling children are truly adorable, as are the Lost Boys. In all, a delightful and magical journey from London to the land of Neverland – a land of adventure that somehow has the power to keep us all young every time we watch it.Opening night opened with a bunch of upcoming stage sensations belting out
classic and current Broadway tunes, contemporary pop music, and several
patriotic numbers as part of Christian Community Theater's "Star-Spangled
Kids," a talented tour group full of talent and energy who overcame
numerous technical problems with the speakers to keep the Mt. Helix audience
entertained leading up to the show, and just adding to a fantastic night of
theatre under the stars!
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