Everett, Wash. Published: Friday, November 7, 2008
'Peter Pan' opens on Whidbey stage
Herald staff
Whidbey Playhouse presents the musical version of "Peter Pan," James M. Barrie's fantasy about the boy who never wanted to grow up.
"Peter Pan" opens tonight and runs through Dec. 6 at Whidbey Playhouse in Oak Harbor.
Like its namesake, this is a story that never ages, where audiences continue to thrill at the thought of being able to fly and at frightening adventures that seem to happen every single day. It's a story about Peter Pan (Scott Arnold) and his ongoing search for a mother. He meets the Darling children, Wendy (Lisa Sparks), John (Jed Massengale) and Michael (Austin Hendrix), along with their Nursemaid Nana the Dog, and their housekeeper Lisa, who all accompany Peter, with the help of Fairy Dust, on his flight back to Neverland. They meet up with some pirates, led by the evil Captain Hook (Allen Young) and his sidekick Smee (Bob Hendrix). Thrown into this fantastic mix are an Indian tribe, mermaids, the Lost Boys, and, of course, the Crocodile.
This lively musical version has some familiar songs, such as "I Gotta Crow" and the catchy "Ugg-A-Wug," with lots of dancing. The music is by Mark Charlap with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. Additional music is by Julie Styne with additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. The production is directed by Rusty Hendrix.
"boom": This is a funny and slightly warped take on the apocalypse by new playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, who happens to end this story about the end of the world on a hopeful note.
Shows begin Thursday in the Leo K. Theatre of Seattle Repertory and run through Dec. 14.
Nachtrieb's tale, directed by Jerry Manning, follows a marine biologist who is a nerd chasing the idea of survival of the fittest after calculating that the end of the world is near. He posts a personal ad online, hoping to romance the woman that will help him ensure this survival of the species. Turns out that trying to save the Earth is a lot easier in theory than in practice, as the biologist's first date does not go as smoothly as planned.
Nachtrieb is a San Francisco-based playwright whose works include "Hunter Gatherers," "Colorado," "Meaningless" and "The Amorphous Blob." He holds a degree in theater and biology from Brown and has a master's in fine art in creative writing from San Francisco State University.
Director Manning is celebrating his 25th year at Seattle Rep. Manning has directed more than 30 productions around the country. He has done casting consultation for such films as "Forrest Gump," and television shows such as Ken Burns' "The Civil War" and he was recently named as Seattle Rep's producing artistic director.
"The Night of the Iguana": This Tennessee Williams classic kicks off the Edmonds Community College Theatre Arts Season and features veteran actors Joanna Goff as Hannah and Gordon Coffey as Nonno.
The show opens Thursdayand runs through Nov. 16 in the college's new Black Box Theatre in Mukilteo Hall, which opened in January. The college's on-campus theater has 200 moveable seats with adjustable lighting, sound and stage.
"Night of the Iguana" is set in September 1940 at a broken-down resort hotel on the coast of Mexico where an ex-minister is learning compassion and endurance from an unlikely group of fellow travelers.
Theatre manager Jim Bovino joined the college in September. Bovino has more than 15 years experience in theater as a writer, performer, producer and director. He is now joined by Andre Bouchard, the theater's ticketing and publicity lead. Bouchard is co-founder of Walrus Performance Productions in Seattle, where he served as artistic director for seven years.
