Christian Tesch, Gavin Nienbauer, Alanna Saunders and Tyler Michaels

The Children's Theatre Company has mounted its first production of the musicalized Peter Pan, which first played on Broadway in 1954 starring the legendary Mary Martin. That production was widely seen by way of a landmark live mid-1950s television broadcast, now available on DVD. Since then, Peter Pan has been seen in numerous revivals on Broadway, national tours, school, community, regional theater, and most recently, another live broadcast on network television this past December. Anyone who has never seen this show simply has not tried.

And here is Peter Pan again, like its hero, never growing up. The Children's Theatre production, under Peter Rothstein's direction, has given the show a splendid shine, laying out its plot with enough magic to entrance the youngest members of the audience, enough heart-felt sentiment to draw those of us not so young. The show is cannily performed and beautifully designed. Moreover, Children's Theatre Company has done two things that make this Peter Pan significantly different from others.

For starters, there are no Indians. The portrayal of Indians in Barrie's original work as fanciful characters, akin to the pirates and mermaids, has become increasingly untenable with recognition of how insulting their characterization is to actual flesh and blood people in our communities. The most recent major touring production removed the most offensive language and gestures from the "Indians!" ballet, and the song "Ugg-a-Wugg," but retained Indians as characters, led by Princess Tiger Lily. This production has a gang of tough girls, called Pounce, whose leader also is named Tiger Lily. Pounce, though clearly human, are costumed to look somewhat like feral cats. There is no explanation as to who they are, or how they got on the island of Neverland. Then again, there was never an explanation of how Indians got there, or pirates or mermaids either. Of course, we come to the piece knowing what Indians, pirates, and mermaids are. What is Pounce? We are left to figure that out for ourselves, but in the end, it makes no difference to the story. The "Indians!" ballet is gone. The lively song and dance number "Ugg-a-Wugg," celebrating the alliance between the Indians and Peter and his Lost Boys has been revised with some of the verses kept, but offensive ersatz Indian-speak and tom-tom beats removed.

The second major change in CTC's Peter Pan is that Peter, traditionally played by a lithe, youthful appearing woman, is here played by a man—to be sure, a lithe and youthful man. And who better, among all the talent in the Twin Cities, than Tyler Michaels, fresh from a dazzling turn as a hyper-kinetic Puck in the Guthrie's A Midsummer Night's Dream? Having demonstrated his range as the Emcee in Cabaret, Freddy in My Fair Lady, Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid, and the title character in Bat Boy, Michaels has proven to be a chameleon, with one constant: an irrepressible youthful glow that finds its total manifestation as the ever-youthful Peter Pan. Michaels sings, dances, flies, and acts as if he has left his personal identify back in the dressing room. He does not play Peter Pan on stage—he is Peter.

Peter Pan lives in the fantastical Neverland as leader of the Lost Boys, all sworn to never grow up. They fight off pirates, led by the fearsome Captain Hook. Of late, Peter has been listening outside the window of the Darling family's nursery in London, where Wendy, John, and Michael Darling are told stories by their mother. When Wendy discovers Peter, he invites the three children to Neverland. They need only learn to fly, which requires special fairy dust (courtesy of Peter's fairy sidekick, Tinker Bell), and off they go. The Lost Boys beg Wendy to be their mother, which is fun for a while, but in time Wendy, John, and Michael become homesick. Meanwhile, Captain Hook has a new scheme to capture Peter and the Lost Boys, and force Wendy to be mother to the Pirates. It looks bleak, but Peter saves the day—after bringing Tinker Bell back from the brink of death. Wendy, her brothers, and all the Lost Boys travel to the Darling home, where all are welcomed to grow up as a family—all but Peter, who is resolute: he will never grow up! Breaking Wendy's heart, he flies back to Neverland.

Peter Pan does not have the strongest of musical theater books. It actually has no credited book writer. The parts of the story were cobbled together from Barrie's play by Jerome Robbins, credited in the original 1954 production with directing, choreographing, and adapting the show. Still, the original story nuggets blaze with imagination, and the bountiful score is melodic enough for the whole bundle to work. The songs have the brassy sound of golden-age Broadway, but range in tone from exhilarating ("I've Gotta Crow," "I'm Flying") to comic ("A Princely Scheme," "Hook's Waltz") to lilting ("I Won't Grow Up," "Wendy") to wistful ("Neverland," "Distant Melody"). "Mysterious Lady" is omitted from this production, and no loss there. It was a great comedy turn for Mary Martin back in the day, but does nothing for the plot.

Judicious trimming allows the show to run just two hours in two acts (the original was three acts) without losing anything germane to the main storyline or compromising its blend of high adventure and poignancy.

Children's Theatre Company members Reed Sigmund (as Captain Hook and Mr. Darling), Dean Holt (as Hook's first mate Smee and the Darling's nurse-maid dog Nana), and Autumn Ness (as Mrs. Darling) all do their usual stellar work. Sigmund comes across as a bumbling Hook in spite of his evil plottings—which is just right for young audience. His silly stage business scores again and again. Holt is a totally hammy delight as Smee, while Ness a sincerely concerned and loving Mrs. Darling. Alanna Saunders has a lovely singing voice and a persuasive motherly instinct as Wendy. Meghan Kreidler is given little to say, but sings and dances to well as Tiger Lily.

The entire cast—every Lost Boy, pirate, and Pounce—give highly spirited performances, greatly aided by Linda Cho's imaginative costumes. Walter Spangler's sets are perfect settings for these flights of fantasy, wonderfully abetted by Phillip S. Rosenberg's lighting, so well aligned with each shift in emotion, whether we are cheering for a spirited battle or being touched by yearning for home. There is humor in every detail ... for example, the poison cake dreamed up by Captain Hook in a plot to kill off the Lost Boys is wheeled out on a wooden tea cart, covered with fish netting adorned with starfish and lobsters—what lovely fun!

The original production of Peter Pan, as conceived by Jerome Robbins, was a dance-heavy show. While two key dance numbers—"Indians!" and "The Neverland Waltz"—are absent, wonderful dances remain, choreographed with acrobatic flourish by Joe Chvala. And there is the flying, which continues to satisfy, even decades after first watching Mary Martin in the air on our black and white TV screen. In fact, with Tyler Michaels in the air, the flying seems more light and devil-may-care than ever.

Who is this Peter Pan for? Everyone! Of course, for children. It should be a legal requirement, upheld as staunchly as compulsory education and immunizations, for every child to pass at least once through Neverland. But the stage craft, the performances, the artistry of this production, and the unwashed sentiment make this a great time at the theater for any age audience, whether grown up or not.

Peter Pan continues at Children's Theater Company through June 21, 2015. 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55404. Tickets are $10.00 - $80.00. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. For tickets call 612- 874-0400 or go to childrenstheatre.org.

Based on the play by Sir James M. Barrie; Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh; Additional Lyrics: Betty Comden and Adolph Green; Music: Morris (Moose) Charlap: Additional Music: Jule Styne; Director: Peter Rothstein; Choreographer: Joe Chvala; Music Director: Denise Prosek; Conductor: Victor Zupanc; Scenic Design: Walt Spangler; Costume Design: Linda Cho; Lighting Design: Philip S. Rosenberg; Sound Design: Sten Severson: Fight Choreography: Annie Enneking; Stage manager: Kathryn Sam Houkom; Assistant Stage Manager: Tiffany K. Orr; Assistant Director: Libby Peterson; Assistant Choreographer: Traci Allen Shannon; Associate Costume Designer: Sarah Smith; Assistant Lighting Designer: Alan Hanson; Stage Management Intern: Elizabeth Dewitt; Fight Captain: James Rodriguez; Dance Captains: Meghan Kreidler and Matthew Rubbelke

Cast: Maia Hernandez (Jane), Dean Holt (Smee, Nana the Dog), Meghan Kreidler (Tiger Lily), Tyler Michaels (Peter Pan), Autumn Ness (Mrs. Darling), Gavin Nienaber (Michael), Alanna Saunders (Wendy), Reed Sigmund (Captain Hook, Mr. Darling), Christian Tesch (John), Sadie Wendt (Liza)

Pirates: Gerald Drake, Lamar Jefferson, Autumn Ness, James Rodriguez and Matthew Rubbelke

Lost Boys: Ethan Davenport, Billy Dunlap, Zachary Hodgkins, Sam Kellar-Long, Jordan Muschler, Kelvin Marley Vaye and Alejandro Vega.

Pounce: Lauren Bonner, Kimora Collins, Maia Hernandez, Sanjana Krishnamurthy, Isabella LaBlanc, Isadora Swann, and Sadie Wendt.

Photo: Dan Norman

- Arthur Dorman

Also see the season schedule for the Minneapolis - St. Paul region