Peter Pan

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Peter Pan is a boy, and that’s a very good thing for the Colorado Ballet production currently playing at the Temple Buell Theatre. On Opening Night, Peter was danced by Chauncey Parsons. With his blond hair and graceful dancing, he even looked like one imagines Peter Pan to be. Throughout the production run, Parsons alternates the role with Colorado Ballet favorite, Mashiro Momoae.

CEO and Artistic Director, Martin Fredmann, wanted to do a new work. He also wanted to do J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, but not just any ballet would do. He put together a new team including principal dancers Gregory K. Gonzales and Andrew Thompson to choreograph Peter Pan. Fredmann also enlisted the assistance of Richard Philip, Editor-in-chief Emeritus of Dance Magazine in writing the libretto and selecting the music.

The result is a classic enchanting Peter Pan tale of magical adventure. With the assistance of Flying by Foy, a technical flying company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, this production offers an abundance of flying. In flying through the starry night with Peter, one almost feels they’re flying also. Of course, there are wires, but the connecting and disconnecting of the wires was so expertly engineered, one could also forget the wires existed.

It was a great idea to feature a family story as beloved as Peter Pan, but the Opening House was a major disappointment. Would that Colorado Ballet had known there would be many empty seats on Opening Night, they might have extended complimentary tickets to families, kids, and youth groups who might not be able to afford the tickets.

Some of the colorful sets were provided through the courtesy of the Cincinnati Ballet, along with the costumes, which were delightfully appropriate. Because of the direction and choreography of this particular production the Colorado Ballet added additional sets of their own. The result: a visual funfest.

Not only were the dancers technically balanced in their art, they projected the attitudes and emotions of their characters, a feat not always accomplished in classical ballet.

Throughout the run, 11-year-old Wendy Darling is danced by Maria Mosina and Maya Makhateli, 9-year-old John Darling is danced by James Hernandez, and 6-year-old Michael Darling is danced by Jordan Sokol. Sharon Wehner and Dana Benton share the role of Tinker Bell along with a blinking light.

Jenna Kapat delights the audience in a dog suit as Nana. Annika Graham always brought verbal audience reaction when she appeared as the Crocodile.

The story is carefully tooled for all the familiar scenarios to ravel and unravel.

Although the choice of music fit the story and choreography like a glove, it is a shame the music had to be canned. The experience would have been even more thrilling had there been a live orchestra. The music was taken from a score Leo Delibes created for the ballet, Sylvia, and collaboration with Ludwig Minkus for the ballet, La Source. As the story unfolds with its pirates, Indians, and Lost Boys, the music feels like it was especially written for this production.

Unfortunately, time is short for the run of Peter Pan. Would that it could play longer. Would that the Buell would fill to the brim. Would that the Colorado Ballet could collaborate with community groups to ensure that families and kids could experience the beauty of ballet, the adventurous story, and the magic of this company. Maybe somewhere there’s a ballet angel who could assist in this endeavor. Maybe Peter Pan himself, if he could be found.