Finding Neverland tour soars at Washington DC’s National Theatre

Jeremy Daniel

We all know the story of Peter Pan, the boy from Neverland who never grew up. But how many of us know how the story Peter Pan came about? Well, if you’ve seen the movie Finding Neverland, you do know the story but for a more family-friendly version of how author J.M. Barrie came to write Peter Pan, look no further than the touring version of the Broadway musical Finding Neverland now residing at Washington DC’s National Theatre.

In Finding Neverland we meet author and playwright J.M. Barrie (Jeff Sullivan) who is struggling to come up with a new idea for a show for his American producer Charles Frohman (Conor McGiffin). Their last production was not as successful as the past shows, and when Barrie meets Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Ruby Gibbs) in Kensington Park one day with her four boys, he learns that she’s a fan of his work but it’s all becoming a bit repetitive, picking out scenes from his new play and pointing out the similarities to his past work. Realizing he’s copying himself, Barrie is stumped but he draws a childlike inspiration from the boys, particularly Peter, who has lost his own childhood innocence after the death of his father. Peter inspires Barrie and Barrie inspires Peter, but will Frohman be willing to put on a play ‘for children’ that also involves people flying across the stage, something unheard of in 1904? There are laughs and tears along the way, but by the end the audience should feel just like Barrie’s boys who never grow up, full of wonder at this terrific production.

Jeremy Daniel

Finding Neverland‘s cast all turn in strong performances from the leads down to the ensemble who work hard throughout the show in several different roles. A show like this can succeed or fail on the strength of its ensemble and this show has a very strong group indeed. No one is phoning it in, that’s for sure particularly as they have to deal not only with multiple parts but Mia Michaels’ sometimes intricate and always eye-catching choreography. Jeff Sullivan is wonderful as Barrie. Extremely handsome and charming, his Barrie is extremely likable and Sullivan, who is in almost every scene of the show, also brings that childlike wonder to life as he interacts with the boys and relates his stories. Glee‘s Matthew Morrison originated the role on Broadway, but Sullivan really makes this role his own. I hate to be too critical of a performer who often crams more than a week’s worth of shows into a week because as an audience member you don’t know if the actor is having an off night, perhaps under the weather but the show must go on. But for all of Sullivan’s charm, charisma and good looks that are all obviously on display, I wasn’t feeling that his voice was at its strongest at this performance, coming across a bit thin and nasally. Looking at him, I expected a smoother tenor so the singing just wasn’t all there for me. But still, his acting and interaction with the children and Ruby Gibbs was on point.

Gibbs is also lovely as Sylvia, making us feel like she truly is the mother to the four boys. Her performance is sweet and sincere and she also has a beautiful voice that gets to shine in her solo numbers ‘All That Matters’ and ‘Sylvia’s Lullaby’. She and Sullivan also have a wonderful duet, ‘Neverland’, which she completely powers through. Her connection with Sullivan is palpable, and she easily makes the audience fall in love with her as well.

The young actors who play the Davies boys Peter, Jack, Michael and George alternate roles but all of them are superb. At the opening night performance, Seth Erdley took on the role of Peter and he was simply marvelous. I can’t imagine having to learn three different roles and then alternate with your fellow cast members, but Erdley was confident and strong as Peter and he also had a great connection with Sullivan.

Jeremy Daniel

Conor McGiffin is really the show’s scene stealer as Charles Frohman, the American producer of Barrie’s plays. Frohman is often exasperated by many things — the failure of Barrie’s most recent production, the length of time it’s taking Barrie to write something new, a play where people fly … and children (and a play for children). Frohman pops into a scene when things start getting a bit dramatic to lighten the tone a bit, and McGiffin has great comedic chops. He also gets to cut loose as the phantom Captain Hook, Barrie’s id, and has a superb, powerful voice. I enjoyed him every time he was on stage either as Frohman or Hook (and sometimes within moments of each other after a very quick change that also included the application of a beard … cheers to the crew who pulled that off!).

I also really enjoyed Emmanuelle Zeesman as Mrs. du Maurier, Sylvia’s stern mother who disapproves of the relationship between her recently widowed daughter and the married Barrie, as well as the connection he’s developing with the children, particularly Peter nothing that people are talking about Sylvia and Barrie, and even worse, Barrie and Peter. Zeesman does have a few numbers here and there and she makes her character’s arc though the story believable.

Jeremy Daniel

The scenic design of Finding Neverland by Scott Pask is terrific as scenes change from a theatre stage to a park to a stately dining room, sometimes augmented with some amazing video projections designed by Jon Driscoll, at times making you feel as if you’re flying through the stars or moving through time. The setting and projections for the numbers ‘Circus of Your Mind’ and ‘Stronger’ are particularly entrancing. Lighting (Kenneth Posner), Costumes (Suttirat Anne Larlarb) and Hair & Makeup (Bernie Ardia) are all top notch, and the show also contains a few stunning illusions such as a moment near the end that involves a cyclone of fairy dust. Finding Neverland also has a collection of songs by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy that have a wonderful musicality to them and the cast, particularly in the group numbers, just makes that music soar.

James Graham’s book also keeps the show mostly lighthearted, steering away from some of the more unseemly subject matter that was hinted at in the movie, keeping things family-friendly even in moments of sadness in the second act. Diane Paulus, who directed the wonderful revival of Pippin, keeps things moving smoothly from scene to scene, expertly weaving together the actors, the music and the visual elements for one of the most entertaining nights of theatre you’ll ever have. And the orchestra under the direction of Patrick Hoaglund delivers wonderful musical accompaniment.

Jeremy Daniel

In Finding Neverland, the young boy Peter is forced to grow up too quickly because of his family tragedy, but through Barrie he is able to find his imagination again and regain that lost innocence. But is he Peter Pan or is it J.M. Barrie? Finding Neverland may also make audience members feel young again, finding their imaginations if only for a few hours. As Frohman says before the production of Peter Pan opens, theatre should be for everyone from the young to the young at heart.

Finding Neverland plays Washington DC’s National Theatre through Sunday, March 3, 2019. Future stops include Akron, Flint, Erie, New Haven, Pensacola, Norfolk, Athens, Houston, Toledo, Green Bay, Syracuse, Knoxville and more!

Finding Neverland runs about 2 hours and 35 minutes with one intermission.