Peter and the Starcatcher at CPT

Last night I got to see Peter and the Starcatcher, one of my favorite shows, at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre and it was so much fun!  This play tells the story of how a lonely and mistreated orphan boy becomes Peter Pan.  We learn how he gets his magical powers, how he arrives in Neverland, and how the inept pirate Black Stache becomes his arch-nemesis Captain Hook. What I absolutely love about this show is that it takes place on a minimal set and uses everyday objects as props so it requires you to use your imagination just like the lost boys. You must be willing to believe ("Clap if you believe") that stars fall from the sky and give people magical powers, such as turning the male ensemble into dancing mermaids. There were people around me who didn't quite understand what was going on but I think the script is so clever and I was laughing out loud from beginning to end! The entire cast is fantastic with many of the actors playing multiple roles. I particularly enjoyed Jason Shumate as Peter Pan because his characterization was a lot angrier than I have seen before and I think it really worked. I always love the character of Molly Astor because she is such a strong and independent girl but I think Emma Kate Leishman imbued her with a bit of vulnerability and she had great chemistry with Shumate. I also really enjoyed Logan Stacey as the alteration-loving Mrs. Bumbrake because he was completely over-the-top! However, as always, my very favorite character is Black Stache (a misunderstood poet at heart who only wants to find a hero to defeat so that he can become a memorable villain) and Brandon Green stole the show with his incredibly flamboyant antics! He brought a lot of physicality to the role and I especially loved it every time he would roll himself on to a different level of the stage. His facial expressions were absolutely hilarious (I was sitting on the font row) and his ad-libbed remarks had me laughing so hard (sometimes I was the only one laughing). The minimal set consisted of several pieces which could be moved around to become various locations on two different ships as well as various locations on an island, the costumes were very clever (especially the aforementioned mermaid costumes), and the props were a lot of fun (particularly the life-preservers and lanterns used to represent the crocodile). It amazes me to think that CPT is a community theatre with a minimal budget because this is one of the best productions of Peter and the Starcatcher that I have ever seen. I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to this clever and imaginative show.