Learning to Fly, Again: Pittsburgh Ballet’s “Peter Pan” Makes Children of Us All

Marcel Proust may have needed a sip of lime-flower tea imbued with madeleine crumbs to trigger the memory of his idyllic childhood, but I found myself just as deliciously transported back to my six-year-old psyche as I watched Pittsburgh Ballet Theater’s magical production of “Peter Pan” in the Benedum Center last week.  Had this performance not been so rich in fantasy, had this cast not been so imbued with the spirit of what makes the “Peter Pan” story so powerful to young minds, this never would have happened.  

Experiencing it evoked memories of seeing this play performed at the Lovelace Marionette Theater on Ellsworth Avenue — and believing that what I was witnessing was real.  Peter is, to so many children, their first literary hero, a kind of adolescent Hamlet: mysterious, rebellious . . . someone to emulate.  When you are not grown up it makes perfect sense not to want to grow up, and here is a character who never does.  What could be more intriguing?  And on top of that, he can fly.

This is where things get interesting.   How does one fly in a live ballet, without the embellishment of special effects so routinely portrayed in films which have made the act so numbingly commonplace?  By actually flying.  And literally dancing in air.  More on this, below.

Although choreographed by Trey McIntyre in 2002, this two-decade-old production did not feel dusted-off; Dawn Scannell’s staging appeared fresh and exuberant, as if the dancers were creating the story for the first time and making it their own.

Various interpretations of this tale, evoked in multiple forms — including novels, plays, films, operas and yes, puppetry – portray Peter as anything from puckish to nefarious; however, as played by Josiah Kauffman (in the evening casting, Jonathan Breight performed in the matinees) he is an intelligent and demonstrative hero, and a credible role model not only for the three siblings (Wendy, John, and Michael), but for the many children in the audience, who were mesmerized by the show.  But he’s still a feral, leaf-covered adolescent with a shock of red hair; more akin to Tarzan’s son Boy than The Little Prince.   In addition to being an accomplished ballet artist, Mr. Kauffman is also a very competent actor, which helped meld the action from dance into drama.  This is not an easy task and is one of the reasons this show was so successful.

In the other lead role of Wendy, Tommie Lin Kesten (in the evening casting; Hannah Carter performed in the matinees) raised the energy on stage, bridging the steep arc Wendy must climb from awe-struck follower of Peter, to self-actualized mother at the end.  You could see her movements evolve during this process — from girlish to womanly — as she matures before our eyes.

The action spun like a wild carousel, with spectacular ensemble pieces, back-lit scrim projections of Nosferatu-like forms, and of course the exuberant flying.  Peter teaching Wendy to lift herself in the air had the lambent effervescence of a dream; watching it was like taking a huge gulp of air in an enchanted forest and tasting the utter joy of childhood.  Mr. Kauffman’s spinning in such an artful manner would make any Cirque du Soleil performer jealous – credit is due to the flight consultant ZFX.

A host of other exciting scenes transpired, including a robust swordfight on the surreal pirate ship – which looked like the inside of a huge, ribbed whale, a medley of dancing mermaids, fairies, and Lost Boys, and of course the appearance of a scary crocodile who is the nemesis of the malevolent Captain Hook (Colin McCaslin – evening/Jack Hawn – matinee).

We also saw the mischievous little ball of light that took human form as Tinkerbell (Grace Rookstool – evening/Magnoly Batista – matinee), who flutters over everything and sprinkles fairy dust on Wendy and her new family at the end as a kind of blessing not only for them, but also for us.

This production marks the beginning of what PBT is calling their Family Fairy Tale Package, which will offer “The Nutcracker” from December 6th-27th, and “The Wizard of Oz” May 9th-18^th.  Artistic Director Adam McKinney is leading us into this world of wonder step by en pointe step, and if the reaction of the capacity audience on the night I experienced “Peter Pan” is any indication, this is a marvelous chance to bring joy to your children, and perhaps, for a Proustian evening, to become a child again, yourself.

For further information or tickets contact pbt.org, or 412-456-6666.