RELEASE: June 11, 2008

SOUTH COAST REPERTORY’S  SUMMER PLAYERS PRESENT ‘PETER PAN’ MUSICAL

COSTA MESA, CA. – Fans of Peter Pan (and isn’t that everyone?) will meet all the boys, girls and rogues again—this time in a musical adventure—when South Coast Repertory’s Summer Players present Peter Pan in the Nicholas Studio August 9-10 and 16-17.

Adapted by Timothy Mason from the popular J.M. Barrie story, with music by Hiram Titus, Peter Pan premiered in Minneapolis, where it was a hit at the Children’s Theater Center, and drew raves from critics, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune:  "Timothy Mason’s concise, fast-paced adaptation does an exuberant job of story-telling. Mason’s text is bright, witty and doesn’t talk down to its child audience."

The 25 Summer Players in Peter Pan are dedicated actors who audition for roles in the annual summer production after at least a year in SCR’s Theatre Conservatory. Classes meet 1- 5 pm Monday through Friday, July 14 – August 17. During the four weeks, students have the opportunity to put their classroom experience to the test in a fully produced play.

According to director Hisa Takakuwa, "By working on Peter Pan, these wonderful young actors will come to understand the process of interacting with professional designers and technicians. They’ll discover the actor’s responsibility within the process and have a chance to ‘grow’ a show by performing for multiple audiences. Because this is a musical version of the story, they’ll learn how music helps tell the story and create the characters."

Takakuwa is Director of SCR’s Theatre Conservatory and a member of the classic theatre company A Noise Within. She performed for 13 years with SCR’s Educational Touring Production and as Sally in A Christmas Carol.

As all children know, the adventures of "the boy who wouldn’t grow up" begins after the Darling children (Wendy, Michael and John) are tucked away in bed and, supposedly, sound asleep. That’s when Peter Pan and Tinkerbell fly through the nursery window and whisk them away into the night. Of course, they end up in that amazing place called Neverland, where their adventures include encounters with the Lost Boys, an exotic princess named Tiger Lily—and the terrible Captain Hook with his band of pirates. It’s up to Peter to save his friends from the evil pirate and get them safely back to bed.

The Teen Players are: Chase Anderson-Shaw, Alex Aranyi, Brandon Barnes, Brianna Beach, Ellis Beardsley, Jordan Bellow, Vita Chesters-Field, Mikey DeBenedetto, Valentina Gehley, Katie Gerdts, William Hopper, Courtney Kato, Becky King, Amber Nelson, Madison Neugebauer, Jamie Ostmann, Julia Ostmann, Demie Santone, Akshay Sharma, Nick Slimmer, Hannah Sullivan, Luke Tagle, Rachel Teague, Benjamin Teincuff, Jacob Waller.

FACT SHEET

PETER PAN
book and lyrics by Timothy Mason
music by Hiram Titus
from the book by J.M. Barrie
arrangements by Robert Nafarrete
directed by Hisa Takakuwa, musical direction by Erin McNally,
sets by Chris Hansen, costumes by Reagan,
lighting by Elisha Griego, stage manager Leia Crawford

Let your imagination fly with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell—through the nursery window, into the night!  This fresh new adaptation of the beloved children’s story is an exuberant musical for kids of every age.

Dates: Saturday August 9 and 16 at 1pm and 4pm; Sunday August 10 and 17 at 1pm and 4pm

Tickets: $9 (may be purchased through the SCR Box Office at (714) 708-5555 or online at www.scr.org)

Cast by Cities
Costa Mesa - Chase Anderson-Shaw
Dove Canyon - Benjamin Teincuff
Foothill Ranch - Jacob Waller
Huntington Beach - Brianna Beach, Becky King, Amber Nelson, Rachel Teague
Irvine - Mikey DeBenedetto, William Hopper, Akshay Sharma,
Laguna Niguel - Jordan Bellow
Lake Forest - Brandon Barnes, Courtney Kato
Long Beach - Katie Gerdts
Los Alamitos - Jamie Ostmann, Julia Ostmann
Orange - Alex Aranyi     
Rancho Santa Margarita - Ellis Beardsley, Madison Neugebauer
Rossmoor - Nick Slimmer
Santa Ana - Luke Tagle, Vita Chesters-Field
Tustin - Valentina Gehley
Westminster - Hannah Sullivan
Yorba Linda - Demie Santone