This week was an exciting one for Disney shows on Broadway. On March 28, Peter and the Starcatcher began preview performances on Broadway before its official opening in just a few short weeks. Just a day later, Newsies celebrated its opening night.
Peter and the Starcatcher tells the story of Peter Pan–but not the one we’re used to. Based on the novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, the show, which is a play with music, tells the tale of how Peter Pan became the boy who wouldn’t grow up and introduces us to the Neverland we never knew. The show, which stars Adam Chandler-Berat (Next to Normal), Celia Keenan-Bolger (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), and star of NBC’s Smash Christian Borle, is imaginatively directed by Alex Timbers and Roger Rees. Peter and the Starcatcher, which is currently playing at Broadway’s Brooks Atkinson Theatre, will officially open April 15.
Newsies tells the story of a determined group of newsboys, led by the charismatic Jack Kelly, who decide to strike and stand up for what’s right when the newspapers raise distribution prices at the newsies’ expense. Inspired by the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, the show is an adaptation of the popular 1992 Disney film of the same name. Directed by Jeff Calhoun (Big River), the show features music by Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), lyrics by Jack Feldman, a book by Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy), and choreography by Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific revival). The show, which stars Jeremy Jordan as Jack Kelly, is currently set for a limited run at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre through August 19.
For more information about Peter and the Starcatcher and to purchase tickets, visit www.PeterandtheStarcatcher.com. Tickets can also be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 877-250-2929, or in person at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre box office, which is located at 256 W 47th St. in NYC. For more information about Newsies and to purchase tickets, visit NewsiesTheMusical.com, call Ticketmaster’s Disney on Broadway hotline at (866) 870-2717, or visit the Nederlander Theatre box office at 208 W 41st St.
