New York City Review: “Peter and the Starcatcher” with Epic Players
Photo by Gabriel Johnson
Max Berry, Contributing Critic - New York City
Epic Players takes on the charming prequel to the classic story of the boy who will never grow up, “Peter and the Starcatcher”. Following Boy (Played by Nick Amodio) as he, with the help of his friends and a young “star catcher in training” Molly Astor, journey through raging seas and a mysterious island, facing off against pirates and dastardly ship captains along the way. Through this journey, both Boy and Molly gain a new understanding of who they are and what it means to grow up.
One of the standouts of this production was Max Baudisch as Black Stache. Entering full of humor and bravado and carrying that all the way through, I found myself loving his moments on stage and missing him when he left. Miles Butler as Prentiss was also a joy to watch, playing the young hopeful leader’s insecurities and charm very well.
Jordan Boyatt as Molly Astor brought a welcomed spunk to the show playing the character with all the determination and charm that is required, while Amaker Smith as Fighting Prawn, took the stage with a goofy enthusiasm that was a joy to watch. Even in act one, Smith caught my eye with his wonderfully whimsical delivery.
One thing I would have liked to have seen more of is a variation in staging. There were quite a few moments in the show where the characters stood in lines and while this didn’t completely take away from the experience, I was curious what some moments would have looked like if one or two people had stepped in front of or behind that line.
Some of the cuts to the script I also found rather interesting. There were many bits or moments that I missed or information that was left out which made things confusing later.
Both the costume and lighting design were very well done. From Black Stache’s iconic red coat to the silly mermaids from act 2, I really got the sense that we were in this magical world. The lighting, likewise, helped transport us into the whimsical world of starstuff.
This was a fun rendition of the Peter Pan origin story, full of good performances, a passionate cast, and creative costumes and lighting. I look forward to the next adventure for Epic Players.
“Peter and the Startcatcher” was written by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker.
It was directed by Travis Burbee.
Featuring: Nick Amodio, Jordan Boyatt, Miles Butler, Whitney Blythe, Smantha Elisofon, Kylie Hogrefe, Preston Burger, Anton Spivack, Max Baudsich, Gianluca Cirafici, Dante Jayce, Harrison Gottfried, Zach Lichterman, Jesus Chevez, Amaker Smith, Andrew Kader, and Gideon Pianko.
It featured lighting design by Zach Weeks.
Costume design by Cat Fisher
Scenic design by Matthew Imberhoff
Sound design by Megan Culley
Props design by Wells Thorne
“Peter and the Starcatcher” runs from December 6th-15th at HERE Arts Center (145 6th Ave, New York NY 10013)
For more information visit www.epicplayersnyc.org