The National Tour of "Finding Neverland"
Finding Neverland was an evil show. Throughout the last thirty minutes of the touring production of the 2015 musical, I was mesmerized by the endearing, adorable, heartbreaking, and genuinely great scenes that I was witnessing before me. As I was sitting there in my seat watching the last thirty minutes of the second act, I said "Wait a second, the other two hours of this show were painfully mediocre. How come the show is acting like it was really good, all of a sudden?" That is the evil of Finding Neverland. For two hours I sat through a generic and bland family musical and left feeling positive about it. It's not that I thought the show was terrible by any means, I just found it to be so subpar that it hurt. But then all of a sudden, I am so completely entranced for the final thirty minutes, that I was almost convinced I was seeing a good musical. However, when the houselights came up at the end of the show, I quickly remembered everything else I didn't like about the show, which was a lot. Seeing how much I didn't like the show, you'd really think I would just come straight home, write my scathing review, and move on with my life, wouldn't you? Surprisingly, that is not what happened. I decided to see the show again the following night.
And, boy, what a difference an entire day made because when I revisited the show exactly 24 hours later, I had quite a different experience with the show, in that I actually enjoyed it. When I say I really enjoyed it on a second viewing, I don't mean that I went back to make fun of it, I mean that I genuinely enjoyed it and felt that it was a good, even great show. All of the criticisms I had of the show on Tuesday night still stood on solid ground on Wednesday night, but having seen it once before, I was able to enjoy it since I knew what to expect going in. I simply decided to put down the critical lens that anyone has the first time they are seeing anything and to just go with the flow. My initial disappointment had passed so I just accepted that this was the show that it was, instead of reveling of everything that could have been.
Finding Neverland is the biographical musical about J.M. Barrie, the man who wrote Peter Pan. While facing pressure to write a new play from his producer, Charles Frohman, Barrie meets the children of Slyvia Llewellyn Davies and is inspired by their sense of wonder and excitement in the world, which eventually brings him to writing Peter Pan, amidst his personal life falling to pieces and criticism from nearly everyone surrounding him. Complete with a pointless romance and as many musical theatre tropes as you can imagine, Finding Neverland is a family musical that is not unlike the ones you have seen before.
Yes, I did really enjoy the show MUCH more the second time around, but that doesn't mean I am going to let any criticism I had of the show on the first night off the hook. First of all, I find it so ironic that in the first scene of the show, Sylvia Llewellyn Davies tells J.M. Barrie that she did not enjoy the last play that he wrote because she felt she had seen it done a million times before, which is exactly how I felt at this show. I'm not saying that every single show has to be something groundbreaking that pushes boundaries in order to be good, but when it is my first time ever seeing a show, it shouldn't feel trite and mundane because of how unoriginal and hackneyed it is. I don't think there is anything wrong with being generic, but in order for a "generic" show to work, it has to have a certain vitality to it, which I felt this did not the first time I saw it.
Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy wrote the show's score and I initially found it to be very weak . I think that nearly every single song sounds like something you could catch in the credits of any animated movie from the 90s. The second time I saw the show, I was able to get past the score and was even able to find more songs that I liked more than I did the first time I saw the show and thought that they served the story very well. The score's strongest numbers are "All That Matters," "Circus of Your Mind," "Stronger," and most of the songs that take place during the last thirty minutes of the show. The weaker among the lot are "What You Mean to Me," "Play," and "Something About This Night," which is a song that doesn't fit in with any other song from the show.
As I will keep repeating throughout this review, I didn't think the show was horrible, just horribly mediocre the first time I saw it. I never found James Grahm's book to be bad, but it also wasn't the strongest part of the show. The show had some great jokes and there were some really nice moments throughout both acts that involved both the book and the score complementing each other. The first act of this show is truly where I felt the most dejected. I thought it felt so hollow and thought that it lacked so much sparkle. The number "Believe" was nice, but it just felt pale. While it was trying to exude joy, it just didn't quite reach out to me. I will continue to stress though that I was so sold on the last half hour of the show since that time was as magical as the rest of the show should have been.
Playing the man who wrote Peter Pan, Jeff Sullivan was exemplary as J.M. Barrie, with a pure voice that was crisp and truly heaven to listen too. Even in the musical numbers that I wasn't too keen on, Sullivan saved them with his angelic voice. He was also convincing in his scenes and did a cordial job playing a likeable man, although Barrie certainly had some burdensome aspects too his life. Ruby Gibbs was graceful as Sylvia Llewellyn Davies, with a slightly deep soprano that was pleasant on the ears. Gibbs even managed to be perfectly heartbreaking at times. I also must put in commendable notices for Conor McGiffin (Charles Frohman/Captain James Hook), Emanuelle Zeesman (Mrs. du Maurier, Sylvia's mother), Ashley Elder (Mary Barrie, J.M's wife), and each of the children who I saw in the show, all of whom are listed below this review.
I am a fan of director, Diane Paulus', work and she does a sufficient job bringing the musical to life. There are some very creative moments in the staging where the ensemble members onstage cause the children to "fly" by lifting them up and carrying them on the palms of their hands and where glitter consumes the stage. There are only a few moments in the show that are truly MAGICAL. I wish there was more actual flying. While what they use to symbolize flying is effective, I think there should have been more people on wires doing the full Peter Pan routine, a la "I'm Flying" from the 1954 musical. While there are multiple parts of the show that are nice to look at, the show isn't quite the fears for they eyes like say, The Lion King or The Phantom of the Opera, which I feel it should have been. Scott Pask's scenic design is bright and is a fascinating contrast to the written material of the show. Jon Discroll's projections were lovey. In fact, they made me slightly emotional at times and were not horribly overused, which I appreciated.
If you can get past the first time watching the show, I would recommend a return visit to Neverland to anyone who felt as I did. Thanks to my revisit with the show, I am able to say that I had a positive experience with the show. I will even admit that I've had the song "All That Matters" on a loop between seeing the show and publishing this review. I felt the show had a lot of potential that was not fulfilled, but once I got past it, I was able to have a positive experience with the show. Lots of people loved the show and I can certainly see why, as it appeals to a very broad audience. I can happily say that I liked it and that is all that I am giving this show because of how I initially felt about the show. The show was in fact malicious. If it was going to be mediocre, they should have just rolled with it. I was not having any of the show's "Mediocre, then great, then mediocre again, then magical" routine because I felt manipulated and confused when I left the show for the first time feeling wonderful, even though it took a LONG TIME for me to come to that conclusion, considering how I about the rest of the show. I might have LOVED the show the second time around if Finding Neverland could find some originality and imagination.
First round, I give the show a 2/5.
Second round, I give the show a 3/5.
FINDING NEVERLAND
Book by James Graham
Music and Lyrics by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy
Based on the Miramax Motion Picture written by David Magee and the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee
For more information on the national tour of Finding Neverland, please visit https://findingneverlandthemusical.com/
At the time I saw the show, the cast of the national tour of Finding Neverland consisted of (in order of appearance):
Peter Pan- MELODY ROSE
Wendy (Acting Troupe)- MARIE CHOATE
Captain Hook (Acting Troupe)- DANIEL S. HAYWARD
J.M. Barrie- JEFF SULLIVAN
Mary Barrie- ASHLEY EDLER
Lord Cannan- MICHAEL LUONGO
Albert- PAUL THIEMANN
Charles Frohman- CONOR McGIFFFIN
Elliot- JOSH DUNN
Syliva Llewellyn Davies- RUBY GIBBS
Mr. Henshaw- JOSHUA WILLIAM GREEN
Mr. Cromer- SPENCER MICETICH
Miss Jones- KELSEY SEAMAN
Miss Bassett- ADRIEN SWENSON
Mrs. Du Maurier- EMANNUELLE ZESSMAN
Captain James Hook- CONOR McGIFFIN
Porthos- SAMMY
The Llewllyn Davies Children:
George-SETH ERDLEY, CALEB REESE PAUL, PAUL SCHOELLER, ETHAN STOKES*
Peter- SETH ERDLEY*, CALEB REESE PAUL, PAUL SCHOELLER*, ETHAN STOKES
Jack- BRODY BETT, SETH ERDLEY, CALEB REESE PAUL*, PAUL SCHOELLER, JOSIAH SMOTHERS*, ETHAN STOKES
Michael- BRODY BETT*, JOSIAH SMOTHERS*
Ensemble- MARIE CHOATE, JOSH DUNN, ASHLEY EDLER, JOSHUA WILLIAM GREEN, ELIZABETH LESTER, MICHAEL LUONGO, DANIEL S. HAYWARD, ANDRE MALCOM, SPENCER MICETICH, MELODY ROSE, KELSEY SEAMAN, ADRIEN SWENSON, PAUL THIEMANN
Swings- BENJAMIN HENLEY, ALLISON LIAN
Dance Captain- PAUL THIEMANN
Assistant Dance Captain- ALLISON LIAN
Animal Handler- MEL ROCCO
*denotes that I saw the child perform in that role in the show.
Performances Reviewed: December 11 & 12 (7:30 PM) at the Plaza Theatre in El Paso, Texas.
And, boy, what a difference an entire day made because when I revisited the show exactly 24 hours later, I had quite a different experience with the show, in that I actually enjoyed it. When I say I really enjoyed it on a second viewing, I don't mean that I went back to make fun of it, I mean that I genuinely enjoyed it and felt that it was a good, even great show. All of the criticisms I had of the show on Tuesday night still stood on solid ground on Wednesday night, but having seen it once before, I was able to enjoy it since I knew what to expect going in. I simply decided to put down the critical lens that anyone has the first time they are seeing anything and to just go with the flow. My initial disappointment had passed so I just accepted that this was the show that it was, instead of reveling of everything that could have been.
Finding Neverland is the biographical musical about J.M. Barrie, the man who wrote Peter Pan. While facing pressure to write a new play from his producer, Charles Frohman, Barrie meets the children of Slyvia Llewellyn Davies and is inspired by their sense of wonder and excitement in the world, which eventually brings him to writing Peter Pan, amidst his personal life falling to pieces and criticism from nearly everyone surrounding him. Complete with a pointless romance and as many musical theatre tropes as you can imagine, Finding Neverland is a family musical that is not unlike the ones you have seen before.
 |
| Ruby Gibbs as Sylvia Llewellyn Davies in Finding Neverland. |
Yes, I did really enjoy the show MUCH more the second time around, but that doesn't mean I am going to let any criticism I had of the show on the first night off the hook. First of all, I find it so ironic that in the first scene of the show, Sylvia Llewellyn Davies tells J.M. Barrie that she did not enjoy the last play that he wrote because she felt she had seen it done a million times before, which is exactly how I felt at this show. I'm not saying that every single show has to be something groundbreaking that pushes boundaries in order to be good, but when it is my first time ever seeing a show, it shouldn't feel trite and mundane because of how unoriginal and hackneyed it is. I don't think there is anything wrong with being generic, but in order for a "generic" show to work, it has to have a certain vitality to it, which I felt this did not the first time I saw it.
Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy wrote the show's score and I initially found it to be very weak . I think that nearly every single song sounds like something you could catch in the credits of any animated movie from the 90s. The second time I saw the show, I was able to get past the score and was even able to find more songs that I liked more than I did the first time I saw the show and thought that they served the story very well. The score's strongest numbers are "All That Matters," "Circus of Your Mind," "Stronger," and most of the songs that take place during the last thirty minutes of the show. The weaker among the lot are "What You Mean to Me," "Play," and "Something About This Night," which is a song that doesn't fit in with any other song from the show.
As I will keep repeating throughout this review, I didn't think the show was horrible, just horribly mediocre the first time I saw it. I never found James Grahm's book to be bad, but it also wasn't the strongest part of the show. The show had some great jokes and there were some really nice moments throughout both acts that involved both the book and the score complementing each other. The first act of this show is truly where I felt the most dejected. I thought it felt so hollow and thought that it lacked so much sparkle. The number "Believe" was nice, but it just felt pale. While it was trying to exude joy, it just didn't quite reach out to me. I will continue to stress though that I was so sold on the last half hour of the show since that time was as magical as the rest of the show should have been.
 |
| Jeff Sullivan and Connor McGiffin as J.M. Barrie & Captain James Hook in Finding Neverland. |
Playing the man who wrote Peter Pan, Jeff Sullivan was exemplary as J.M. Barrie, with a pure voice that was crisp and truly heaven to listen too. Even in the musical numbers that I wasn't too keen on, Sullivan saved them with his angelic voice. He was also convincing in his scenes and did a cordial job playing a likeable man, although Barrie certainly had some burdensome aspects too his life. Ruby Gibbs was graceful as Sylvia Llewellyn Davies, with a slightly deep soprano that was pleasant on the ears. Gibbs even managed to be perfectly heartbreaking at times. I also must put in commendable notices for Conor McGiffin (Charles Frohman/Captain James Hook), Emanuelle Zeesman (Mrs. du Maurier, Sylvia's mother), Ashley Elder (Mary Barrie, J.M's wife), and each of the children who I saw in the show, all of whom are listed below this review.
I am a fan of director, Diane Paulus', work and she does a sufficient job bringing the musical to life. There are some very creative moments in the staging where the ensemble members onstage cause the children to "fly" by lifting them up and carrying them on the palms of their hands and where glitter consumes the stage. There are only a few moments in the show that are truly MAGICAL. I wish there was more actual flying. While what they use to symbolize flying is effective, I think there should have been more people on wires doing the full Peter Pan routine, a la "I'm Flying" from the 1954 musical. While there are multiple parts of the show that are nice to look at, the show isn't quite the fears for they eyes like say, The Lion King or The Phantom of the Opera, which I feel it should have been. Scott Pask's scenic design is bright and is a fascinating contrast to the written material of the show. Jon Discroll's projections were lovey. In fact, they made me slightly emotional at times and were not horribly overused, which I appreciated.
If you can get past the first time watching the show, I would recommend a return visit to Neverland to anyone who felt as I did. Thanks to my revisit with the show, I am able to say that I had a positive experience with the show. I will even admit that I've had the song "All That Matters" on a loop between seeing the show and publishing this review. I felt the show had a lot of potential that was not fulfilled, but once I got past it, I was able to have a positive experience with the show. Lots of people loved the show and I can certainly see why, as it appeals to a very broad audience. I can happily say that I liked it and that is all that I am giving this show because of how I initially felt about the show. The show was in fact malicious. If it was going to be mediocre, they should have just rolled with it. I was not having any of the show's "Mediocre, then great, then mediocre again, then magical" routine because I felt manipulated and confused when I left the show for the first time feeling wonderful, even though it took a LONG TIME for me to come to that conclusion, considering how I about the rest of the show. I might have LOVED the show the second time around if Finding Neverland could find some originality and imagination.
First round, I give the show a 2/5.
Second round, I give the show a 3/5.
 |
Book by James Graham
Music and Lyrics by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy
Based on the Miramax Motion Picture written by David Magee and the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee
For more information on the national tour of Finding Neverland, please visit https://findingneverlandthemusical.com/
At the time I saw the show, the cast of the national tour of Finding Neverland consisted of (in order of appearance):
Peter Pan- MELODY ROSE
Wendy (Acting Troupe)- MARIE CHOATE
Captain Hook (Acting Troupe)- DANIEL S. HAYWARD
J.M. Barrie- JEFF SULLIVAN
Mary Barrie- ASHLEY EDLER
Lord Cannan- MICHAEL LUONGO
Albert- PAUL THIEMANN
Charles Frohman- CONOR McGIFFFIN
Elliot- JOSH DUNN
Syliva Llewellyn Davies- RUBY GIBBS
Mr. Henshaw- JOSHUA WILLIAM GREEN
Mr. Cromer- SPENCER MICETICH
Miss Jones- KELSEY SEAMAN
Miss Bassett- ADRIEN SWENSON
Mrs. Du Maurier- EMANNUELLE ZESSMAN
Captain James Hook- CONOR McGIFFIN
Porthos- SAMMY
The Llewllyn Davies Children:
George-SETH ERDLEY, CALEB REESE PAUL, PAUL SCHOELLER, ETHAN STOKES*
Peter- SETH ERDLEY*, CALEB REESE PAUL, PAUL SCHOELLER*, ETHAN STOKES
Jack- BRODY BETT, SETH ERDLEY, CALEB REESE PAUL*, PAUL SCHOELLER, JOSIAH SMOTHERS*, ETHAN STOKES
Michael- BRODY BETT*, JOSIAH SMOTHERS*
Ensemble- MARIE CHOATE, JOSH DUNN, ASHLEY EDLER, JOSHUA WILLIAM GREEN, ELIZABETH LESTER, MICHAEL LUONGO, DANIEL S. HAYWARD, ANDRE MALCOM, SPENCER MICETICH, MELODY ROSE, KELSEY SEAMAN, ADRIEN SWENSON, PAUL THIEMANN
Swings- BENJAMIN HENLEY, ALLISON LIAN
Dance Captain- PAUL THIEMANN
Assistant Dance Captain- ALLISON LIAN
Animal Handler- MEL ROCCO
*denotes that I saw the child perform in that role in the show.
Performances Reviewed: December 11 & 12 (7:30 PM) at the Plaza Theatre in El Paso, Texas.
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