‘Finding Neverland’ soars to success at Playhouse Square

Every once in awhile, I see a show that makes me see the world in a different way. “Finding Neverland” was that kind of show.

The touring production of “Finding Neverland,” a Broadway musical that opened in April 2015, will run in Cleveland from Nov. 1 to Nov. 20. “Finding Neverland” chronicles J.M. Barrie’s inspiration for and the creation of his play “Peter Pan” as well as his relationship with Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and her four young children. The show stars Christine Dwyer, Kevin Kern and Tom Hewitt and is based on the movie of the same name.

I first heard of “Finding Neverland” because Matthew Morrison, who played Will Schuester on “Glee,” was starring in the Broadway production. Despite having an amazing cast, popular source material and a lot of hype before it’s opening night, “Finding Neverland” did not receive any Tony Award nominations. Based on what the touring production brought to Cleveland this week, this was an extreme oversight by the nominating committee.

“Finding Neverland” has both childlike elation and a complex mature plotline to appeal to all theatre goers. The score, written  by Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy, is lush and fanciful, filling the large Connor Palace Theater and the hearts of every audience member. The extreme variety of songs within the show also contributes to the fullness of the score. Between the playful “The Pirates of Kensington,” which features the four Llewelyn Davies children and the intense and theatrical “Stronger,” which features the actual Neverland pirates and the heartfelt ballad “All That Matters,” “Finding Neverland” hits all the corners of musical theatre stock.

The show also featured an incredibly versatile set to create the many physical locations as well as magical special effects throughout the show. The set designer,  Tony Award winner Scott Pask, integrated solid set pieces with fabric, projections screens and fog to merge the whimsical fantasy of Peter Pan with the historical account of J.M. Barrie’s life. The most impressive part of the set was a tornado of glitter created in act two that one of the characters disappear into.

One critique for an otherwise enjoyable production would be the choreography. At times it was incredibly jerky and choppy, and I felt it was too abstract to convey the story the creative team was trying to tell. In “Circus of Your Mind,” the staging, using three doors to represent the three conflicts in Barrie’s life, was incredibly effective. However, when the ensemble of dancers dressed as clocks entered, the number went haywire. The choreography was extremely unattractive and distracted from the story being told instead of helping it along.

Despite this flaw, “Finding Neverland” reminded me that even though I’m growing up, I don’t have to stop having childlike happiness. The way that Kern showed this same realization in J.M. Barrie throughout the show was inspiring. His interactions with the four child actors in the musical, especially during “When You’re Feet Don’t Touch the Ground,” seemed incredibly genuine. Kern’s prolific voice seemed to shake the walls of the theatre during  the triumphant “Stronger” as well as in light and touching ballads such as “Neverland.”

Kern was complemented by leading lady Christine Dwyer as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies. Dwyer, who has played both Elphaba in “Wicked” and Maureen in “Rent,” captured the strong and determined nature of Sylvia in her interactions with the children and Kern. Although Dwyer’s voice was not my cup of tea (I would have preferred an actress with a stronger tonal quality in the higher belt range), I still enjoyed her performance as a whole.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way that the the book writers got into Barrie’s head with the plot. With “Love By the Hook” and “Circus of Your Mind” and “My Imagination,” the new number added to the beginning of the touring production, the writers allowed the audience to see Barrie’s inner conflict and his creation of Peter Pan from the inside out.

“Finding Neverland” was two hours and 27 minutes of pure joy. The story was inspiring and restored my faith in humanity for a short while. For children, the show is filled with magic that brings up feelings of awe and imagination. For adults and teens, the show brings back a childlike delight that everyone needs a little bit of, what with everything going on in the world. Make sure to catch “Finding Neverland” at Playhouse Square before it closes November 20. Ticket prices range from $10 to $100 and can be purchased on Playhouse Square’s website.