SCERA to Premiere PETER PAN'S GREAT ADVENTURE, 2/8-26

The story of a boy named Peter Pan who refuses to grow up has delighted audiences since Scottish writer J.M. Barrie wrote about the mischievous boy who can fly and have adventures in a mythical island called Neverland. That was more than a century ago, but the appeal has never dimmed. The story has been converted to animation, a dramatic film, a television series and other works.

For SCERA Center for the Arts, its version, written by Chase Ramsey and David Paul Smith, called "Peter Pan's Great Adventure," is especially meaningful because it will launch what will become a library of original children's musicals that will be owned by SCERA and made available for licensing to other performing companies.

"We hope and invite the community to use our resources," says Adam J. Robertson, SCERA's President and CEO.

The world premiere of "Peter Pan's Great Adventure" will open Feb. 8 and continue through February 26 with public shows on Monday and Friday evenings @ 7pm. It is part of SCERA's popular Theatre for Young Audiences program where one hour long musicals and plays based on children's literature are presented to introduce children to the magic of live theatre.

Reserved-seat tickets at $6 for adults and $4 for children age 3-11 and seniors age 65 and older are available at www.scera.org, by calling (801) 225-ARTS, or by visiting the SCERA main office (745 S. State St., Orem), open 10am-6pm weekdays and Saturdays from 12Noon-6pm.

The local playwrights, Chase Ramsey and David Paul Smith, are also directing the production, and are staging it imaginatively but simple enough so that children can use their own creativity and devise their own versions of Peter Pan at home.

The show's plot has Wendy and her brothers Michael and John meet the infamous Peter Pan and fly to Neverland, where they literally find themselves in a bind - tied to the mast of Captain Hook's ship with the misfit Lost Boys...and only Peter Pan can save them from Hook and his foolhardy and featherbrained bunch of pirates.

Smith, who wrote the music and lyrics, has been composing since junior high school when he worked on eight-track music mixers. It became such a passion that he graduated from college in media music and did extensive film scoring and orchestrating.

He has written music for the Hale Center Theatre Orem ("Emperor's New Clothes") and wrote new music for the Hale annual youth production of "A Christmas Carol." Additionally, he writes scores for commercials, and loves how music adds to storytelling.

"Music always adds heightened power and helps advance the story line."

While he has done music and lyrics for "Peter Pan's Great Adventure," he credits Ramsey for a fun and engaging script. "He has given us something playful that allows children to use their imaginations actively," he says.

They workshopped the script for a year, using the idea that they wanted it simple so children could get their imagination fired and go home to convert their beds into pirate ships or the corner of the dressers into planks. They don't have actors fly in harnesses, because that could not be recreated at home, but they do have boxes that are moved and give the idea of flight.

Ramsey makes his living acting in commercials as the California Dream Eater for the California Tourism Industry, but returned to Utah to work in theater. He especially praises SCERA for what it does on behalf of youth theater.

"Even in California I have not found anywhere that has the depth of commitment to young audiences as I have seen at SCERA. Its classes, workshops, and the way it gets into schools and introduces children to theater and music is certainly worth praising."

Dallin Major will play Peter Pan and McKayla Hansen will portray Wendy Darling. Shawn Mortensen brought his own hook, literally made by his uncle, to the auditions, and is as Ramsey and Smith say, "a natural."

Other roles will be filled by Parker Smith as Michael Darling; Daniel Fifield as John Darling; Cameron Hernandez as Slightly; and Ardon Smith as Bucky and Nana.

Mortensen doubles as Hook and Mr. Darling; Keenan Briggs is Smee; and DeLayne Dayton plays Smaug and Mrs. Darling.

"Dream adult cast," is how Smith describes the players. An original cast recording CD will be available at the shows for $10.00.