Quest Theatre to Present THE PEOPLE'S RETURN OF NEVERLAND, Begin. 2/21

Quest Theatre Ensemble captures the magic and adventure of Peter Pan with their own sequel to the original story, The People's Return of Neverland, directed by Andrew Park. The show opens Friday, February 21 at 8:00 p.m. with a press opening on Sunday, February 23 at 2:00 p.m. at The Blue Theater, (On the campus of St. Gregory the Great Church) at 1609 West Gregory (Gregory and Ashland). Tickets and information are available at www.questensemble.org or through reservations@questensemble.org or 312-458-0895.

Don't miss this delightful new musical, The People's Return of Neverland, a Peter Pan sequel that centers on Wendy's daughter Jane, now a teenager, as she encounters the unforgettable inhabitants of Neverland. Accompany Jane as she falls in love with the perpetually young Peter Pan, dodges the tricks and traps of the hilarious villainous duo Captain Hook and his sidekick Smee and then returns home with a lesson she will carry the rest of her life. Return of Neverland features swashbuckling sword fights, plenty of magic and a singing and swinging Pirate Band.

Quest Artistic Director, Andrew Park, states, "Just like Peter Pan himself, his story never grows old. It's a perfect coming of age story that speaks to the divide between youth and adulthood. Return of Neverland reminds us to keep a little magic in our hearts even as we age."

Andrew Park (Director, Writer) is Quest Theatre Ensemble's founding Artistic Director. Before moving to Chicago, Andrew was Artistic Director for three professional seasons aboard the Showboat Becky Thatcher Theater in Marietta, Ohio. Andrew's original production, Seashore, was nominated for three Jeff Citations including "Ensemble" and "New Work." Other credits include Circus Crashers at Actors Gym, a spectacle for Lollapalooza, Cirque Shanghai at Navy Pier and Bai Xi at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City. He also directed Quest's European Tour of Blue Nativity, Quest's The People's History of the United States which was nominated for two Jeff Citations including "New Work," and the Jeff Award winning production of Evolution/Creation nominated for five Jeff Citations including "New Work" and "Direction." Andrew recently directed Failure: A Love Story at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Andrew is Artistic Director for the John G. Shedd Aquarium.

Scott Lamps (Composer) is an Associate Company Member at Quest and is an award-winning composer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. His works have won multiple awards including Emmy, Jeff and MAMA awards. He and playwright Andrew Park have written 8 musicals together, including the Jeff Award winning Evolution/Creation and the Jeff Recommended A Christmas Wish. Return of Neverland is their seventh musical to be produced by Quest. Other notable works include his score for the Emmy award-winning film Kindred, his composition for the smash StarKid hit Holy Musical B@man!, and his orchestral and choral score for the Shedd Aquarium's aquatic show One World.

Tobi Mattingly (Musical Director/Dialect Coach) Return Of Neverland is the seventh new musical work Tobi has brought to Chicago audiences with her "dream team" of Andrew Park and Scott Lamps. A graduate of Millikin University with a degree in musical theatre performance, Tobi now works full time as a creative in various roles. She has served as director, music director, actor and singer for groups all over the region, and has done on-camera and print work for various midwest companies as well. In addition to her work with adults, Tobi has a passion for the next generation of actors and musicians and works frequently as a teaching artist. Tobi is the founder of Artistic Conspiracy, an organization dedicated to using the arts to foster understanding and connection. You can learn more about everything she's up to at www.ArtisticConspiracy.com and www.TobiMattingly.com.

The cast of The People's Return of Neverland includes: Molly LeCaptain (Jane) who was recently seen with Quest in The People's A Christmas Wish; John Ruhaak (Mr. Leatherby) who has performed with Steppenwolf, Goodman and Victory Gardens; Ryan Gaffney (Peter Pan);who was last seen with Quest in The People's Passion Play, Jason Bowen (Father/Hook) who has performed with Light Opera Works, Bailiwick and The Music Theatre Company; Jamy Gillespie (Mother/Mermaid) who is a recent Texas Tech University graduate and makes her Chicago debut with The People's Return to Neverland; and Tommy Bullington (Smee) who has worked with Circle Theatre, Emerald City Theatre and Big Noise Theatre. David Hathway, Nate Buursma, Becca Hess, Kristie Szczepanek and Jomar Fererras appear as the Quintet while Danielle Davis, John Steman and Josh Mattingly make up the Pirate Band.

The staff of The People's Return of Neverland includes: Dennis J. Murphy (Choreography), H. Russ Brown (Fight Choreography), Buck Blue (Scenic and Property Design), Eric Vigo (Lighting Design), Ashley Ann Woods (Costume Design), Sam Silva (Sound Design), Jason Bowen (Production Management), Emily Kefferstan (Assistant Production Management). Emma Hendren serves as Stage Manager and Justin Burns and K.C. Matthews serve as Assistant Stage Managers.

Photo by Tobi Mattingly

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