Peter Pan Sequel Takes Flight At The PIT In A World With Cellphones

Lovers of Peter Pan, Captain James Hook, Wendy and even Tinker Bell can see this cast of legendary, literary characters take flight in a new, fun story with previews at the PIT (People's Improv Theater) and then a brief run at Theater for the New City. 

Peter, Captain James Hook and others are all back in this timely sequel to Peter Pan coming to the PIT, at 154 W. 29th St. in Manhattan, August 12-14 as part of its summer programming.

Shows then follow at Theater for the New City, 155 First. Ave., on Aug. 29 at 6:30 p,m,, Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m., Aug. 31 at 9 p.m., Sept. 1 at 9 p,m, and Sept. 3 at  2 p.m,

Pandemonium, written by Claude Solnik and directed by Tony Chiofalo, will let audiences see what happens when Pan and Hook show up at an ordinary suburban home in the modern world. It's a wonderful sequel to a beloved story as well as one that stands on its own after these famous characters arrive in a contemporary setting.

What follows is a fun sort of sequel to J.M. Barrie's classic as these famous characters find themselves in a world with cell phones, WiFi and screens with livestreaming rather than alligators in the stream.

"This play is designed to be a fun story about what would happen if Peter and Hook showed up at an ordinary house," Solnik said. "How would kids react? How would their parents react? And what would happen next as these characters become celebrities."

In Pandemonium, we see a brother and sister (played by Anthony Buonagurio and Chloe Keil) find and hide Hook (Kevin Clyne) and Peter (Calvin Zanetti). Meanwhile, their parents played by Patrick Reilly and Kami Crary decide what to do, benefiting from what they begin to view as a windfall.

Greg Halvorsen plays Leon Thoroughgood, a lawyer who comes up with plans to profit when Peter and Hook appear outside the book.

"We find out they basically broke out of the book, although the play explains how," Chiofalo said. "We all live our own story. Pandemonium shows what happens when we leave that story behind and, in a way, try to rewrite it."

In the play, we found out how the characters escaped from their story and get a chance to write their own. We watch what happens when a rare book collector to turn them into rock stars to cash in on their fame.

Along the way, Pan meets his Wendy (Kassidy Rieder Collins) as he and Hook, with his amusing pirate lingo, go up against a book dealer named Leon Thoroughgood (Greg Halvorsen) who has his own plans for this displaced duo. Lights are by Marsh Shugart and costumes are by Wendy Tonken. Kristen Morale is stage manager.

"We get to see Peter and Hook, but we also get to see how these characters might react and even change in a world with technology," Solnik said. "They become celebrities, even rock stars. And Hook and Pan learn how they need each other as they become friends with the kids who find them."

The play lets us see what might happen to these characters if they could live outside of the literary work where they were introduced, emerging into a different world.

"Older people remember Peter and Hook and Wendy and Tinker Bell, who's also a character here," Chiofalo said. "And younger people are growing up with these characters in the story where they were born. Pandemonium is a great way to enjoy a trip into a fantasy world and see what happens if the boy who never grows up somehow escapes the events of the book where he was born."

Solnik said lately there has been a trend where plays continue stories and work with classic characters. "Peter Pan comes from a great story," Solnik said. "Every book is a journey. In Pandemonium, the journey continues as Peter flies again. This time imagine that he flies right up to your front door."

For tickets or additional info., click this link.

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