I cannot breathe for at least twenty seconds when Peter Pan flies into the Darling nursery. The house full of second graders gasp all of the air out of the room because of what they have just seen — a boy flying twenty feet above their heads!
As I write this, we will have presented 33 1/3 performances … the one-third being the Saturday evening we lost power toward the end of the first act. We have two performances yet to give and, if I may say, this production of Peter Pan — the Roxy’s fourth (the first three being the Mary Martin, Cathy Rigby version) — has more details, new songs, three mermaids, and a set and costumes a blaze of color and imagination. The crocodile fills the stage; and Nana, the Darling’s dog, is part suitcase, part butler, and all imagination.
If you’ve missed it so far, please don’t miss the final two Peter Pan performances, tonight and tomorrow at 8pm.
Tonight at 6pm, Ariel makes her debut in the Saturday School of the Arts’ spring musical. Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. plays Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 6pm and Saturdays at 2pm and 6pm, through June 1.
God has been on our side, or we wouldn’t have made it the last 30-plus years. I think (and thank) most recently how perfect the weather has been for all three spring fun-raisers. The rain came after “Mint Juleps and Gershwin at High Meadow” was over. For “Barbeque at The Baggetts,” the rain came before, but stopped and brought out sunshine for the event. For this year’s “Happenin’ at The Hollemans,” just after our cry of players finished up their food after having sung for their supper, it began to drizzle.
Herb, Sallie and Lillie Baggett, Courtney Berlyak, Dan and Elizabeth Black, Dee Boaz, Nancye Britton, Susan Bryant and Billy Renkl, Britney Campbell and Tom Creech, Jill Crow, John Davis, Ernest and Joan DeWald, Thomas and Sandra Denney, Dan and Michelle Dickerson, Dr. Thomas and Donna Ely, Larry and Barbara Goolsby, Bob and Marion Gossett, Ken Grambihler and guest, Kay Haase and guests, Kathy Higinbotham, James and Christa Holleman, Doug and Mary Jackson, Tracy Jackson, Scott Jensen, Jaye Johnson and Guests, George and Patsy Ketch, Barry Kitterman and Jill Eichhorn, Judy and Fred Landiss, Bob, Suzanne and Rebecca Langford, Timothy and Kris Lee, Lynn Meredith, Dr. Gary and Janet Mund, Jim and Dottie Mann, Walter and Cindy Marczak, Brad and Lisa Martin, Pete Miraldi and Melissa Schaffner, Linda Nichols, Joyce and Gary Norris, Chris and Nicole O’Connor, Jimmy and Lena Orgain, Beverly Parker, Margaret Parker, Brad Pavlik and Cinda Perry Smith, Johnny Piper, Mary Rose, Linda and Gary Shephard, Alex Smith, Dr. John and Cathy Stanton, David and Marianne Straka, Danny and Tia Suiter, Starlene Sykes, Mary and Paul Turner, Glenn and Nancy Varble, Bob and Mary Emma Welch, Frank White and Guest, Phil and Jill Whittinghill, and Mark and Marcia Williams all missed the rain.
See you at the theatre!
[John McDonald]
