Details
“Peter Pan” the musical will be presented at the Winston Churchill High School auditorium on Friday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 20 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, April 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and children under 12.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.wchsarts.com or in the lobby box office outside Bish Auditorium, 11300 Gainsborough Road, Potomac. The box office will be open one hour before each performance.
Peter, Pan, Wendy, John, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, Tiger Lily and definitely the notably evil Captain Hook will be journeying by air and sea to the Winston Churchill High School auditorium on Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21.
The WCHS Drama department is presenting an above and beyond production of “Peter Pan” complete with Peter, Wendy and John soaring through the air, Indians performing native dances, lost boys who don’t want to grow up — and the magic of Tinker Bell flitting in and out of scenes. The play is filled with singing, dancing, pirates, crocodiles, Nana the Nursemaid Dog and more.
Freshman Alison Regan is thrilled to be playing the lead role of Peter Pan. “The biggest challenge is capturing the essence of what he really is — a little boy who loves adventure,” she said. “I love the music from this show because many of the songs really define who he is. ‘I Don’t Want to Grow Up’ proclaims his identity. He learns a lot from Wendy, but he never does want to become an adult — and that’s part of the magic.”
She has enjoyed making new friends and realizing how much support the rest of the cast — as well as the staff — give her. “The energy of the show is amazing — and we are all able to capture that energy from one another.” Regan, previously a gymnast has no fear of flying in this show. “I can’t wait to try the apparatus. Flying will be very exciting — and a first for me.”
Director and Drama Teacher Lynda Scionti said, “The best part of this musical for me is working with the Churchill students. They are all wonderful and work incredibly hard to make this production perfect. This production enthusiastically embraces the magic of childhood. The boy who never grew up is the child in all of us who is youth, joy and freedom. Childhood magic is revealed through the contrast between a world dominated by time (the London nursery) and Neverland — a timeless place where one can never grow old.
“The other childhood magic is the amazement of flight. WCHS’s production will be assisted by the professional flyers to bring the magic of Peter Pan to life.”
More than 100 student singers, dancers, actors, musicians and technicians will be part of the production. Besides Scionti, musical direction is by Kris Sanz, vocal direction by Carlos Barillo, choreography by Barillo, Scionti, Amanda Lotwin and Amy Dalrymple and production design by students Evan Cook, Steven Miller and Emily Potter working under the direction of Scott Selman.
“’Peter Pan’ is extremely challenging technically because it is a fantasy show,” said Steven Miller, technical director of lighting design. “The colors are extremely important and building a fantasy world requires a lot of textures and creativity to make it super-dynamic. We have platforms that move and the most complicated side lighting system that we have ever developed. It’s going to be extremely dramatic and very magical.”
Alex Bankier is starring as Captain Hook: “It’s been a challenge portraying of the emotions of Captain Hook. I have to be mean, energetic, angy, and sullen — and, of course, incredibly wicked. It’s been a lot of fun portraying such a malicious individual.”
Juniors Amy Dalrymple (Tiger Lily) and Eliana Rabinovitz (Wendy) have found that they are enjoying learning from their director, Scionti. Dalrymple has found it difficult to play a fierce warrior, since it’s not her normal personality, while Rabinovitz has found that the character of Wendy hits closer to home — that she is a bit like the character of Wendy. Both love being a part of the cast. “Just being around everyone in the play is really special,” said Dalrymple. “We have all formed bonds — and are like a family. It’s a wonderful experience.”