You don’t have to grow up - “Peter Pan” brings 70 years of delight

For every kid who swore they would never grow up and for grandparents and parents who know that time is fleeting, the story of Peter Pan is iconic. The national touring production of the hit Broadway musical arrives at the Peace Center April 23 – 28 with laughs and songs – and maybe a tear or two (from the parents).

Kurt Perry, who plays the role of Smee, said the show is one that spans ages and generations.

“One of the things that I take a lot of pride in with the show is that it is a truly a family show because it's a story that's been passed down for – the musical itself for over 70 years, but the story for well over 100,” Perry said. “It's something that can be shared throughout the generations.”

Perry brings his own touch to Mr. Smee, laughing as he described the comparison of his character to one in the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada.”

“He’s sort of the Emily Blunt character who's just running around trying to mitigate the damage of Captain Hook,” Perry said. “When I started building this character, it was that he’s genuinely trying to be the perfect personal assistant-slash-first mate to Captain Hook. But he's marginally successful.”

Perry said this production is one for a new generation, yet it is still “Peter Pan.”

“You get all the lovely things (of past productions) while getting an opportunity to broaden the appeal of the show and giving it a chance for everybody to have the opportunity to imagine flying away with Peter at the end of the show,” he said.

For many in the audience, it will be their first time at a Broadway production – or in a theater setting at all.

“One of the great things about this show that not only has it been such a great pleasure, but it's personally my favorite part, is that because it's a revival of an older show, we get to see children have their first experience with a big musical,” Perry said. “I get to see young people who are maybe in middle school, in high school, who want to go into theater, they get to see a show that they may have not been familiar with, then I get to see adults who saw the television and filmed versions experience it in real life. And then I see grandparents getting to bring their kids to this show that they got to watch on TV when they were a kid. That's the reaction and the flood of positivity that comes with this show. It's overwhelming at times at how much we experience, and how much we get to share this story.”

Perry encourages people to embrace the experience, no matter their age.

“I think that the number one thing I would tell people about the show is that this is an opportunity to reconnect and have this shared experience with your kids and grandkids,” he said. “One of the things that's really important about the show to me is that we have worked really hard to have an extremely diverse cast and a cast where anybody who walks in that door at that theater can see themselves flying away with Peter at the end. For readers thinking, ‘I don't know if the show is going to resonate with me,’ I would really like to invite them to join us for this incarnation of the show, because I think we've worked really hard to make it something that resonates with a larger population. I know that we would welcome them to the theater, and we would love to have this really positive experience with them.”

“Peter Pan” soars at the Peace Center April 23 – 28. For tickets, visit peacecenter.org. 

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: You don’t have to grow up - “Peter Pan” brings 70 years of delight