Saratoga Springs’ Home Made Theater presents ‘Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure’

For two weekends starting Feb. 23, Home Made Theater will present “Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure”, with music by George Stiles, lyrics by Anthony Drewe and book by Willis Hall. 

The legend of Peter Pan has been delighting people for more than 100 years, and this faithful new version is a festive adventure perfect for the whole family. We join Peter and the Darling children as they are whisked away to the famous land full of colorful characters including the Lost Kids, Tinkerbell and, of course, the dastardly Captain Hook.

The director of “Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure” is Dawn Oesch, who has previously directed Home Made Theater productions of “Mamma Mia!” “Young Frankenstein,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and last season’s sold-out run of “The Sound of Music.” 

Returning as musical director is Richard Cherry, who collaborated with Oesch on “The Sound of Music” among other productions. The choreographer is Johnny Martinez, whose choreography work for Home Made includes the December 2022 production of “She Loves Me” (which he also directed). 

The artistic team also includes scenic designer Eric Rudy, who in addition serves as Home Made Theater’s executive and artistic director. Rounding out the team are lighting designer Steve Moulton, costume designer Sherry Recinella, sound designers Anne-Marie Baker and Tom Moeller, properties designer Christina Toppin and production stage manager Susan Turner.

In addition to a cast of faces both familiar and new to Home Made Theater audiences, the company will be conducting online fundraising auctions for the role of Tinkerbell for each performance. A link to the bidding for this walk-on will be on the website homemadetheater.org. The auctions will begin on Saturday and will close three days before each performance. There will be a costume that fits all sizes: children or adults, any gender, any age. Peter Pan and the young performers have all been double-cast so that there will be a different Peter, Darling children and set of Lost Kids for each performance weekend.

The performance on Saturday, March 2, at 2 p.m. will be a special “sensory-friendly” show. This performance will be designed to make theater accessible to patrons who may be prone to sensory overstimulation, including those on the autism spectrum.

Performances the first weekend are Feb. 23 at 7:30 p,m; Feb. 24 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. The second weekend will begin with a show Feb. 29 at 7:30 p.m. The rest of the weekend will include performances on March 1 at 7:30 p.m.; March 2 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and March 3 at 2 p.m. 

All performances are at The Spa Little Theater in the Saratoga Spa State Park. Tickets are $35 and are available on Home Made Theater’s website, homemadetheater.org, or by calling 518-587-4427 during box office hours (Monday to Friday, noon to 4 p.m.).

This production of “Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure” is dedicated to the memory of Liam Pickett, a longtime member of the Home Made Theater volunteer family.