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The story of Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up, has been told in many ways since J.M. Barrie introduced him in 1902.
For many baby boomers, the definitive version of the story is Disney’s 1953 full-length animated film, but there have also been books, stage musicals, television specials and live-action movies — and several sequels and spin-off stories as well.
Eric Johnson, artistic director of Honolulu Theatre for Youth, says that he and the members of HTY’s resident ensemble had that history in mind when they were developing their cross-cultural musical, “Peter Pop Pan,” which opens Friday at Tenney Theatre.
“We’re still setting the piece in traditional London or Neverland, and the text is from the novel ‘Peter and Wendy,’ which he wrote (in 1911) after the play (in 1904),” Johnson explained. “We’re using that as our basis for the staging, which is bringing in some non-Western influences and bringing in some theatrical traditions that are not what you’ve always seen in ‘Peter Pan’ — flying and the Disney (version). We’re moving away from that and more back to the original source material. We also have this amazing shadow puppet idea, which I think really works beautifully with the story.”
HTY ensemble member Matt Mazzella delivers in a big way for the production. He not only composed an original score that includes traditional Indonesian gamelan music, he is also the show’s musical director and stars in the title role. Hermenigildo Tesoro Jr., Serina Dunham, Po‘ai Lincoln, Annie Lokomaika‘i Lipscomb and Jarren Amian share the other roles between them. Johnson is directing.
Balinese master artists I Made Moja and I Made Widana are working with the cast and crew to bring an accurate cultural ambience to the production.
Widana teaches classes in Balinese music, dance and theater at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He was the musical director of the Kennedy Theatre MainStage productions of “Subali-Sugriwa: Battle of the Monkey Kings” in 2016 and “The Last King of Bali” in 2020.
Moja is a painter, dancer and puppet-maker who has taught at UH-Manoa since 2013. He co-adapted and co-directed “The Last King of Bali” at Kennedy Theatre.
“I’m looking forward to working with Eric Johnson and (HTY designer) Chesley (Cannon),” Moja said on a call from San Francisco, where he was working on another Balinese production. Moja will lead Cannon and the cast in designing and animating the shadow puppets that will be at the core of the visual experience.
“They’ve shown me the script and the layout, and some plans for the staging and how the story can be told, and it’s very interesting,” Moja said.
Johnson is likewise looking forward to working with Moja and Widana.
“One of the things we’re excited about is that we’re getting to collaborate with these master artists from Southeast Asia. We do so much stuff that is influenced by Hawaiian culture, or Japanese or Chinese, but to get to work with these master artists is really, really fun.”
Part of the fun for Moja is adapting traditional Balinese design techniques to create puppet figures that will portray and animate Barrie’s iconic characters.
“‘Peter Pan’ is very interesting because of the different worlds in the story,” Moja said. “With the shadow puppets we can create more of a mystery story, something like dreaming.”
Looking past the imaginative new look to the familiar story, Johnson hopes that “Peter Pop Pan” will inspire young audiences to consider two underlying topics.
“What would a child be like who didn’t grow up? What does that mean? What would life be? And then there’s Wendy, the counterpoint to that, which is: What are the beautiful things about growing up? … What kind of imagination and play are the central places of childhood? And then what pushes against that?”
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“Peter Pop Pan”
>> Where: Tenney Theatre, 229 Queen Emma Square
>> When: 7 p.m. Friday; continues at 2 p.m. March 26, April 2, 16 and 23. Also at 4 p.m. April 8.
>> Cost: $15 (children/students), $20 (military/seniors) and $25 (adults)
>> Info: htyweb.org or 808-839-9885, ext. 720
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