*Editor’s Note: This review contains spoilers.*
“Finding Neverland” is a much-acclaimed and beloved production about the creation of the iconic tale of “Peter Pan and his band of Lost Boys.” I must confess that, while I thought the production was well-made and engaging, the music, the centerpiece of any musical, did not speak to me. However, upon a second listen, the soundtrack struck a chord within me that it had not initially.
The show opens on a burnt-out J.M. Barrie, a famous and successful playwright and the future writer of “Peter Pan,” struggling with exhaustion and stress. The multiple pressures upon him to produce another hit have caused his writing to become formulaic, boring and predictable.
However, after meeting Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, a widow, and her four sons, Peter, George, Jack and Michael, Barrie begins to remember how wonderful it was to see the world and all its wonders through the eyes of a child. While Barrie ultimately forms close relationships with all of Sylvia’s children, Peter, Sylvia’s youngest son, is at first obstinately distrustful of Barrie’s eccentricities and his belief in the power of make-believe. While Barrie makes it his mission to rekindle Peter’s imagination, his wife, Mary Ansell Barrie, grows increasingly exasperated with his antics, and his producer, Charles Frohman, grows increasingly desperate for a hit.
Despite this, Barrie manages to bond with Peter, becoming an almost paternal figure to him.
Barrie produces the idea of “Peter Pan, the Lost Boys and Neverland,” inspired by his experiences with the Davies, yet is met with anger and disbelief from all sides.
By far my favorite song in the production, “Circus Of Your Mind,” ensues, where the characters grapple with Barrie’s intense, almost ruinous, imagination and his lack of realism. “You say I will adore it, but I’m paying for it!” his producer sings. Barrie’s wife begins to question his loyalty as rumors proliferate around Barrie’s relationship with Sylvia, and decides to leave him.
Worse, Sylvia’s mother, Mrs. Emma du Maurier comes to loathe Barrie as she believes he has brought unnecessary frivolity, distraction and strain into the lives of both her daughter and her grandsons. “Understand that we have no time for the circus of your mind,” she sings.
Barrie finds himself in despair, uncertain of what to do.
That’s when the idea of Captain Hook presents itself to him, an alternate version of himself that emerges from a deeply buried, darker part of his soul, filled with “…little cakes and cucumber sandwiches.” “Children like to be scared. They just don’t know it yet!” Captain Hook sings gleefully, mocking Barrie for his cowardice and unintentionally lifting his spirits.
Barrie steels his resolve and begins to prepare a cast of dubious adult actors for their unconventional parts. Meanwhile, Barrie and Sylvia’s connection grows deeper, as exemplified in the beautiful duet, “What You Mean To Me,” and their subsequent kiss.
As the premiere of “Peter Pan” consumes Barrie’s attention, Sylvia’s health deteriorates. While watching a shoddily patched-together play written by Peter and performed by his brothers, Sylvia breaks down in a fit of coughing. Barrie catches a glimpse of Sylvia’s handkerchief stained with blood and is horrified. Barrie comes to terms with Sylvia’s limited time and comforts Peter, who is scared of losing the one parent he has left and frustrated with the adults for concealing the gravity of the situation from him and his brothers.
The opening night of Peter Pan is a smashing success. However, afterwards, Barrie brings the entire cast of the musical to the Davies household to perform it for them in the comfort of their home, claiming their first performance was just a dress rehearsal. Sylvia was bedridden and unable to attend the opening night.
Thereafter, the most beautiful scene of the entire musical takes place, as glitter wafts into the air, followed by a beautiful white scarf, seemingly dancing above the ground, representing, in a metaphorical sense, Sylvia’s own journey to Neverland.
After Sylvia’s passing, Barrie donates all the profits of “Peter Pan” to a children’s hospital, Mrs. Emma du Maurier comes to see the positive impact Barrie has had on Sylvia’s children and, despite the tragedy and grief of losing their mother, the boys find happiness under Barrie’s care.
Overall, at first glance, “Finding Neverland” is a satisfactory show. Yet, it’s a show that becomes more powerful and touching upon reflection. It may be worth even more than a show that dazzles with its glamour and intrigue upon a first viewing, yet fades into gaudiness and mediocrity upon the second.
