Cathy Rigby as PETER PAN Flies into San Diego

Cathy Rigby brings back the magic of a little bit of faith, trust and pixie dust in PETER PAN.  You can join Peter, Wendy, Michael and John on their journey to Neverland at the San Diego Civic Theatre through Sunday, November 18.

Cathy Rigby, the former Olympian turned actor plays the title role with all of the energy and athleticism that her pedigree suggests.  She flips, she kicks, she tumbles and she soars high above the stage with all the energy of the perpetual little boy she portrays.  At times she was flying so fast it’s a wonder she was able to keep her breath and still sing.  Never mind that she is 60 years old, Rigby is living an adult life that Peter might envy.

The Darling children, Wendy (Krista Buccellato), John (Lexy Baeza) and Michael (Julia Massey) willingly follow Peter to Neverland to have a grand adventure.  Krista has a lovely voice, especially when showcased in the lullaby “Distant Lullaby”.  Baeza and Massey are charming and showcase a lot of singing and dancing skills as they join the Lost Boys.

The Indians are led by the beautiful Tiger Lily (Jenna Wright) and display some serious dance skills.  Their choreography ranges from graceful and elegant to a crowd pleasing energetic STOMP like combination of percussion dancing and drums.  Wright is a beautiful dancer and her energy is the only one that seems to truly be a match for the effervescent Rigby.

But every good story needs a villa, and that role is gleefully filled by a group of pirate led by Captain Hook.  The audience can’t help but be entertained by a group of pirates that sing a tango when they need to plan someone’s demise, sing a Tarantella, and celebrate with a Waltz. Brent Barrett goes from the too tightly laced Mr. Darling to the plotting and flamboyant Captain Hook with a great tenor and a fun sense of play.  During his first entrance he responded to the booing audience with a ”Oh, grow up!”

The best part of a story about magic, adventure and fun is that the audience can get quite caught up in it.  So remember to shout “I believe in faeries” and clap as loudly as you can when Tinkerbell needs you and you can be part of the magic of PETER PAN as well.

For ticket and showtime information go to www.broadwaysd.com

Photo - Cathy Rigby and Krista Buccellato in Peter Pan Photo Credit © Michael Lamont

If you were to go to Urban Dictionary and search for "theater nerd," you may find a photo of ErinMarie as an example of the term. By day, ErinMarie manages the concierge desks at multiple luxury high-rises... but, really, this is just a sneaky way for her to stay close to theater while at work--allowing her the chance to tell people about all the theatre options in San Diego. By night, she sings, dances, acts and performs around town, sometimes even in theaters! Her love for theater and the performing arts started at a young age and hasn't abated since. In 2011, ErinMarie saw a personal record of seeing 56 live shows, in addition to being a judge for the National Youth Theatre Awards.

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