Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...So, while this new production perhaps skews a little younger than moody 12-year-olds, it’s a wholesome, joyful introduction to a classic story. As for this grown-up, I’m quite happy to have the lovely melodies of Morris Charlap and Jule Styne running through my head after revisiting a childhood favorite."
Chicago Sun Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...The non-Equity show tries very hard and delivers on core promises such as flying effects, but it lacks an intuitive sense of wonder and inexplicably turns its pirate characters, including Captain Hook, into goofy cuddle-buddies. You know something’s off in the storytelling when at the curtain call, the villain must remind the audience they should boo him."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Recommended
"...I loved the energy and excitement in the play that peeked when Peter came flying onto the stage and the incredible and vivid scene from Production Design David Bengali and Sound (Kai Harada) when Peter, Wendy, John, and Michael flew to Neverland. And the scenic Design(Anna Louizos), Lighting (Amith Chandrasaker), music (Jonathan Marro), and John Mezzio as Music Coordinator, but the show-stealing was Paul Kieve's amazing Tinker Bell Design. Still, there were times when it lost some of that energy and the kids' attention in the audience."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...Think of the happiest little thoughts! Think of Christmas! Think of Snow! Think of Sleigh bells! Here we go! You can fly! Fly into the world of Sir J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan: The Musical", now on the stage at The James M. Nederlander Theatre as part of the Broadway In Chicago season. What a feeling to enter a theater on a week night and see hundreds of children ( of all ages) with either a parent or an entire family, all watching a wonderful fairy tale come to life, live!"
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...This new, non-union production of PETER PAN is a respectable offering that features a cast of talented new triple-threats, just beginning their theatrical careers. It will dazzle, delight and thrill every theatergoer, especially younger audiences who have never seen this musical before, or experienced much live theatre. The story will charm even the most embittered, disagreeable curmudgeon to want to fly, crow, never grow up and spend an enchanting, enjoyable afternoon or evening in Never Never Land."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...The cast of Peter Pan is wonderfully diverse, featuring actors from various racial backgrounds. This production breathes new life into the story, making it feel more inclusive and significantly more multicultural than the original 1953 animated movie. Every actor delivers an outstanding performance, with special recognition for the young Reed Epley, who has captivated audiences on stage since the tender age of four."
PicksInSix - Recommended
"...“Peter Pan” opened in a limited run at the James N. Nederlander Theatre on Wednesday night with an audience full of children eager to watch the beloved characters soar off to Neverland. The wholesome production, directed by Lonny Price, maintains much of the magic of the original musical. Everyone was delighted the moment Peter Pan (Nolan Almeida) flies on stage to later search for and grapple with his mischievous shadow. In fact, all of the flying scenes are such fun with the best being the remarkable staging of the initial flight of Peter and the Darling children to Neverland."
Chicago Culture Authority - Recommended
"...But in matters of the heart, this show, like Peter himself, tends to come up a little bit short. Not that audiences at Broadway in Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre will care overly much about some streamlining of the underlying sentiment–though I would have liked to see a longer pause during the famous moment when Peter exhorts the audience to applaud in an effort to revive a poisoned Tinkerbell through sheer force of belief."
BroadwayWorld - Recommended
"...And perhaps this is ultimately the sign of success for any production of PETER PAN, regardless of how often adults may roll their eyes or debate the merits of a new script. Kids throughout the auditorium began clapping to bring Tinker Bell back to life before Peter could ask twice, and one particularly bold boy sitting behind me booed Hook at every opportunity he could. This new, revamped PETER PAN may not necessarily be for the whole family, and I'm open to the idea that perhaps it shouldn't be. After all, Wendy and others lose their ability to fly as soon as they grow into adulthood. But one wishes that this production had found a way to allow us to share in that childhood wonder for just a little longer."