Chicago Tribune
- Somewhat Recommended
"...To the credit of her hard-working cast, Mak’s show does kick in emotionally at the end, when it makes us see the gulf between how we are as kids and, thanks to Rengin Altay’s adult Wendy, what we become. I just wish, in all those crucial moments, it had taken more time to feel and breathe."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Director/choreography Amber Mak has packed the show (music by George Stiles, lyrics by Anthony Drewe) with eye-popping flight sequences, bang-up dance numbers and emotionally true performances that'll catapult you through all the feelz (as the young are wont to say). And unlike so many shows aimed at younger audiences, "Peter Pan" has a deep respect for the intelligence and the imagination of children as well as the depths of the source material. There's no stupidity here, no pandering. There is simply marvelous storytelling, in the service of a tale that will intrigue tiny tots as well as their great-great grandparents."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Amber Mak's Chicago Shakespeare directing debut uses imaginative staging, set design, and choreography to bring the book to life, inspiring wide-eyed awe from most junior audience members. The cast keeps up the energy with clever use of the multilevel set, percussive instruments, and audience interaction in the aisles."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...How often have I seen the story of "Peter Pan" in my any years of reviewing theater? The number is infinite! I also recall the marvelous "Peter Pan" animated film by Disney far back when animation was done by artists in big workrooms on cels, not by digitization. Chicago Navy Pier's Shakespeare Theater, for its Summer 2018 production for families has a brand new adaptation of the famous story by J.M. Barrie about the boy who would not grow up, "Peter Pan- A Musical Adventure". And what a story!"
WTTW
- Recommended
"...Although the familiar 1954 score by Mark “Moose” Charlap, Carolyn Leigh (and others) remains in a class all its own – and holds a certain nostalgic charm for me – there is a lovely lyricism and wistfulness to the songs in this Stiles-Drewe version. And the initial flying song, “Never Land,” which is broken into two words here as opposed to one, even takes on a bit of a fresh meaning, becoming not just a place (Neverland), but an admonition to keep flying to new adventures in one’s life."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...All-in-all Amber Mak’s enchanting new production is bewitching, well conceived and directed, and allows J.M. Barrie’s beloved story to magically come alive. George Stiles and Anthony Drewe’s pop musical score is sure to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. The production is filled with sights, sounds and wild spectacle that engage everyone’s imagination. This slightly abbreviated production runs just over an hour, making it perfect for young theatergoers. When Peter asks the audience to help bring Tinkerbell back to life the applause is thunderous, as it is for the high-flying finale with Johnny Shea soaring out over the audience all the way up to the top of the balcony. This is a summer production that should not be missed."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre
- Highly Recommended
"...Well directed and choreographed by Amber Mak and ever enchanting, this production is definitely one that people who love the story and characters in Peter Pan should not miss."
Third Coast Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Turns out, I needn't have worried about getting just one child's honest review of the production. Seeing Peter Pan-A Musical Adventure won't be your typical grown-up evening at the theater, as this audience squirms, wiggles and giggles a bit more than average. Which is as it should be for a show that's not only the perfect introduction for future musical theater lovers but a treat for those of us who've grown up a bit since our first show, too."`
