The magical world of Peter Pan

Children inhabit a world of possibility and imagination, where they can be and do anything. As they grow up and are faced with everyday realities and concerns, it’s very hard to hold on to that world. The fictional boy Peter Pan, however, has found a way to never grow up. Perhaps that’s why the story of how he enchants the Darling children,  introduces them to Neverland and his gang of ageless “lost boys,” and fights the tyrannical Captain Jack Hook has captivated audiences for more than 100 years.

This threesixtyº production of J.M. Barrie’s classic story aims to create an environment that is every bit as magical as the tale that unfolds beneath its tented parameters. Utilizing the same computer-generated imagery (CGI) that movie audiences have seen animate Pixar films and special effects in movies such as Avatar and the Harry Potter series, the Peter Pan set is made up of 3-D images projected to create a 360-degree stage set that is the first of its kind. Inside the threesixtyº Theatre, 12 projectors create the illusion of a virtual world, filling the interior of the 1,300-seat tent with more than 15,000 square feet of high-resolution video and creating a panoramic set that’s three times the size of an IMAX theater screen.

“The set designer, William Dudley, came up with the idea,” says co-producer Robert Butters. “He saw the inside of the tent and said, ‘Wow, that would be amazing — to be able to create 360-degree computer generated imagery that takes you on this flight, but doesn’t overwhelm the story.’”

Thanks to Dudley’s inspired idea, when Peter Pan flies with Wendy to Neverland, the audience flies with them over 400 square miles of virtual London and beyond. Not surprisingly, this is Butters’ favorite moment in the show, because “When you see that first flight, you really do hear audible gasps.”

But, he is quick to point out, this production isn’t all about fancy special effects. The producers wanted to create a theater environment in which to tell great stories. And this stage production is very faithful to the world of J.M. Barrie’s original play, which is more bittersweet and complex than the Disney animated film or subsequent Broadway musical.

“Our Tinker Bell is fairly feisty,” Butters says. “[And], it’s a fairly sad story about Peter. Everybody else grows up, but he doesn’t. It’s about growing up, it’s about adolescence, it’s about all the things that we deal with each day. Adults really do come out feeling like they have seen something that moves them.”

And, he says with a laugh, children do too. “I have four young kids, and I have a three-year-old who now won’t wear a shirt because he’s seen Peter Pan and [wants to] act like Jack Hook,” Butters says. “He understands the story. [He] connects to it because it has such great imagery. Even though the show for that age person is slightly longer than they’d ever sit through, they sit mesmerized because there’s something going on at all times.”

The Atlanta engagement of Peter Pan marks its East Coast premiere, and only its third stop on a national tour. It originally premiered last year to sold-out crowds in London’s Kensington Garden, the literal birthplace of Peter Pan (where Barrie got his inspiration for the story), and is here fresh from engagements in San Francisco and Orange County, Calif. It takes 14 days to erect the tented stage and prepare the theater for performances. Throughout the run of the show, backstage “Inside Neverland” tours will offer audiences a look at the work that went into creating the world’s first 360-degree CGI theater set.

Butters says they’re excited to bring the show to Atlanta, which has a “great culture” with a growing reputation for supporting theater, especially tented attractions.

“Also, because of where we are adjacent to the World of Coke, I think we really will appeal to people who haven’t gone to a more traditional theater before,” Butters adds. “There hasn’t been anything like this in that environment, we’re in a great location, [and] we feel honored to be there.”

Peter Pan plays from Jan. 21-March 20 adjacent to the World of Coca-Cola by Centennial Olympic Park. For more information, visit peterpantheshow.com.