Yesterday two blogging friends went on a little adventure together.
They traveled across the Bay Bridge to San Francisco with NO traffic to stall them at the toll plaza. Bliss.
(photo above from the Internet)
They arrived in SF with a bit of a drizzle but luckily not out and out rain. They reached the Embarcadero across from the famous Ferry Bldg. where there stood a great white tent erected by the people who brought it over from England. The ThreeSixty Theater , there was no missing it. Parking was a breeze (a very unusual thing for SF) and only a block or so away from the venue. They chatted and chatted from the moment they were in the car together.
Next to the performance tent was an open-sided tent where they serve food and drink.....things for the kids and
and things for the adults..........
The twp had an English picnic lunch preordered that was brought to their table. A scrumptious nosh ......
Cheese and water crackers. Radish and chive butter sandwiches, curried egg mayo sandwiches and ham and mustard sandwiches. Potate crips. Scones with jam and clotted cream. Confit flaked salmon with new potatoes,dill, taragon, shallots,capers and champagne vinaigrette. English cucumber salad. A small glass of merlot and ended with chocolate dipped strawberries.
The two chatted through lunch and really got to know one another, learning life stories and sharing anecdotes. Both agreeing how easy and relaxed they were together having only met on one other occasion in person. You just know when things click.
After the two finished what they could of the food they meandered, of course, to the merchandise area.
It was here, looking at the tee shirts they came across Dorothy. A wee girl who was decked out for her trip to Neverland. A charming little fairy-like girl who it seems had not worn her wings but definitely was a
I asked her mother for permission to take a photo of her and she was quick to oblige. I tweaked the photo so the backgound suited her (rather than a rack of merchandise and other people)
Isn't she precious? Shouldn't she have wings to follow Tinker Bell?
The theater tent is round with all the construction for holding it in place on the outside. Inside the theater (where they couldn't take photos) the setting is in the round with the stage a round wooden platform. The set contained 3 small beds and a toy chest to begin. Nothing else.
The theater full of people, from very young to very old, sat in anticipation.
The play:
J,M. Barrie's Peter Pan.
The website and the TV ads said:
Conceived by an award-winning creative team and featuring twenty-two actors, stunning puppets, epic music, and dazzling flying sequences surrounded by breathtaking video, Peter Pan was a smash hit when it launched in London in 2009. The world's first 360-degree video projection for live theater flies both cast and audience over Edwardian London.
The two friends were amped by all they had heard about it.
Unfortunately AND sadly...............for them...it did not live up to the hype. Yes the flying sequence with the CGI 360 degree projection all around you as though they were flying over London was well done, especially with the music and being able to look behind. Would we use the word "breathtaking", probably for that part .. They also refer to "stunning puppets".....here again that's not what we would say. You would think Nanna the dog would have been a shaggy covered human actor on all fours but instead was a dog puppet that looked covered in mops with the puppeteer actually OUTSIDE the dog making it move AND barking for it. WHAT? The fact this man was always in view not only distracted from the dog but took all the illusion away. The actors playing John and Michael seemed too old for the parts. The acting underwhelming with more jumping around a mostly blank stage like a high school play in various parts.
I loathe having to say all this but it was true.....at least for us. The crocodile was an innovative puppet mastered by 2 young guys on a flat with wheels that they pedaled around. I liked it despite seeing it's controllers being visible inside. Great sound for it as well.
Tiger Lily was a fabulous dancer, doing a solo for Peter she was amazing.
If you go do not expect this to be a musical, it is not.
Then there is Tinker Bell. Of course JM Barrie probably never envisioned the Disney version of her....all sweet and Barbie-like. The real Tink was mischevious and envious of Wendy with a bad attitude. I get that. Her costume in this play was a white tank top, multi-layered pink tutu (all made to look dirty), scrunchy socks and work boots and a light on her head. There were no tights, no wand and certainly NO fairy dust. I do admit she was funny and her antics and her acting better than the others many times.
There is one fight scene between Hook and Peter where they did it in sort of slow motion, it was quite good the way the 2 actors held their footing and with bent knees.
Although the CGI screen was at times an underwater scene or the pirate ship scene which were great...... the stage itself lacked anything to coincide with it....leaving it mostly bare and leaving the actors to have a tremendous amount of dialog without anything to interact with. It's hard to explain.
Let me say this....it wasn't as completely awful as it may sound...there were a fcouple things very well done but the bottom line, for us at least, was
It lacked MAGIC....true magic - we wanted to feel transported to the world of the Lost Boys or even life in the nursery with Nanna or on the pirate ship....but it just wasn't there.
The thing is we were glad we went......we were glad we didn't have to wonder what the play was like and we were glad to have had a most lovely day out, two friends that met through blogging, enjoying sneaking off to SF on a Wednesday afternoon for fun.
Now THAT'S magic!
THANK YOU DONNA!!!!
Donna O'Brien and Moi
