PETER PAN Flies Into The Back Center 12/4-1/3/2010

This holiday season, take off on a high-flying adventure as the Beck Center for the Arts presents Peter Pan, a musical based on the classic play by J.M. Barrie, on the Mackey Main Stage, December 4, 2009, through January 3, 2010. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays (no matinee performance on December 5), and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. There is a special 7:30 p.m. performance on two Sundays: December 27 and January 3. There will be no performances on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

This encore production welcomes back John Paul Soto as Peter Pan, Kelly Smith as Wendy, Larry Goodpaster as musical director, and Martín Céspedes as choreographer. New this year, Beck Artistic Director Scott Spence directs, and George Roth, who most recently starred as Tevye in Beck's critically acclaimed Fiddler on the Roof, saunters in as perennial favorite villain, Captain Hook.

Also returning this year is the Sandham family, considered the "Von Trapps" of the Cleveland theater scene. They've added two more family members to the production, bringing the total to seven Sandhams! Let us know if you'd like to speak to any member of the Sandham family.

Peter Pan features such memorable songs as "I Won't Grow Up," "Neverland," and "I've Got to Crow," with music by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green.

Audiences will be enthralled when Peter Pan actually takes flight with technical support by ZFX Flying Inc., the same company that provided the special effects for the Broadway revival. During the production, Peter and the Darling children will be lifted into the air with the help of pixie dust...and the folks at ZFX. The actors will be fitted with harnesses that allow them to soar over the stage.

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors (65 and older), $17 for students (22 and under with ID), and $10 for children (12 and under). An additional $3 service fee per ticket is applied at the time of purchase. Preview night on Thursday, December 3, is $10 with general admission seating. Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more.

For tickets, call the Beck Center box office at 216.521.2540, ext. 10, or request seats online at www.beckcenter.org. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

Beck Center's production of Peter Pan is produced through special arrangement with Samuel French Inc. and is sponsored by West Roofing Systems, First Federal of Lakewood, Soft Rock WDOK, Cox Communications, the Ohio Arts Council, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional Theater Productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery exhibits featuring local and regional artists.