(music). Voice Over: Broadway
Balances America brought to you by Broadway
Across America. Bringing the best of broadway to a city near
you. Time now for another
installment of Broadway Balances America, our series that takes
you behind the scenes of some of the most beloved broadway
musicals as they travel across the country and into your local
theaters. Today we are flying to Neverland, at least
metaphorically, finding out the story behind the story of
playwright J.M. Barrie and the woman who inspired one of his
most famous work. Based on the Academy Award winning film, of
the same name, Finding Neverland is an innovative new musical
that features a strong woman center stage and two who help
bring it to the stage. Indeed. And at the center of the story,
is a beautiful widow whose young sons inspired author J.M. Barrie
to pen a play that would ultimately proof when you
believe: You Can Fly. (musical singing: Here inside Neverland.
We can fly) Pact with memorizing visuals, irresistible songs and
plenty of laughs, Finding Neverland is a timeless story
about the power of imagination and spectacular proof that you
never really have to grow up. It took courage for playwright J.M.
Barrie to stage his work for London Theater goers in the
early 1900s but as history has proven it was a risk worth
taking. Finding Neverland is the story of how Peter became Pan
and if it weren't for J.M. Barrie and that writer's
imagination and his courage to write something like nothing had
been written before, you know, a story about a boy who wouldn't
grow up, children who could fly, an island with mermaids and
pirates, where kids ruled the roost, Finding Neverland tells
the story of how this classic story has come into our lives.
Tony winner Diane Paulus knows a thing or two about staging a
captivating play and as J. M. Barrie found out it really does
begin with the story. This theme of never growing up, captures
kids, captures adults it certainly has captured me. You
know a mom in my forty's. I think it's this idea of what
we have as children, an abandon, an enjoyment of being in the
moment of playing, that we lose as we get older. And I think
people have come to see Finding Neverland and I've seen them
rediscover their inner child. (music.) Laura Michelle Kelly
originated the role of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies on Broadway.
What I love about my character is that she's very forward
thinking, you know, she's very um, she's inappropriate for
her time, she was born before her time and she kind of stood
up for the lives of her children and um, that's what I love
about her. She was very progressive woman for her time.
Another progressive woman is three time Emmy Award winning
choreographer Mia Michaels, who is helping bring the story to
high-flying life. I think it comes from concept, it comes
from story, it comes from character, it comes from music.
Music for me is my biggest inspirational source, um, it
tells me the place in which I need to begin the creative
process. The tone of it, the feel of it. Is it quirky? Is it
funny? Is it sad? Is it emotional? What is it, moving?
The collaboration of these three women on this original musical
has proven moving indeed. (music.) I made Finding
Neverland from my heart. This was a story that I wanted to
give to audiences and by audiences I mean my own
daughters, to parents, to people who are struggling in their
life. With how can they be their true self. How can you redefine
sense of family? How do you make it through a hard time? It's
such a beautiful story where people really, get to engage
with, what is on the other side of this life? What is it about
our imagination that's so strong and powerful and how do
you get in or awaken the child inside? I think that is why
people keep coming back, again and again. Ok well one of the
lyrics is when you believe you can fly and I grew up
watching, you know, iconic women as Peter Pan flying around the
stage. Are we going to see that in Finding Neverland? It's
going to be flying that is made by humans, people, people
lifting people and it's much more organic and much more, I
find much more emotional, because you see the humans
lifting humans and their flying and you see the struggle of the
human trying to lift another human and it comes from inside
more than anything because if you, if you believe you can, you
can. Now historically the role of the Peter Pan has been played
by iconic women, like Mary Martin, Cathy Rigby, Sandy
Duncan, I don't suppose there's any shot for me as
hmmm... maybe Tinkerbell? Produced by Harvey Weinstein,
with an original score by noted composer Gary Barlow and Grammy
Winner Eliot Kennedy, a book by celebrated playwright James
Graham, the play within the play has universal appeal, single
married, young our not, it's a story for all to enjoy! It's
about feeling alive whether you're a kid or you're an adult
finding their inner child. So, I'm hoping that audiences across
America come to this show and use it as a place to touch your
heart, feel alive, laugh and cry, be with your families.
Because it's a great show, you know for kids, for grandparents,
for parents. It's really a show that spans across ages in terms
of its appeal. Please go see the show. It's a very, it's a
very special show. It's not a typical Broadway show. It's not.
The tone of it, the message of it, their spirit of it, the
dance of it, it's very unique, it has its own thing. And so to
be able to share it with, you know, America, all across
America, is gonna be incredible. The North American tour of
Finding Neverland is heading to a theatre near you. Check out
Broadway Balances America, Broadway Across America,
or our website The Balancing Act Dot Com for all the information,
tour dates and more. (music.) (The Balancing Act
music).