‘Peter and The Starcatcher’ is the Neverland you never knew

Ever wonder how Peter Pan and Tinker Bell came to be? Or why, out of all the nurseries in London, Peter Pan chose the Darlings’ to find a mother for the Lost Boys in Neverland?

These back stories will be revealed when the Chattanooga Theatre Centre presents “Peter and the Starcatcher,” opening Friday night, July 14, for 10 performances. The Tony Award-winning play is the comic prequel to the beloved tale of Peter Pan. It is based on the popular 2004 youth novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson and adapted by Rick Elise.

This family-friendly show upends the story of how a miserable orphan comes to be the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up, or Peter Pan. The young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by an evil king. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo.

At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s cargo is “starstuff,” a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands.

When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own – the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure.

CTC veterans Scott Shaw and Greg Rambin Sr. play Black Stache and his first mate Smee, respectively. Rambin says this is the third time he and Shaw have shared the stage.

“I played the older version of his son, Ralphie, in ‘A Christmas Story.’ Three years ago when he was Andrew Jackson in ‘Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson,’ I played his nemesis, James Monroe,” says Rambin. “Scott and I have a certain chemistry onstage, and it’s fun to play off someone you are comfortable with. Come and expect to laugh and have a great time.”

The cast of 12 actors portray more than 100 unforgettable characters. “Peter and the Starcatcher” uses ingenious stagecraft to bring the story to life, portraying an ocean voyage, a shipwreck and a chorus line of singing mermaids.

As the story unfolds, surprising plot developments will be revealed to the audience that explore the Neverland you never knew.

The show is directed by Scott Dunlap and guest director Beth Gumnick, the creative team that recently directed the theater’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Disco.”