The cast is set, the production team is retained, the theater is reserved, and the scripts have been secured — now all NewArts Creative Director Michael Unger needs is a green light and the confidence he can stage a summer musical safely and the local nonprofit’s planned production of Peter Pan could be ready to fly.

After having to hold auditions and callbacks virtually, Unger told The Newtown Bee he is eager to move forward with more detailed work on readying a uniquely NewArts version of the popular family musical this summer. But the veteran director has acknowledged that the COVID-19 emergency and its potential impact on anticipated activities months away could cause planned activities to be downsized or even postponed to next summer.

“We had a fabulous round of online auditions and callbacks, and while it was great to see so many of the familiar kids along with some new ones, I have to say that I think the final casting would have been exactly the same if we handled it in person,” Unger said reflectively. “Even though we were online, we were able to hear them and see them and coach them, and for callbacks I not only had the actors, but the whole production team on the Zoom call.”

A number of those NewArts production team members are back this year having been part of previous summer productions dating all the way back to what was then the 1214 Foundation’s debut — Seussical The Musical in 2013.

“Music Director Jeffrey Saver and Choreographer Jennifer Paulson Lee are with us again, and I’m really happy to have them both back,” Unger said. “They’ve both been on a few shows with us, and a bunch of the design team is back from last year and other prior shows, so it’s like old home week this summer.”

If state mandates on gatherings are relaxed, and the Town of Monroe permits the show to be staged at Masuk High School as in years’ past, and it can be done safely, Unger says Peter Pan will go on. In the worst-case scenario, he said this summer will involve an immersive online range of activities for NewArts participants.

“But if restrictions are still in place, we can’t do that — so we’ll be responsive and hold some other type of activity on a smaller scale online. We may opt to work with the kids virtually on the show and maybe try to have some smaller rehearsals as prep for doing the show next year,” he said.

Big Year For ARC

He noted that NewArts companion ARC program, which helps teach and instill resilience, will be of particular value for the 2020 participants as well as returning cast and crew members who already completed previous years’ versions of the confidence-building track in a non-COVID world.

As it stated in a May 1 Facebook post on the NewArts site, “ARC, our character development program, was made for times like these. We teach character strengths, confidence, emotional regulation, grit and resilience in order to improve the overall well-being in children. Now is the time for your children to get involved with our online sessions. We aim to not only persevere during these unprecedented times but to ultimately grow from them.”

The organization’s ARC Program — “Aspire, Reach, Confidence” — provides an effective model for teaching children life skills developed in collaboration with members of the Yale School of Management and Inspire Corps. Its developers, including Newtown physician Michael Baroody, say ARC provides opportunities for participating children to cognitively understand their experiences during the rehearsal and performance process and then translate those skills to everyday life.

“Obviously right now, everything is an uncertainty,” Unger said. “I was thinking earlier, what in the world has ever affected every single person on the planet like this current health crisis? So we all have to respond somehow. And I think giving the kids something that inspires and empowers them is what we are very good at doing.

“From day one it’s always been about the kids — what can we give to them to make them feel special, and celebrated and give them a safe haven physically and emotionally to be creative and to grow, to gain skills, and to become responsible and important people in the world,” he added.

The next step, no matter what, rehearsals or NewArts summer programming will begin by late June. And if it is determined that the production cannot be staged as planned, Unger said the timeline of that programming may be slightly shorter.

“But we’ll be rehearsing choreography and scenes and songs by the end of June,” he said.

Casts & Production Team

The veteran NewArts director said he was thrilled to see so many young actors who previously held chorus roles or minor parts stepping up to seek, and in a number of cases, being cast in lead roles in Peter Pan.

“It’s so exciting to see their trajectory, and to see them advance as older kids age out of the program,” Unger said.

With Dr Baroody as Executive Producer, the NewArts Peter Pan production team also includes Unger, Saver, Paulson Lee, Maryrose Kristopik as Associate Music Director, Brian Prather - Scenic Designer, Andrew Griffin - Lighting Designer, Tye Hunt Fitzgerald - Sound Designer, and Production Manager Ally Schiller.

The dual cast list of lead roles are as follows: Peter Pan - Sadie Gureasko-Moore/Kirtana Kunzweiler Wendy Darling - Ava Baroody/Alexandra Knaggs John Darling - Smith Gureasko-Moore/Patrick Labriola Michael Darling - Benjamin Wismar-Burger/Alexander Gilson Liza - Chiara Bakalar/Kelsey Hampton Mrs Darling - Charlie Hartel/Sabrina Spraggins Mr Darling - Mark Sadowski

Hook, Nana, and Croc have yet to be cast.

The dual casts are supported by the following group of pirates, lost kids, and chorus members/dancers:

Grace Cooney, Scarlett Tanzer, Matiya Kouassi, Lilian Padilla, Annabelle Foley, Hayden Hughes, Mia Kapur, Bennett Quinn, Kate Bryan, Harper Brundage, Siobhan Reilly, Ellie Lemieux, Charlotte Foley, Riley Quinn, Eliza Foley, Reagan Garvin, and Aislyn Reilly.

Also Julianna Ruggiero, Celia Plaue, Mia Singer, Finn Swedrock, Corynn Hettenbach, Neilina Garrish, Lizzie DiBattista, Kaela Zemo, Kaylee Haggerty, Alexa DiBattista, Victoria Fogal, Violet Hughes, Mia Singer, Reese Wheat, Anna Stutman, Teigan DaCunha, and Jen Socci.

Supporting cast members additionally include Jordi Padros, Noelle Fogal, Meghan Bailey, Audrey Srebotnik, Sarah Herde, Annika Fogal, Sienna Guaragno, Ava Bauco, Danny Stutman, Ethan Kravec, Magnolia Gilson, Violet Hughes, Viktoria Fogal, Charlie Hartel, Mark Sadowski, Sabrina Spraggins, Chiara Bakalar, and Kelsey Hampton.

If the production does go on — or whenever it goes on — Unger promises that he will make it look like no other Peter Pan that folks have seen before.

“I really try to make all our productions a little more unique and different because we try to find different entry points into familiar stories,” he said.

As it stands, NewArts Peter Pan is scheduled to play July 31 - August 2 and August 7-9 in the theater at Masuk High School in Monroe. Learn more, participate, support, volunteer, and follow developments at NewArts.org or visit the organization’s Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/NewArtsOrg/.