Historical Broadway review: Finding Neverland closed at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on August 21, 2016. This review reflects our family visit during its Broadway run.
Living close to New York City gave us the flexibility to take our daughter to Broadway shows when one felt like a good family fit. As Peter Pan fans, we thought Finding Neverland would be a strong choice.
The musical tells the story of J.M. Barrie and the inspiration behind Peter Pan. For our daughter, then eight, the appeal was seeing how the familiar story developed, although the show also touched on heavier subjects such as the death of a parent.
What worked for our family
She loved the fairy effects, the comedy around Barrie’s household and, unsurprisingly, the dog that helped inspire the Nana character in Peter Pan.
We also enjoyed the four boys playing Sylvia’s sons. Their performances carried a lot of the emotional weight of the story while keeping the production accessible to families.
The Broadway cast we saw
At the time of our visit, Matthew Morrison played J.M. Barrie and Laura Michelle Kelly played Sylvia. Both brought a lot of warmth to the production, and the connections between Barrie’s real life and the world of Peter Pan were what made the show especially interesting for us.
The Broadway run has ended
Finding Neverland ended its Broadway run at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on August 21, 2016 after 33 previews and 565 performances. This article is preserved as a first-hand historical review rather than a current show recommendation. Playbill’s closing coverage documents the Broadway run.
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