Mischief Theatre has made its return to Broadway this year, and this time, they’re upping the ante (and the mayhem). Peter Pan Goes Wrong is a sequel to the original The Play That Goes Wrong but with a bigger set and bigger mishaps. It’s currently playing at the Barrymore Theatre on Broadway and recently, I had the unique opportunity to attend the opening night performance. Typically, opening night performances are invite-only, but I was thrilled to be a part of the chaos of the special night.
A few hours before curtain, the production hosted a red carpet and set up a small viewing area for the public and ticketholders to watch and/or walk by. The press set started with the cast of the show, followed by special guests, including the casts of Six and The Play That Goes Wrong (Off-Broadway), as well as original Peter Pans Sandy Duncan and Cathy Rigby who posed for a photo with the current production’s Peter. As the invited guests posed for pictures and stopped for interviews with Broadway news sources, the “stage crew” from the show came out and entertained viewers with antics that were completely in character (including vacuuming the red carpet *as* stars were having their photos taken).
When it was about a half hour to curtain, the house opened as usual and the typical pre-show commenced with full chaos. Playbills were cheekily adorned with “closing night” stickers instead of the expected “opening night” decal and glasses of champagne were available for guests. At curtain call, the cast took their bows alongside the full crew and members of the creative team.
While the show was no different than any other night, the atmosphere and experience before and after the curtain were so special and absolutely worth the special ticket. I was incredibly thankful to attend my first Broadway opening night at such a fun show!
Have a terrific day!
