‘Finding Neverland’ Opens at The Benedum; Parker’s PGH, A Tasty Spot in Dormont (Tues., 10/18/16)

In “Finding Neverland,” it is Peter’s real-life mom who flies off to the bye and bye. (This pic is from the Broadway production with Laura Michelle Kelly in the role.)  photo: copyright Caol Rosegg.

1) Many adult males are accused of having a Peter Pan complex: they don’t want to grow up. That phenomenon, combined with the long-running popularity of the Peter Pan story itself, may help explain why attention has been focused on Peter Pan’s creator, the Scottish writer Sir James Matthew Barrie. The 2004 biopic Finding Neverland starred Johnny Depp (no comment!) as Barrie. And more recently, after a back-and-forth process involving British and American creative teams, a stage musical of the same title appeared. The musical Finding Neverland, like the movie, relates the moving true story of Barrie’s friendship with the Llewelyn Davies family, whose sons—including one named Peter—inspired the fictional Peter and his flight crew. The musical finished a 17-month Broadway run this summer, just as a national touring company was rehearsing its hearty song-and-dance numbers. After opening in Buffalo (where else to take wing?), the road-show ensemble will bring Finding Neverland to Pittsburgh for the enjoyment of audiences of all ages and maturity levels. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sunday. Benedum Center, 237 7^th St., Cultural District. (MV)

2) Dormont Dogs may have gone to heaven, but mourners can still order a Dormont dog at Parker’s Pgh, the sandwich-shop now in its place. The menu offers “the original ‘dormont dogs,’” including hot dogs named after Dormont streets, just like the old hotdog shop used to have. Parker’s of course boasts plenty of its own originals. It’s these options that have made it the packed establishment it is today. Located just off Potomac Avenue, Dormont’s main drag, Parker’s specializes in sandwiches, both for breakfast and lunch, plus salads, and sides. Customers can build their own, pick a menu item, or leave their culinary fate in the hands of the artisans with The Lottery Ticket—the staff picks the bun, meats, cheese, and condiments. Their bacon mac and cheese is a hit, and they proudly brew Zeke’s coffee. They also have a limited daily amount of pretzels from the South Side’s Pretzel Shop. Local delivery is available during lunch hours as well. 2911 Glenmore Ave., Dormont. (CM)

Josh Powell (l. to r.), Noble Shropshire, and Tony Bingham discuss how to do the abduction. photo: Pittsburgh Public Theater.

3) The longest-running musical in the history of show business? It’s not Phantom of the Opera, which holds the Broadway record at nearly 12,000 performances and still counting, but a modestly scaled off-Broadway musical. The Fantasticks opened there in 1960 and finished its initial run in 2002, after 17,162 performances. Part of the show’s charm is its mixture of simplicity and surreal strangeness.

Using only a few actors and rudimentary stage props, The Fantasticks conjures up a bizarre tale. Two neighboring dads concoct a surefire scheme to make their children fall in love with one another: they forbid the young man and woman to have any contact. Then, as surreptitious romance blooms, the fathers hire a dashing stranger to pretend to kidnap the girl so the lad can “rescue” her—a twist that brings unexpected consequences. The show also mixes haunting music (such as the song “Try to Remember”) with wry humor, and Pittsburgh Public Theater has chosen The Fantasticks to open its 2016-17 season. See our review. 2 and 8 p.m. Performances through October 30. At the O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (MV)

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