What the Peter Pan musical in Dubai got right, and what it didn't

The cast of Peter Pan - The Never Ending Story, has been performing in Dubai since March 6, 2014. I finally got the chance to get around and go watch it at its hosting venue, the Dubai World Trade Center. Here is what I think the play got right, and what it didn't.

What the Peter Pan musical in Dubai got right?

• The show was a balanced mix of singing, dancing, narration, and special effect
• The dancing performances were all top-notch, cirque du soleil-like. The crowd spontaneously applauded some of the more challenging sets
• The special effects combined a choreographed combination of light, projection, fire, and pyrotechnics elements.The show also had an iFly-type of machine that blew Peter Pan upwards to give the illusion he was flying; with the star-light backdrop and dynamic projection, the production team succeeded in achieving the make-belief

• The casts' overall performances and choreography, along with the act sequences were seamless. At times, I was very pleasantly surprised with how Peter Pan or Wendy would suddenly appear in the middle of the stage without me noticing where and when he came in!
• The Peter Pan story revolves around characters who can fly. The fact that the production ensured that characters like Peter Pan, and Wendy and her brother flew when required was also very professional and respectful to the story's original story line

What the Peter Pan musical in Dubai didn't right?

• Overall singing was not as powerful as the dancing or the special effects. I actually bought the musical's CD, and its ten folds much better
• The narration was monotone at times
• Transition between acts was sometimes sudden
• Though the setup was much better than Chicago - the musical's setup, again, the venue proved to be a challenge that affected the momentum and energy of the show. When in a theater, the space plays a very strong role in connecting the audience with the energy of the cast. The fact that it was spacious, and mostly empty, killed the vibe many times. Poor Peter Pan was struggling to get the audience to say that they believe in fairies, and when he realized that the space was too big for him to engage the audience, he just dropped. 
• Final battle scene between Peter Pan and Captain Hook was not as intense as I expected it to be
• No play bills were distributed

Favourite segment in the show

I was most hooked from right after the intermission, until just before the final battle

YAK events, the company behind bringing the musical to Dubai is surely doing a great job by investing in and nurturing in the culture of theater in the UAE; this, in addition to the show's pros above and the fact that it is something different to do,  is why I will surely recommend that you catch the show before it concludes its UAE tour on March 13 (3pm). 

Tickets are available from http://platinumlist.net/