The last chance to fly

Stage veterans are nearing the end of the run for a generational favorite.
Peter Pan is all about never growing old.
For actress Elisa Sagardia, performing as the teenaged Wendy Darling in the upcoming touring performance of James M. Barrie's tale "Peter Pan," which appears at Playhouse Square's Palace Theatre March 8 through 20, the notion of staying young forever has taken on a literal interpretation.
At the age of 36, this stage veteran continues to play younger and younger roles.
"At one point, I said I'm going to be playing a little, little girl," said Sagardia, calling from Des Moines, Iowa. "Luckily, I'm very petite, very tiny. So from the stage, it works."
Originally portraying Wendy Darling for the 1998 Broadway revival of the popular play, Sagardia returned to the production, rejoining "Peter Pan" veteran Cathy Rigby, with renewed interest and vigor.
"Because I am seven years older than when I did it last time, I think Cathy notices this too, I appreciate it more," Sagardia said. "And it's kind of changed the dynamics between Wendy and Peter. Because I'm a different person now, Cathy is a different person now and I feel like our scenes together are a lot richer because we have a lot more experience now to build upon."
More attention
Whereas the timeless tale of Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinker Bell remains popular with children, the Barrie novel, which is 100 years old this year, has received special attention of late from all age groups. Not only was a new version of "Peter Pan" released as a feature film in 2003 but last year's Academy Award-nominated movie "Finding Neverland" sparked adult curiosity.
Specifically, this current production is attracting larger and more diverse audiences than ever before. Sagardia, who has a bachelor's degree in psychology from UCLA, offers her analysis to "Peter Pan," which is a fantasy to some and perhaps a reality for others.
"I think this show might speak to each person differently, depending on what is going on in that person's life, because there is so much going on and so many layers," Sagardia said. "You can look at the superficial part and just see it as a really fun colorful kind of show but if you really look deep, you can see that it does talk about how the world is not an easy place but there is this place we can go to -- this Neverland. And for some people, it might be inside themselves. Just like a place to go and a place to find within yourself where you can kind of let all of the stress go."
Rigby's last flight
While there will invariably be future productions of "Peter Pan," Sagardia reminds fans this current run is the last time they'll be able to see Cathy Rigby as the boy who wouldn't grow up. Rigby will be following Mary Martin and Sandy Duncan into the cherished pantheon of Peter Pan performers.
"I think that the big draw, and it was for me to come back and do it, is this will be the last time that Cathy does it," Sagardia said. "And people can rent the video and see her in it but seeing her live is a totally different thing because she is just so dynamic. This time around, it's kind of a historic event in theater because she is really not going to do this again. So I say, 'Get her while you can.'"