Anyone who is a fan of the “Star Wars” franchise knows the value of back stories and prequels, which is why the musical “Finding Neverland” is so attractive to fans of the “Peter Pan” saga.
Based on the 2004 motion picture, the stage musical made its premiere in 2012 in Leicester, England, and a reworked version made its way to Broadway three years later.
American Theatre Guild’s national touring production arrives in Thousand Oaks today for a four-day run at the Kavli Theatre.
“Finding Neverland” is a historical drama about playwright J.M. Barrie’s struggles to write the original “Peter Pan” play, which opened in 1904 in England. The story focuses on Barrie’s platonic relationship with Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, a widow with four young children, and Sylvia’s mother, Mrs. Emma du Maurier, who objects to the amount of time Barrie devotes to her daughter and grandsons.
Desirée Dillon, who plays Mrs. du Maurier, is a multitalented actress/singer who graduated from Oklahoma City University in 2010 with a degree in vocal performance and musical theater. Blessed with a four-octave vocal range, Dillon’s singing talents are accented by training in opera and dance, making her extremely marketable for a variety of theatrical roles. This is her first national tour.
“I’ve been very excited to perform on cruise ships and see different countries, but now I’m on a bus, seeing my own country,” Dillon said in a recent phone interview from the road. She said she is especially excited to be playing Mrs. du Maurier, which takes advantage of her many performing skills.
“This character uses my voice a lot, almost to its capacity. I was trained as an opera vocalist, but I’m that oddball who can sing rock and gospel as well, and I found that there are not a lot of roles suited for a voice like mine. But Mrs. du Maurier allows me to belt in my middle range and also sing up to my high D’s and C’s, so it’s a lot of fun.”
Knowledgeable audiences might recognize the name du Maurier, since the granddaughter of Dillon’s character was Daphne du Maurier, author of “The Birds” and “Rebecca” of Alfred Hitchcock fame.
“What’s really cool is that I had the chance to reach out to the Daphne du Maurier foundation in London, and they sent me a lot of information about the family, who I discovered were all very much involved in the arts,” Dillon said.
The character of Emma du Maurier is a challenging one for the actor because of its complexity.
“Despite her being the antagonist of the show, she is not a bad person,” Dillon said. “Everything that motivates her is done out of love for her daughter and her grandchildren. At times, I feel the hate from the audience (laughs), but I think that means I’m doing my job well. But by the end, she does go through an emotional arc that really will resonate with parents and grandparents.”
Despite its dark themes, Dillon believes that children as well as adults will enjoy “Finding Neverland.”
“We have a goldendoodle named Oscar who will steal the hearts of everybody, and the children in the show really inspire your imagination,” she said. “The kids in the cast are some of the most professional performers I’ve ever worked with. Watching them onstage is a master class. So it’s great to have the kids in the audience join them on this journey to find out where Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinker Bell and Captain Hook came from. And the best part is that I find my character traveling through Mr. Barrie’s imagination and becoming the crocodile!”
“Finding Neverland” plays Jan. 16 to 19 at the Kavli Theatre, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. For tickets, visit www.americantheatreguild.com.