Cleveland Ballet: Peter Pan

Cleveland Ballet: Peter Pan at Connor Palace Theatre

Neverland has never looked like this. Peter Pan arrives at Connor Palace Theatre on Sunday, May 9, performed by Cleveland Ballet at Playhouse Square.

The story follows Peter, Wendy, the Lost Boys, mischievous fairies and Captain Hook through an adventure built for movement. Ballet gives the familiar tale a different kind of excitement. Seeing how a classic childhood story becomes physical, immediate and alive is the whole reason to go. You already know the story, and that is part of the draw. You understand the stakes, so you can focus on how they unfold through dance, music and performance. The chase has speed, the pirate scenes have swagger and the dreamlike moments can feel almost weightless when the dancers make them happen right in front of you.

The stage can hold the danger, the mischief and the thrill of a boy who refuses to grow up, while the dancers carry the story with the kind of precision that makes ballet rewarding even for first-timers. Connor Palace is one of Playhouse Square's historic downtown theatres, with the scale and atmosphere to make a big production feel like an occasion. A Sunday date makes it a relaxed way to end the weekend. A good ballet for a first-timer and a rewarding one for a regular. Get Peter Pan tickets for Sunday, May 9.