Since 2021, the local theater troupe Panto in the Presidio has made it a holiday tradition to take beloved characters—Aladdin once, Sleeping Beauty twice—and drop them into wacky shows set in modern-day San Francisco.
Panto in the Presidio Productions founder and executive producer Peggy Haas is proud of the group’s growing reputation for putting on increasingly outlandish shows.
“I always try to top myself each year, because the Bay Area deserves it! The more joy, laughter, and escape I can give people, the better,” says Haas.
She doesn’t plan to tone things down with “Peter Pan,” which runs Dec. 3-29 at the Presidio Theatre. Directed by Liam Vincent, it includes the famed characters from J.M. Barrie’s story as well as Panto’s Pecker the Singing Rooster and Dame, the narrator, and more. All will be transplanted to the bizarre, magical world of The City by the Bay.
It’s the same premise as “Beach Blanket Babylon,” the beloved revue that ran for decades in North Beach in which Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” traversed San Francisco streets with wide-eyed wonder.
Panto’s connection to “BBB” isn’t accidental. Haas was a fan of the show, and several alumni now work with Panto.
“BBB alumni were a perfect fit, and they enjoy playing with each other again,” Haas says, adding, “Our music director Bill Keck is also a ‘BBB’ alum. Add to that, Rotimi and the most talented Bay Area actors from the younger generation, you can’t help but have a good time.”
Rotimi Agbabiaka, who’s been a go-to cast member for Panto’s annual Christmas production, told Haas, “Let me clear my schedule, and I’d better be playing the villain,” upon learning about a new show this year.
Agbabiaka, who played Aladdin in Panto’s “Magic Lamp” and the Evil Queen in “Sleeping Beauty,” will once again don an Alina Bokovikova costume in a portrayal of Captain Hook.
The openly queer actor enjoys bringing a layer of subtext to the literary mainstay, saying, “He certainly is a flamboyant man with his fabulous wardrobe, beyond-elaborate wig, and penchant for catty wordplay. I get the feeling that his primary identity is ‘vengeful pirate’ and that he prefers to let others speculate about whether or not he is queer.”
Agbabiaka is grateful for the opportunity to share such a portrayal with an open-minded audience of all ages: “It’s always important for children to see characters who stimulate their imagination and their capacity to understand and empathize with all sorts of humans. Thankfully, I’m not aware of any parental backlash with past shows,” he says.
Meanwhile, company playwrights Richard Ciccarone and Stephanie Brown are the ones keeping the wild proceedings on some sort of track. Excited to work with Haas every year, they admit they’re sometimes at a loss about how to put her ideas on paper.
Noting that they’re given a familiar story with characters, plot points and other elements they must honor, Brown says their job with the script is to find creative ways to work in everybody’s ideas together with the humor while making the show relevant for the times and the Bay Area.
“As writers, the thrilling part is hearing and seeing the pages come to life in rehearsals and onstage, and we absolutely flex our script to accommodate special talents and suggestions during the rehearsal process. For us, the best and funniest idea always wins. What the audience sees once the show opens is a reflection of that,” she says.
Agreeing, Ciccarone mentions that despite the outlandish nature of the adaptation, the show will contain Barrie’s themes, including the arc of Wendy, the story’s true lead, in contrast to Peter Pan, who won’t grow up.
“We had a lot of discussions about Wendy’s role and how to make it more accessible to modern audiences,” Ciccarone says. “A big part of that was finding the universal ideals that comprise Wendy’s character, such as independence, strength and intelligence which are a vital part of the story.”
Leaning into the allure of setting “Peter Pan” in San Francisco, Ciccarone says, “There are surprisingly a lot of parallels between Mayor [Art] Agnos’ role in the redevelopment of South of Market and Wendy’s journey of discovery.”
Brown adds, “One thing we can say is that we think everyone will agree that of all the cities in the world, San Francisco truly is the closest thing to Neverland that exists!”
While busy preparing for final tech, Haas explains why Panto’s shows are produced during Christmas. She says, “This is my gift to the city, where people of all ages can come and escape, have fun, and be silly for two hours. It’s something we all need.”
Panto in the Presidio’s “Peter Pan” runs Dec. 3-29 at the Presidio Theatre, 99 Moraga Ave., Presidio of San Francisco. Tickets are $17-$68 at presidiotheatre.org.
Charles Lewis III is a San Francisco-born journalist and performing artist. He has written for the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, the San Francisco Examiner, and more. Dodgy evidence of this can be found at The Thinking Man’s Idiot.wordpress.com.
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