OK, it’s official: The Broadway-bound musical “Finding Neverland” has broken box-office records at the American Repertory Theater. The world premiere production, directed by ART artistic director Diane Paulus and backed by movie titan Harvey Weinstein, “has reached the highest attendance record for a single production in the ART’s 34-year history” and has become the highest grossing production to date, according to a statement from the theater. Starring Jeremy Jordan as “Peter Pan” author J.M. Barrie, “Finding Neverland” runs through Sept. 28, and according to the ART, so far “all performances have played to capacity crowds.”
Now it looks like one prominent skeptic will be in the crowd, too. The New York Post’s Michael Riedel, after reading some early reviews, had called the musical “dead in the water.” Weinstein challenged him to see the show and judge for himself, telling Deadline.com that if need be, he’d launch a Kickstarter campaign to cover Riedel’s train fare. In a new column, Riedel says he’s coming, adding, “I may not be on the Acela, but I can catch the bus, which is called — happy coincidence! — the Peter Pan Express.”