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2 3 W ednesday, Septem ber 21, 2011 O A K V ILLE B EA V ER w w w .in sid eH A LTO N .co m Artscene Its a dream come true for actor-dancer in Peter Pan musical LOST BOY: Former Oakvillian Dane Wagner is a lost boy in the Peter Pan musical. SUBMITTED PHOTO By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A dream come true Broadway appearance for a former Iroquois Ridge High School student is like going back in time to his childhood. The 23-year-old Dane Wagner is performing as a lost boy in the North American tour of Cathy Rigbys Peter Pan musical. Peter Pan is just a special show to me, Wagner said. When I was younger my mom and I we used to call them battle roy- ales, she would dress up as Captain Hook and I would be Peter and we would fight. We would play and that was my make-believe fighting as a kid. This time, the dancer and actor is donning the clothes of the lead lost boy, Slightly. Peter Pan has always had a special place for me. I loved the movie Hook. Its great I get to go back to that and I get to be right alongside Peter for his journey . .. Its great, you get to be a kid on stage. Actress and former Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby is reprising her role of Peter Pan in this tour. The Tony Award-nominated Rigby played the role in the 1990s. The show ended in New York in 2005. Producers are hop- ing to have a run of a year and a half, if not more. The musical opened in late summer in Pennsylvania and continues through the U.S. until it reaches New York in December. New York is a bit of a special place for Wagner. Wagner and his family moved to the States before he graduated high school. He then received a scholarship to attend Point Park University in Pittsburg for dance. He graduated from the school alongside another Oakville child- hood friend in 2009 and has entered the professional perfor- mance world, which included struggling while living with fam- ily members in New York. Its pretty cool this show is going to New York because my family, who has been able to help me out a lot, is going to be able to see me perform there, Wagner said. The performer, who also did film and TV work, was surprised he got the role. At the time audi- tions were taking place, he was working in Charlottetown, PEI. He auditioned through video, hav- ing to send in several tapes, and he got the part. He also performed in a Peter Pan musical while he was attending Point Park. See Getting page 24