Homewood Flossmoor Grad In Cast Of 'Finding Neverland'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Dwelvan David said the first time he saw the revival of "The Wiz", he knew theater would be his life.
"It was the most incredible thing I had ever seen and I knew then," David said. "It was what I wanted to do."
WBBM's Lisa Fielding reports.
David graduated from Homewood Flossmoor High School and Millikin University. Now he plays Mr. Henshaw in the ensemble of the touring cast of "Finding Neverland".
"Most of my cast mates have been here, to Chicago before, but I tell them that it's the best city we'll stop on the road," he said. "The energy that we receive from the crowd is electric because the people here love theater and the chance to escape."
"Finding Neverland" is the stage adaptation of the hit film, "Peter Pan" created by J.M. Barrie and the four young brothers who inspired him.
"When I first saw this on Broadway, there were people of all ages, all backgrounds in the audience. We explore all kinds of relationships in this show, " said Christine Dwyer, who plays the lead, Sylvia Llewelyn Davies. "When we're adults, we lose that child like enthusiasm that we have when we're kids when we don't know any better. It's always exciting to see a story about finding that again. That's what our story is about, that's what Peter Pan is all about. We all want to find that joy again. That's why it's been told so many times."
"I agree with that message," David said. "It's all about remembering how to believe in something that most of us has long forgotten which is why it's great it's coming up on the holidays. It's the one time of year, everyone is child like again. It's that child like and wonderment, playfulness that our show embodies."
David was in "Ragtime" at the Drury Lane Theater, and performed at the Lincolnshire Marriott but says this is the first time he's bee on one of Chicago's main downtown stages.
"I'm beyond excited just to be able to finally, finally be able to play one of the downtown major stops in Chicago. I am absolutely excited to be here especially during the holidays. I have so much family and friends here. I am so happy, it's the right time of year for me to be here."
The show is at the Cadillac Palace through December 4th.
