Out of the mouths of babes and onto the Broadway stage. Such is "Peter and the Starcatcher," now appearing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. That's not to say that it's an amateur production or anything like that, but, much like a dream, or something from a child's imagination, it's not quite fully fleshed out—in the most delightful of ways.

"Peter and the Starcatcher," which is based on Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's book of the same (albeit plural) name, follows Molly (Celia Keenan-Bolger), a spunky "apprentice star catcher," whose father, Lord Astor (Rick Holmes) is on a mission from Queen Victoria ("God rest her!") to destroy stardust, a potent powder that makes anyone who comes into contact with it become whatever they wish to be. This is obviously quite dangerous, should it fall into the wrong hands—and, of course, the wrong hands are intent on obtaining the treasure for themselves. As the pirate Blackstache (Christian Borle, "Smash") and his merry band pursue it, young Molly meets some orphans in the hold of the ship, including one who is nameless but is poised on the brink of transformation (Adam Chanler-Berat). Adventures ensue, and things go wonderfully awry.

The "Peter Pan" prequel, which is directed by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, is oddly reminiscent of "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson," which Timbers also directed. It's more than a tad meta-theatrical, occasionally confusing, and possibly suffering from an identity crisis, but almost always entertaining.  Actors switch characters often, Rick Elice's script frequency references the fact that we are in a theater, watching this show, and the show cannot seem to decide whether it is a musical or a play. But somehow, it all coalesces into something satisfying, and more importantly, something moving.

Borle, who is delightful as composer Tom Levitt on "Smash," and was a tad more understated as Emmett in "Legally Blonde: The Musical," chews up the scenery a considerable amount as the man who is to become Captain Hook. He's a wonder to watch, vacillating between emotions in a split-second and dispensing malapropisms at the drop of a cat. Keenan-Bolger brings great charm and humanity to Molly, while the ensemble delivers a rambunctious energy to the show as a whole.

The production design of the show is simple, and reminiscent of a children's pageant, but it works. Jeff Croiter's lighting design is particularly stunning, while Donyale Werle's scenic design is captivating and brings the world of a ship and a tropical island to life quite effectively.

"Peter and the Starcatcher" is like a trip into a child's fantasy, and indeed, it returns to the audience a sense of juvenile wonder and belief in the vast possibility of life. Like "Bloody Bloody," it's a show that is likely to alienate some, but for those with whom it resonates, it is a rewarding experience.

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