Reed Sigmund, Logan Lang, Keegan Robinson, Ryan London Levin, and Jon Schumacher Photo by Glen Stubbe Photography

The only Treasure Island to ever appear on Broadway was a 1915 adaptation by Jules Eckert Goodman that was a success at the Punch and Judy Theatre and was revived in 1938, one of the last shows to play the legendary Hippodrome before it was demolished. Other adaptations have set sail, including recent attempts by Mary Zimmerman and Ken Ludwig, but none that drew fire in a big way. The musical Pieces of Eight, a late-career effort by Jule Styne, with book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, directed by Joe Layton and starring George Hearn, straight from his Tony-winning turn as Albin in La Cages aux Folles had sights set for the Broadway, but after a 1985 tryout in Edmonton, Canada, the vessel proved unseaworthy and sank, never to be seen again. Children's Theatre Company is presenting a version adapted for the stage by Stuart Paterson.

The story is told mainly through the eyes of Jim Hawkins, a good-hearted and stalwart young boy who works at a coastal tavern run by his mother. Their patrons include seafaring types, many of whom have unsavory manners and dangerous pasts. One of the regulars, Billy Bones, is set upon by his enemies, and as a reward for Jim's kindness, bequeaths to him a map of an island bearing an X to mark the location of buried treasure. Learning this, two solid citizens, Squire Trelawney and Doctor Livesey, seize the momentum to raise a ship and retrieve the treasure, enlisting Jim as their cabin-boy.

Trelawney hires an effusive, one-legged cook named Long John Silver, who recruits the rest of the crew, fine sailors with whom he has shared duties of ocean voyages. Long John takes Jim under his wing, claiming to be as fond of the boy as if he were his own son. Captain Smollett, the ship's commander, is uneasy with the crew, but as Trelawney is financing the voyage, the Captain holds little sway. Over the course of the journey, individuals reveal their true colors, which unspools into all-out rebellion once they reach the island. Jim must make choices about morality and integrity, placing himself on a path toward mature adulthood.

Paterson's adaptation streamlines the original plot a bit without losing any of its narrative currents. It marks the first directorial outing by Children's Theatre Company's new artistic director, Rick Dildine, who has taken the helm after Peter C. Brosius' long and accomplished tenure. Dildine ably sets a tone of apprehension and high adventure, while keeping the narrative flow moving steadily over the course of a long (by Children's Theatre standards) runtime of two and a quarter hours, with a 15-minute intermission. Dildine makes great use of ingenious sets co-designed by Christopher Swader and Justin Swader, with transitory pieces–barrels, wooden crates, and boards–creating settings within the framework of a deep ship's hull, all encased in a library full of books, suggesting multiple layers of imagination. Blake Mann's atmospheric projections provide a constant swirl of foaming waves and drifting clouds.

While not a musical, the play makes wonderful use of music, subtly integrated throughout the show under music director Victor Zupanc's steady hand and piano playing. Several actors take up guitar, violin, drums, and vocals in various combinations on stage. This frees up the orchestra pit to serve as the ocean through which their ship makes its way, offering some clever and impactful staging opportunities abetted by Melanie Chen Cole's splendid sound design. Jeff Behm's lighting design adds marvelously to the vivid atmosphere, whether it's a rough and tumble tavern, on the high seas, or a thickly forested deserted island. Alexa Behm's costumes conjure up every vision of 18th century landed gentry, rough-living sailors, and bona fide pirates stowed in our imaginations.

The entire acting ensemble is wonderful, without a false note. Leading the pack are Truman Bednar (alternating with Mason Yang) as Jim Hawkins and Reed Sigmund as Long John Silver, the character that created the stereotype of a peg-leg pirate with an insolent parrot on his shoulder. Bednar gives a full-bodied performance. His Jim is totally ingratiating as the story's young hero, demonstrating at different turns grit, kindness, courage, judgement, and exuberance, a combination that makes him a positive role model for any young boys in the audience. Sigmund has had enough go-rounds as the Grinch to easily take on the mantel of a villain. In this case, as Long John Silver, he is a more deceptive and perhaps conflicted villain, leading us to question whether Long John really has a fondness for Jim, or is merely using the boy to attain his own ends.

Other standouts include Matt Riehle, both as the dissipated Billy Bones and the skeptical Captain Smollett; Ryan London Levin, who usually excels at playing likable types, just as convincing as two particularly sinister characters, Black Dog and Israel Hands; José Sabillón as the castaway Ben Gunn, a truly original character if there ever was one; and Em Adam Rosenberg as Squire Trelawney, who allows his sense of entitlement to blind him to the risks he blithely take on. Rosenberg also adds their particularly lustrous voice to a couple of the musical moments.

A word of caution about Treasure island. Children's Theatre rates the show as suitable for ages 8 and up, and while I saw many younger children in the audience, I would take that caution to heart. The story includes a number of murders, including gunfire, as tends to happen among pirates, and other frightening moments. My friends who accompanied me–an 8th grader and a 9th grader–expressed concern for the nightmares those young, traumatized children had in store.

This is a fantastic production of a rip-roaring story, a grand way to open a season and for Dildine to launch his term as artistic director. If there hasn't been a nationally recognized stand-out stage version of Treasure Island, I could easily see this one raising its Jolly Roger and setting sail to berth at that open harbor.

Treasure Island runs through October 19, 2025, at Children's Theatre Company, 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis MN. For tickets and information, please call 612-874-0400 or visit childrenstheatre.org.

Adapted for the stage by Stuart Peterson from the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson; Director: Rick Dildine; Music Direction: Victor Zupanc; Co-Scenic Designers: Christopher Swader and Justin Swader; Costume Design: Alexa Behm; Lighting Design: Jeff Behm; Sound Design: Melanie Chen Cole; Projection Design: Blake Manns; Fight Director: Paul Dennhardt; Dialect Coach: Kelly Wolter; Assistant Scenic Designer: Michaela Lochen Assistant Costume Designer: Annie Cady; Assistant Lighting Designer: Andrew Vance; Assistant Fight Director: Aaron Preusse; Stage Manager: Jenny R. Friend; Assistant Stage Manager: Stacey McIntosh.

Cast: Truman Bednar *(Jim Hawkins), Theo Janke-Furman (John/Joseph), Logan Lang (Gray/Job Anderson), Ryan London Levin (Black Dog/Morgan/Israel Hands), Matt Riehle (Billy Bones/Captain Smollett), Keegan Robinson (Harry/George Merry), Em Adam Rosenberg (Squire Trelawney), José Sabillón (Blind Pew/Mr. Arrow/Tom/Ben Gunn), Jon Schumacher (Johnny/Dick), Reed Sigmund (Long John Silver), Max Wojtanowicz (Doctor Livesey), Mason Yang * (Jim Hawkins), Victor Zupanc (Musician).