SOUND OFF: PETER PAN LIVE! Proves Magic Is Alive & Well

By: Pat Cerasaro Dec. 05, 2014

Pirates! Crocodiles! Mermaids! Magic! Relive all of the heavenly high-flying highlights of last night's big broadcast of PETER PAN LIVE!

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A Place Where Dreams Are Born
PETER PAN is everywhere. From Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein's new stage musical adaptation of the story of the man behind the classic tale, J.M. Barrie, titled FINDING NEVERLAND, which arrives on Broadway later this season following a successful out of town tryout earlier this year, to a brand new feature film examination of the classic children's tale of a boy who won't grow up as envisioned in Joe Wright's forthcoming PAN starring Hugh Jackman through to the currently in development PETER PAN-inspired stage musical adaptation of Meat Loaf's classic BAT OUT OF HELL albums written by rock royalty Jim Steinman, the time in which we are currently living could very well be coined the Pan Period of American pop culture. After all, the story of a boy who refuses to grow up and the magical land in which he resides - populated by nefarious sailors, hungry crocodiles, enchanting natives and mysterious mermaids, not to mention a bevy of boisterous Lost Boys - is as timeless as any fairy tale, new or old. Undoubtedly, the inaugural apotheosis of this pop phenomenon was reached last night, beginning the era of Pan in a major way on NBC in primetime via the live telecast of the second theatrical production in as many years following last year's blockbuster production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Of course, PETER PAN LIVE! derives from the 1954 musical penned by Golden Age heavyweights Jule Styne, Betty Comden, Adolph Green along with Moose Charlap and Carolyn Leigh, originally directed by master director and choreographer Jerome Robbins and famously presented on NBC not once, but three times - first in 1955, then again the following year and once more in 1960, all headlined by original Tony Award-winning stars Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard. For even more on the origins of the stage musical, check out my exhaustive Theatrical Throwback Thursday from earlier this week, available here. The iconic live legacy of PETER PAN was given a grand and generous 2014 continuation byway of last night's live telecast directed by Rob Ashford, starring Allison Williams in the title role along with Christopher Walken as Captain Hook, Christian Borle in the dual roles of Mr. Darling and Smee, Kelli O'Hara as Mrs. Darling, Taylor Louderman as Wendy, Alanna Saunders as Tiger Lily and newcomers Jake Lucas and John Allyn as John Darling and Michael Darling, respectively, plus narration and a cameo turn by screen star Minnie Driver. Lavishly produced by CHICAGO and HAIRSPRAY uber producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, PETER PAN LIVE! brought the live TV musical firmly into the 21st century with a visually arresting and sumptuous production that made masterful use of the captivating video and audio capabilities of HD technology, going remarkably further in its technical daringness than THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE! - which, in a musical featuring such fantastical characters and events as this one, not to mention all the flying done by the actors throughout, was more than merely befitting. Indeed, PETER PAN LIVE! virtually leapt off the screen throughout the three-hour broadcast, particularly once viewers were taken into that famous and magical place called Neverland. Case in point, "I Won't Grow Up" was one of many dynamically staged and executed extended musical sequences that made expert use of the many advantages afforded by modern HD technology and enterprising camerawork, with surprisingly enveloping surround sound and startlingly vivid images also abetted by the fun, funky and athletic choreography performed exquisitely by the talented corps of chorus members throughout - pirates, natives, lost boys, mermaids and more - with the overall musical staging making memorable use of the whimsical and illustrative production and costume design. The same is true for the vast majority of the lengthy but at times breathlessly entertaining presentation, with few moments flagging in energy or import. Not that the ballads didn't land, too - the lusciously lyrical and languid "Only Pretend" and its reprise, the touching "Tender Shepherd" and a sensitive "Never Never Land" among the beauties.

Kicking off with a delightful bird's eye view of London, the melodically rich overture ushered us into the world of this new take on PETER PAN in a unique and enveloping manner, with the opening scene superbly cast and starting on strong and assured footing, showcasing two Broadway superstars exhibiting to the national audience at home why they are modern theatrical royalty. Truly, Kelli O'Hara possesses one of the most gorgeous voices in Broadway history and was ideally suited to her sweet, maternal material as Mrs. Darling - abetted even further by the addition of a handful of new musical moments added to the proceedings in which to give her even more chance to show, and sing, her considerable stuff. So, too, is Christian Borle the type of instantly likable and immediately attention-getting performer who was expectedly sensational in an unassuming and somewhat starchy role such as that of Mr. Darling. Although casting him as only the stern father figure in the show may have given the excellent actor short shrift, the inspired idea to also cast him as Captain Hook's right hand man, Smee - or, should I say: right hand pirate (after all, there is no left hand thanks to the crocodile incident) - was a particularly genius stroke. Few name performers are as versatile as Borle and he showed it in spades as both Mr. Darling and Smee. So, too, did Minnie Driver hit her mark as the narrator and Older Wendy, giving an authentic British air to her readings of the cozy wraparound narration and a youthful spark to her portrayal of the central female figure of the story at the end of the endeavor, all grown up. Surely, PETER PAN contains one of the most heart-rending and tear-inducing final scenes of any musical - and thanks to the way it was staged and enacted in PETER PAN LIVE! there were certainly few dry eyes, if any, in the houses of the millions of Americans across the country tuning in to the telecast. Perhaps there is a bit of Peter Pan in all of us, glancing slightly askance as if to ponder our own childhood and entrance into adulthood. What if we could be like Peter and never grow up, living in a magical land such as Neverland? Whether looking ahead to becoming adults or remembering our own childhoods and the wonder contained within them, one of the major themes of the story is to always remember that special kind of joy - literally, the belief in magic - and the fact that it never really dies if we refuse to let it.

"Think lovely thoughts," is a repeated refrain in PETER PAN and so goes the mentality of theatre aficionados tuning into the telecast last night. As history would have it, THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE! was a ratings juggernaut last year at this time, racking up an astounding 30 million viewers to see Carrie Underwood and some of Broadway's best take on one of Rodgers & Hammerstein's most beloved musical theatre classics, yet the social media sphere erupted with many criticizing the country star for her perceivably wooden portrayal of Maria Von Trapp, though few could find fault with her admittedly flawless vocals. I happen to be a vocal fan of Underwood's portrayal, finding her quaint naiveté to be an inspired and apt character choice for the part of a young nun in training, as reflected in my extensive Sound Off review last year (available here). Producers Zadan and Meron along with NBC's Robert Greenblatt saw fit to give a relative live performance newcomer a shot with this year's entertainment event, offering GIRLS star Allison Williams the enviable opportunity to make a major musical debut in front of an audience of millions. Did the gamble pay off? Well, no one can deny Williams committed fully to the role, imbuing her Peter Pan with sprightly attitude, appealing mischievousness and revealing a tender heart underneath a somewhat aloof exterior, which was surely dramatically justified. After all, this is a boy who arrogantly refuses to give up childish things and became a man - at least at the start of the story. Agreeable acting choices, all. Although the score may have had some more experienced and inarguably superior singers tackle some of the songs in the intervening 60 years since it originally premiered on the Great White Way - Patti LuPone, Jane Monheit and Marissa Mulder included - Williams infused her take on the musical material with a clean, clear crispness and subtly brought the sounds of the score firmly into 2014 all the while. A new Peter for a new generation of viewers - and rightly so.

No, this was not your parents' or your grandparents' PETER PAN - this was a bold, bright and invaluable new iteration designed to delight a new slew of viewers in much the same way that the original 1955 broadcast brought the world of J.M. Barrie as envisioned by Styne, Comden, Green, Charlap, Leigh and Robbins to a rapt nationwide audience back then. In keeping with this revisionist take on the classic tale, Zadan, Meron and Greenblatt enlisted a Native American consultant Jerod Tate as well as Broadway lyricist Amanda Green - no less than original co-author Adolph Green's daughter - to revise certain elements of the original musical that would appear creaky or perhaps even outright politically incorrect to a modern audience. Thus, "Ugg-A-Wugg" became "True Blood Brothers", the Indians became Natives and some lesser-known Styne, Comden and Green standouts were integrated into the songstack for the telecast along with a few score snips (such as "Oh, My Mysterious Lady"). For instance, Christopher Walken's eerie, jittery and sporadically jaunty Captain Hook was given a potent new number in "Vengeance", while the absolutely sensational Taylor Louderman - who excelled throughout - was given the lovely aforementioned "Only Pretend". So, too, were Walken and Williams well-suited to the reworked SAY, DARLING Styne/Comden/Green earworm re-purposed as "A Wonderful World Without Peter", not to mention the adorable "Only Pretend" reprise given to O'Hara as Mrs. Darling and an excised song from the original production of PETER PAN penned by Charlap and Leigh in the new Pan character number "When I Went Home". Whether or not future stage productions of PETER PAN will retain these astute adjustments remains to be seen, but this vivacious and carefully augmented new version of the musical is a worthwhile and valid reexamination of the vaunted Golden Age classic, perfectly suited to a new presentation of the material for a new time, place and audience.

"I have a place where dreams are born / And time is never planned," sings Peter in the lovely and lilting chestnut "Never Never Land", and one could find no better description for the risky, inventive and awe-inspiring feat that has been pulled off by Zadan, Meron and Greenblatt in not only bringing fresh, vital and tangibly impacting musical theatre to a national audience and a whole new generation in a major way, but allowing us all to dream as a nation - first with THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE! last year and now with PETER PAN LIVE! Without a doubt, PETER PAN LIVE! reminds us all of the power of dreams, the joys of childhood and the magic of theatre - giving the entire country an innovative new forum in which to experience it all together, as a nation. Or, one big, happy family. Let us all clap and band together in wishing, hoping and dreaming that another live theatrical production will grace our TV screens next year at this time, if not sooner - until then, all of these happy thoughts will sustain us indefinitely. Magic is real - and PETER PAN LIVE! is proof.

Photo Credits: NBC

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