Interview: HANNAH SCHMIDT of PETER PAN at Robinson Center

To open the new season with Celebrity Attractions in Little Rock, they are bringing PETER PAN to the Robinson Center stage, and Broadway World is excited! To be honest, I haven’t seen this show since Cathy Rigby, so I am beyond thrilled to see what this company has created. If you haven’t gotten your tickets, go to celebrityattractions.com and secure a seat before it sells out.  

Earlier this week, I had the privilege to speak with Hannah Schmidt about the show.  

BWW: We're excited that you guys are coming to Little Rock.  

Hannah: Yeah, I'm excited to be there. I've never been, so it'll be fun.   

BWW: How's the tour been going for you?  

Hannah: It's been going great. It's been a lot of fun. I’m seeing a lot of the country I've never been to before, so it's been an exciting time.  

BWW: That's so cool. I love to travel. How long have you been on this tour?  

Hannah: I've been with the tour since August of 2023. I started pre rehearsals, and we did some workshops. I was a part of those, and then I stayed with them ever since.  

BWW: And you’re enjoying it? 

Hannah:  I am. I'm having a really great time. It's a great group of people, a great creative team, great cast, great crew.  

BWW: Did I read correctly that this is your first national tour?  

Hannah: Yeah, I graduated college Spring of 2023 and started this in the summer, so it’s happened fast, but it’s been fun.  

BWW: That’s awesome! You didn’t waste anytime getting your career going. Tell me about the process of this production.   

Hannah: I feel it’s a labor of love. Our playwright Larissa FastHorse updated the script as one would for any revival and has taken it from when it was written in the 50s to today. So, there are a lot of script updates and new choreography. It's really fun. It's really modern, but I think it still keeps the magic of the original production, and we have a great time doing it, so I hope that that also shows.  

BWW: Well, I haven't seen Peter Pan since Cathy Rigby was Peter Pan, so it's been a little while for me. What do you think are the differences between then and now?  

Hannah: There's some pretty big differences. Our version of the musical takes place in modern day America instead of in Victorian England. The goal of the production was to make it so that the kids that we were showing the show to, could see themselves in the story and could see themselves flying off to Neverland. So I would say that is probably the biggest difference. There are a couple new songs, and also there are  a few songs that were cut from the original version that have been brought back. Amanda Green, who is the daughter of Adolph Green, one of the original songwriters of Peter Pan, came back to our production to rewrite some of the lyrics and adapt it for this new version. So that's been pretty special as well.  

BWW: Ohh wow, that's cool! You've gotten to meet some iconic people.  

Hannah: Yes, absolutely. It's been a really special part of this process. Meeting so many people who, you know, whether I knew who they were before this or not, that I looked up to and can learn so much from, has been an amazing opportunity.  

BWW: That sounds amazing. So what got you interested in all of this?   

Hannah: You know, as a kid I was always making up plays with my friends in the basement. My mom is a writer, so from a young age she read to me every night and promoted creativity in my life. Then when I was about 12 years old, I, just on a whim, did a theater camp and absolutely fell in love with it. I never looked back.  

BWW: Well from the advertising reels, this looks like it is a great production. Would you say that this show is geared more towards children? It does have some young actors.   

Hannah: There are four children in our production and our Peter Pan is played by a 17 year old boy, but I do think that the story still resonates for adults. I think it's universal. I don't think the show is too childish or anything like that. The songs are recognizable, and I think it helps generations connect in a world where we could feel so separated or distant. I think it is something that can bring us together.  

BWW: I like that. Ok, when I talk to other touring people, they say that they have certain things they like to do in each city. Have you found your thing that you like to do? 

Hannah: I try to go to as many art museums as possible. I love a good art museum, and then I guess this is along the same lines is that I always find something in every city that I'd like to paint. I have a collection of watercolor paintings that are just a little memory from each town that I go to, so that's been a nice keepsake.  

BWW: Well, Robinson Center is in a beautiful part of downtown Little Rock, so you will have many opportunities to paint some pretty things.  

Hannah: I'm excited!  

BWW: OK, well, is there anybody you'd like to thank?  

Hannah: Ohh my gosh, I guess my parents, just for always being there and supporting me. Even since I've been on the road, they've come to visit me a lot. Just to make sure that even though I'm not at home, I have a sense of home. So that's been nice.  

BWW: How many shows have they come to?  

Hannah: My mom has probably seen 10 to 15 shows. She's seen so many. 

BWW: Bless her. That's what we do. We chase our children around.  

Hannah: Right. Exactly. That’s what they always say.  

BWW: Well you have been lovely to chat with and I can’t wait to see they show! 

PETER PAN will be at Robinson Center Friday-Sunday, Sept. 13-15. For more information about how to get tickets, visit robinsoncenter.com or https://www.celebrityattractions.com/  

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