Cathy Rigby flies off to Neverland for the last time today

The tour ends its run in Portland this weekend. As Rigby has said this is her farewell tour, this will be the last time she plays "the boy who wouldn't grow up." According to the tour website, she's played over 2700 performances in the role. I saw her at MSG this winter again, and she was still as enegergetic and spry in the role as she was the very first time I saw her do it. Her flying, which will never be topped, never fails to illicit a "wow" from me, whether I see it live, or on the DVD. I was never alive to see Mary Martin do the role live, so for me, Peter Pan will always be Cathy Rigby. This is no knock to Martin, who is wonderful on the TV production, but Rigby will always be my favorite.

I think she deserves congratulations for all the thousands of children she's made believers out of, during the course of her run. Congratulations to her and the cast. I hope we see her back on Broadway in a new role soon!

53.

Is this really going to be the last time? It's like Barbara Streisand and Cher. They have said that so many times.

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She's never said it was her farewell before. She's done the role on and off since 1991, but has never announced it would be her final time before. She seems very resolute that this will be it.

I heard that Harvey Fierstein is taking over the role.

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Cathy Rigby has become Peter Pan. When I saw her in the role about a year ago she seemed as fresh and energetic as ever.

wow for 53 she is sure in good shape. I loved Peter Pan when I was a kid so it was fun to see it live.

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Well hey then! Yay for Ms. Rigby in Neverland... and her whole family who seem to all be involved in it too. =) Congrats are in order.

Oh how I love theatre... yay for being able to successfully have a 53 year old woman become a prepubescent boy!

Updated On: 5/29/06 at 02:59 PM

To the person who asked about her age...

It's really quite extraordinary, but she's able to pull it off. The moment she flies in, you "believe." I don' know how she does it, but she does. It's a wonderful performance, and thank goodness it was taped for posterity!

I saw her twice in SF two weeks ago, including her final performance there last Sunday. The show was amazing. Cathy Rigby IS Peter Pan. She's phenominal. What she does is incredible no matter her age. Meeting her at the stage door was an experience I'll remember for the rest of my life. Yay for Cathy! :)

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