Christian Borle will Play Smee/Mr.Darling For NBC- Page 2

[mikey2573]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 9:10pm

Wait, Cyril Ritchard was GAY? Did his wife know?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 9:19pm

I was also shocked that Cyril was GAY!

The mis-doubling of roles has Ashford written all over it, big mistake, but Borle will be wonderful, as always.
Maybe they could get Sutton for Mrs. Darling?

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 9:35pm

It makes no sense to double Mr. Darling with Smee. There is a symbolism in the original doubling, and it was intentional. They should have just done away with it if they didn't want Walken to play the father.

They might as well have doubled Michael with Tiger Lily. The logic is the same (aka, none).

[SNAFU]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 9:52pm

There are so many wonderful psychological layers that will be lost without the Mr Darling/Hook connection. I think it is a huge mistake. The allegory is lost.

[James2]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 9:53pm

From my end, it is such a kick in the teeth to think they got Borle for this and NOT as Captain Hook, which would have been the closest thing imaginable to having his "Peter and the Starcatcher" performance on commercial tape. Getting a star for that part, even one as good as Walken, instead of Borle is inexcusable if you ask me.

Bear in mind I am not familiar with this version of "Peter Pan," so I don't know if Borle would have been too young to play this Hook.

[Showface]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 9:57pm

Well, theyre probably gonna end up stunt casting Wendy because, I don't think Christopher Walken is a strong enough name to carry this. But hey it's, Peter Pan, so maybe it's name alone will bring viewers in.

However, if they don't end up stunt-casting Wendy, I would like to see the actress who played Liesel last year in the role. I personally thought she was fantastic, that is if she's available, and if she wants to. If I recall correctly, she doesn't want a career in acting, and SOM was just for fun, but she's still a talent in my opinion.

Laura Benanti as Mrs. Darling please (or Megan Hilty), PLEASE!

[rjm516]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 10:02pm

Adding to the chorus of those disappointed that the compelling symbolism with the Hook/Mr. Darling doubling is being thrown away.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 10:32pm

Perfect! I was thinking of him for Hook, but this will do :)

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 11:24pm

They still haven't confirmed which version of the script they're using, have they?

If it's the one from the Rigby productions, Mrs. Darling is also a mermaid. If they're using the original script, is Allison Williams really able to handle Mysterious Lady?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/6/14 at 11:34pm

Starcatcher is a very different property and does not justify casting Borle as Hook anywhere.... Not to say that he would not be great. The connection is simply faulty at best.

TV and film have long cast children and teens older... And people buy it.

In regard to casting older for the kids in Pan, if you have never seen the show with children played by youthful adults, I HIGHLY recommend it. It plays deliciously with Barrie's themes of the dual tragedy of growing up to lose your youth and not growing up to miss out on growing.


Yes, in the Rigby production, Mrs. Darling played a mermaid, but there was no reason beyond that other than Rigby wanted to keep the cast small... Just like she cut a lost boy.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 2:04am

I thought he was gay? I know I heard someone discussing it as though it was fact at some point and it seemed likely enough. Lord knows being married to a woman doesn't negate someone's sexuality, especially in the 1950s. If I was wrong, I apologize, but he has no descendents to be offended, so whatever.

Either way, it seems silly to claim Christopher Walken's age would so dramatically throw off the sense of realism in a musical where an adult woman plays a prepubescent boy and flies to a magical land under the power of fairy dust that they need to cast Borle as Mr. Darling instead.

If Walken can't/won't do both roles, as someone else said, just hire a third actor to play Mr. Darling instead of pairing him with Smee.

Updated On: 8/7/14 at 02:04 AM

[Fan123]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 7:42am

Would anyone like to talk about what the standard Mr Darling-Hook doubling symbolises? I love the original play and novel but I think the significance of the doubling has mostly gone over my head. I'm guessing vaguely that it relates to notions such as... character parallels - 'adult' characteristics such as a lack of joy in life, willingness to cheat, insistence on being respected, need for things to be done in the proper way, knowledge of impending death ...and...maybe Mr Darling = what Peter might become if he grew up hence his playing at being Hook after defeating him... and such?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 7:54am

Depends on how deeply ypu want to delve and how dark you want to make it.

For Darling / Hook, keeping it reasonably light and simple and fairly basic, a reflection of Mr. Darling being pursued by the family / children that he is responsible for and the pressure to provide at all costs while losing a sense of joy and innocence, a dedication to good form and proper etiquette and a slightly cowardly nature whereas Hook is ruled by good form and etiquette and is doing battle with a representation of eternal touth and rejection of those responsibilies that weigh Mr. Darling.

Believe me, it can get very dark is you delve into certain theories about who the character really is within the story and how that reflects on Barrie's childhood and life.

[mikey2573]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 8:01am

Cyril Ritchard was married to the same woman for close to 40 years I believe. He was also a devout Catholic who went to church every Sunday. Not that married people and Catholic people can't be gay, but one can't assume that he was simply because of his mannerisms. That would be stereotyping, no?

As to the symbolism of Hook and Mr. darling being played by the same actor, there was none intended by the play's author, J.M. Barrie, as his biographer (and Barrie expert) Andrew Birkin writes:

" Even with Hook firmly entrenched, Barrie's first instinct was to have him played by a woman: "Pirate Captain — Miss Dorothea Baird". Dorothea Baird had been cast to play Mrs Darling, and the idea of the mother-figure doubling as the ostensible villain would have been a gratifying touch, echoing one of Barrie's original titles: 'The Boy Who Hated Mothers'. In the event, Gerald du Maurier – already cast as Mr Darling – persuaded Barrie to let him play Hook as well, thus initiating a tradition that has no real thematic justification."

From the Introduction to JM Barrie & The Lost Boys, published by Yale University Press .

Updated On: 8/7/14 at 08:01 AM

[PJPan]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 11:08am

He'll be a fantastic Smee!

[emo_geek]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 12:28pm

Is it bad I assumed this was going to happen?

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 1:03pm

Meron confirmed the casting. I'm really looking forward to this. Borle has become one of my favorite performers over the years.


UPDATE: Neil Meron Confirms Christian Borle Casting for NBC's PETER PAN!

[bwayfan4ever2]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 1:17pm

They saw 18+ for Wendy. I wonder if Abigail Breslin was considered.

[Gorlois]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 1:38pm

mikey2573's post makes me want to see a production of Peter Pan with Mrs. Darling/Hook doubling... How interesting!

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 2:07pm

mikey2573's post makes me want to see a production of Peter Pan with Mrs. Darling/Hook doubling... How interesting!"

I'd rather see that than another woman try to play a boy.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/7/14 at 3:34pm

No Rules Theatre Company did that a few years ago in an original adaption. By all accounts, their version worked well,

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 8/8/14 at 2:08am

A bit of historical perspective:

It should be noted that after Gerard Du Mairier played both Hook and Mr. Darling in the original production, it took about 15 years for the annual mounting of Peter Pan to return to doubling these roles, and it really didn't become a tradition until the mid-30s. To give an example, Alastair Sim played Hook for six runs between 1941 and 1969, but only in his second outing in 1942 did he play Mr. Darling. Eva La Galline's landmark New York production, which ran for five years starting in 1928, did not double the role either. So while the doubling is absolutely preferable, Barrie did not consider it mandatory and neither should we.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 8/8/14 at 2:36am

Chair,
While. I agree with your historical motes, obviously, Barrie also changed opinions and ideas on Pan frequently... and considering his opinions in casting was rarely a thought to many a producer in his lifetime.

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 8/8/14 at 8:20pm

True and true. And while we're on the subject, Considering the original script had a scene where Peter dressed up as Napoleon, and another where Hook went before a curtain and did impressions of popular actors, I think discussing the psychological intentions of the author might be a little bit of postmodernism.

[thebeautyis3]

Posted: 8/8/14 at 8:36pm

So should we be expecting him to play Marcellus in 2015?