FORTY YEARS in the role of Peter Pan and Cathy Rigby never bothered to learn the basics...- Page 2

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 11/10/13 at 4:34pm

I've always wanted to go the Jim Steinman route (only without his ill-fitting score) and cast Wendy and Peter as teenagers (tweens perhaps?) of roughly equivalent age, to pick at the underpinnings of the piece in a way akin to the 2003 film version which featured Jeremy Sumpter. As Jim once put it, "Sex was always there, they just didn't realize it! Peter and Wendy weren't aware of it, but it was always ready to rear its ugly head at the slightest mention!"

I'll even give Jim this much, LOL... recognizing the myth of the lost boys who never grow up as a potent rock-and-roll image, my ideal revival of the Robbins version would give the arrangements a rock sound, maybe even with Steinman/Rundgren-esque nods. But it wouldn't abandon the basics like Jim's long-mooted Neverland idea.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/10/13 at 4:51pm

^Have you heard the Stiles and Drewe musical version? The lost boys get a song as close to "pop" as the score approaches, which isn't the same as rock-and-roll, but I definitely got a more "edgy" feel from them with that song. I also love "Never Land" which I thought was lyrically clever and I really enjoy the song that Peter and Wendy sing "One Big Adventure" which is a bit of a tension filled argument.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 11/10/13 at 5:51pm

I've always preferred the Robbins rendition.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/10/13 at 7:46pm

Well, nothing will ever be as good as the Charlap/Styne score, but I enjoy other versions too.