"Oh, My Mysterious Lady" from PETER PAN- Page 2

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/27/07 at 10:03pm

Woah - woah Broadwayguy, I have no idea where you get your information - but you are way off key regarding Barrie's take on a) The character of PETER PAN being played by a woman and b) that Barrie would have taken extreme objection to "Mysterious Lady" or any of the changes made for the 1954 musical version.

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest he ever designed or desired the role to be played by a male or "resigned" himself to a girl playing the part. Indeed, he said in correspondence with Broadway actress Maude Adams in 1904 that he wrote the play with her in mind.

In Barrie's lifetime, he saw dozens of actresses play the role of PETER PAN and had a hand in selecting each of them for the role, including Betty Bronson in the 1924 silent film version (which would surely have been the prime opportunity to cast an actual boy if that is what Barrie truly wished to see).

The original runs of PETER PAN in London and particurly America in 1905 incorporated numerous popular songs of the time period that had abolutely nothing to do with the plot or the current published script. Most of these songs were included to give stars like Maude Adams a chance to sing and dance in the role.

Indeed, before Mary Martin took on the part, Maude Adams "was" PETER PAN for most people, and Martin received, even fifty years later, numerous reviews comparing her to Adams in the role. Jerome Robbins told me personally that "Mysterious Lady" was at least partly inspired by a song Maude Adams often performed during performances of PETER PAN.

Barrie apparently had no issue with his script being tinkered with or expounded upon to cater to his female stars, and there is no reason to think he would have taken any exception to the 1954 musical, which was at least as faithful as any of the incarnations of PETER PAN in America previously.





Updated On: 5/28/07 at 10:03 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/27/07 at 11:18pm

Yeah, I was gonna say that. Barrie was smitten with many actresses of his time and indeed wrote it with one in mind.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 5/30/07 at 7:08pm

So, MB, where do you get YOUR information? What would make you any more right than I? I don't have a ton of time to type out am overly long essay, but I can say that the preface of the Caird/Nunn RSC adaption has a very comprehensive history of the evolotion of the story and its incarnations under his pen.. including the script he wrote for Chaplin, that was nixed by the film studio. I also had a rather long (a few hours actually) discussion about this with a Barrie/Peter Pan hisorian and did many many many hours of research reading biographies of barrie and production histories having worked on the show. Yes, songs were often interpolated and the role has always been performed as tailored to the star. I never argued that. However, Mysterious Lady taked it to incredible.. and bad.. heights.
yes, Barrie always had a hand in casting. Does that mean it was always what he wanted forst and foremost? No. Does it mean "These are the parameters within which we are working, now take your pick." It could very well be. Once it was popularized, there wasn't a whole lot he could do now, was there?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/30/07 at 7:53pm

Broadwayguy2 -- I have no doubt that John Caird in the introduction to his version at the RSC cited as much evidence as possible to justify his casting of a male as PETER PAN, but frankly, I think some of what he wrote is pretty slanted.

FIFTY YEARS OF PETER PAN by Roger Green and THE PETER PAN CHRONICLES by Bruce Hanson are more detailed (and I believe accurate) histories of the show. Roger Green actually appeared in the original production of the show, knew Barrie and most of the original cast and says according to Barrie and Hilda Trevelyan (the original Wendy) the role of PETER PAN was indeed written for Maude Adams.

Barrie, in fact, wrote in a letter in 1920 that while he was fascinated by the idea of a boy playing Pan in a full production (boys had previously played the role in special condensed performances at the Children's Hospital in London) he has major reservations about what that casting would mean to the rest of the play.

Bruce Hanson elaborates on the silent film version, and apparently the rumors that Barrie wanted Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford (as Wendy) are relatively unfounded as Barrie in 1924 insisted that the role be played by a female (after Gareth Hughes was suggested by the studio).

If you've ever heard any of the interpolated songs used in the original PAN - "Sally in the Alley" or "Won't You Have a Little Feather" - I don't think you would say "Mysterious Lady" is any more out of place.

Updated On: 5/30/07 at 07:53 PM

[Buscee]

Posted: 5/30/07 at 8:20pm

Oh,My Mysterious Lady" was written for Mary Martin when the production was having trouble on the West Coast. They felt that the 2 stars had to share a comedic Number. Sandy Duncan did it in 1979, and it was delightful. Duncan's version was closier to The Martin production. When Cathy Rigby brought the show around they decided that they wanted to go with a more realistic show. So they added The Mermaid Lagoon scene right out of the Original Play. So Peter can say "To Die, Must Be a very Big Adventure". Rigby felt that the audience didnt need to be reminded that Peter was played by a girl, so it seemed silly to have her sing in an operatic voice, and pretend to be a girl. Prior to Broadway Cathy Rigby has played Peter several times before in which the number was included. So she can sing it. The number represents a Musical Comedy # of the 50's, the scene is better for a more realistic play now. (No Vaudeville). UGG A WUGG in the revival is wonderful. Especially the drum solo. I have no problem with the new line Brave Noble Warrior, as opposed to Brave NOBLE RED SKIN. Sandy Duncan is still my favorite Peter, I saw her so it Twice!!

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 5/30/07 at 9:01pm

I've seen Cathy Rigby do it twice and I don't remember her singing it. But the first time I saw her in it was when I took my nephew. He was six or so at the time and he's now in his twenties.

I never really thought about it, but what CurtainPullerDowner says "Oh, My Mysterious Lady" is truly something of a gender-bender.

[Buscee]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 6:39am

Cathy never sang it on Broadway, or all the tours that went to Broadway. Cathy did the show many times, There was an arena show she did not long after she won the Olympics. I believe it was in that version she sang the song. I believe that was late 70's early 80's.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 11:04am

I think that is correct, Buscee, but I also believe Rigby and perhaps the entire cast lip synced to a pre-recorded track. I do believe she sang the song live at the Long Beach Civic Light Opera in the late 80s.

[raphael06]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 12:25pm

I saw the tour in the mid-90's and she did sing that song (and fairly well suprisingly). I then saw it a few years later and it was cut and replaced with the mermaid lagoon sequence, which I found to be more effective and contributory to the story. Martin and Duncan were awesome in the role but no one dominated the aerial acrobatics the way Rigby did. She was seriously flying!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 12:50pm

Being a Peter Pan historian myself, it's about time I piped in. It's a shame I *just* found this thread.

"FIFTY YEARS OF PETER PAN by Roger Green and THE PETER PAN CHRONICLES by Bruce Hanson are more detailed (and I believe accurate) histories of the show." True, however Roger Lancelyn Green's book is one of the MOST accurate. Hanson's book, while information and full of fun and facts, is full of uncertainties.

To answer the issue at hand...there must be an understanding first. PETER PAN was many things. Of course it started off as an idea...and those ideas are jotted down in a notebook that was recovered by Barrie historian Andrew Birkin. They can be read at http://www.jmbarrie.co.uk/pp_index.html. Therefore, the CHARACTER of Peter Pan was originally intended to be a little boy.

Now then, when the play went into production it became apparent that a female had to be cast. What I, personally, am uncertain of is whose idea it was to cast a women. Was this something they and Barrie knew because of child labor laws, or an idea from producer Charles Frohman, or what? In the end, Nina Bouicault was chosen to play Peter, and on December 27, 1904, the play premiered and Barrie and the world was quite pleased.

Frohman took the play overseas to Broadway at at the Empire Theater Maude Adams put on the green tights and the rest is history. Barrie LOVED her portrayal. The script was revised several times to suit the talents of Bouicault and Adams.

LATER came "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens" in the 1906 novel THE LITTLE WHITE BIRD (1906) and THEN in 1911 "Peter and Wendy" (the novel) was published, and the Peter Pan character was still a little boy.

Barrie knew that only a woman could play Peter on stage because CIRCUMSTANCES of the times. Certainly a fully grown man couldn't do the part. So either a child or a woman. Whether, ideally, he would prefer a boy or a woman - we will never know.

In my opinion, the 1954 Comden/Green/Leigh/Styne/Charlap musical version is best suited for a woman to play Peter. The score wouldn't work as well if a boy played the role. My preference for ANY incarnation of the story is for a boy to play the part - but it doesn't work as well in the 1954 musical.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 1:41pm

Actually, Capn' - Barrie never saw Adams play the role, though certainly he was delighted with the fantastic reviews she garnered for herself and the play.

There is no reason in terms of labor laws, PAN couldn't have been played by an actual boy. The original production featured teenage boys as John Darling and Slightly. All the other boy roles including Michael Darling were played by women. You have to remember that PETER PAN was originally classified as a Christmas "pantomime" - a long standing British theatrical tradition that always cast boy roles with women.

My guess is that Barrie in knowing he was writing a piece in that theatrical style would have naturally assumed PAN would be played by a woman. I doubt it occured to him that a boy could ever actually play the role until much after the first productions success.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 1:58pm

Not to be graphic, but several directors who initally wanted males in a production of the 54 Peter Pan decided against it. Mainly out of fear that if the harness caught wrong, they wouldn't be able to support themselves to sing.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 2:01pm

"Barrie LOVED her portrayal" should read "Frohman LOVED her portrayal." He and Barrie exchanged conversations back and forth about the New York production. Sadly, Frohman passed away while on the Lusitania ship that tragically sunk while in transport to England.

I can't focus on this thread at the moment as I'm at work, but I'll check back tonight.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 2:18pm

HOOK:

What's your secret?

PETER:

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!

HOOK:

Tell your secret.

PETER:

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!

HOOK:

Speak, oh speak, oh speak I pray thee,
Tell me, oh tell me thy name.



Its a fun song, but Sandy Duncan has been the only actress to sing the song that had me believing it was sung by a boy pretending to be a woman. It always seemed to me when Mary Martin sang it, it was a wink to the audience to say "I'm really a woman".

A woman - pretending to be a boy - pretending to be a woman.
Sounds very Victor/Victoria to me.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 2:39pm

I've said it before, I'll say it again...Sandy Duncan's portrayl makes me think of young Betty Buckley.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/31/07 at 2:59pm

Ever since this thread appeared I have been going around singing it in that Cyril Richard voice.