PETER PAN Question RE: Distant Melody

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 12:57am

When did this turn into a duet? I always remember it just being sung by Peter (the productions I saw when I was younger and of course the video with Mary Martin). Seeing the show again tonight as a duet between Wendy and Grandma, I mean Peter, it reminded me that I really don't like it as much as when it's just a solo.

Does anyone know when/why this change was made?

[gypsy4]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:03am

The changes came in during the Duncan production.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:05am

why come?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:06am

I want to say that it's just for the Rigby version or any production that uses the same orchestrations. I believe it came about in 1998/99 when they began using the updated orchestrations by Craig Barna. Prior to that Rigby did sing it as a solo.

Updated On: 12/21/11 at 01:06 AM

[gypsy4]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:09am

Wendy sings Distant Melody in the duncan production. Duncan's PAN was one top production


Duncan Production Updated On: 12/21/11 at 01:09 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:12am

Yeah, I really dislike that. It's so much more poignant if it's a song Peter sings. Wendy singing it makes no sense since it wasn't "once upon a time and long ago" for her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiOaSAsbcQc

[gypsy4]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:14am

I've enjoyed it both ways.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:16am

That's what she said.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:21am

When the Martin version was written - FOR MARTIN, obviously the goal of the score was to show Martin and Ritchard (as Hook) to their potential and highlight them as stars. "Distant Melody" in the shows three act structure, was Martin's act two ballad. "Mysterious Lady", as a side note, was loosely inspired by Peter tricking Hook in the lagoon as was used as the only way they could find to work in the 'expected' duet between the stars.

In the Duncan production, "Distant Melody" was a solo for Wendy. If you refer to Barrie's original play, it is Wendy who tells the boys a bedtime story, so assigning this song to Wendy is, frankly, just being closer to the source material. I am totally fine with that.

The duet version used in the Rigby version is, obviously more Wendy heavy. To be honest, Rigby's voice wouldn't sit very nicely and sound all that pleasant if she sang the number as a solo, but I like the choice of Wendy singing her memory as a lullaby and incorporating Peter's stirred memories is even closer to what Barris seems to have envisioned for Peter when you read many of his writings and musings and assemble the broken pieces.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:24am

In that video of the Duncan version it's a solo for Wendy. I like the duet because I enjoy the harmony, but I agree with Jordan that the song makes more sense as a solo for Peter.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:27am

I've also thought the duet also shows a stronger connection between the two.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 1:30am

I agree that Rigby's voice alone in this version wouldn't be the most pleasant sounding (her voice as a whole is getting very shaky) but I see what you guys are saying. I still like it better as just a solo for Peter, even though in the original text it was Wendy reading the story. It's just that this particular song doesn't really make sense for her to sing.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 9:31am

Story-wise, for closeness to Barrie's text, it makes sense for Wendy to sing it. But lyrically, this number is a song for Peter. You guys are both right, really.

Personally, I think after Rigby, it's time for a teenage boy to take on the part; if it requires some transposition, fine. Wendy is always cast on the cusp of womanhood and having to flirt with a 50-something year old lady in tights because it would be too creepy for her to flirt with an eight year old. So meet Wendy halfway, and make Peter a teenager.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 9:36am

Not just yet, gvendo! Kaye Ballard hasn't played Peter yet!

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 9:42am

Kaye Ballard can play the hot dog vendor at a sausage fest. Put someone gender- and age-appropriate in this role!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 9:49am

I don't remember a sausage fest in the show. Maybe that was added for the German tour.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 9:51am

According to the book, The Peter Pan Chronicles, the song was written late during the out of town tryout for Kathleen Nolan (Wendy) but was given to Mary Martin in previews in New York when it was felt the star needed another song in Act II.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 9:56am

Now THAT is interesting because lyrically it really makes no sense at all for Wendy to sing that song.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 10:30am

Probably worth bringing up again that PETER PAN had a pretty troubled out of town tryout. The show was written initially for the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera and by the time the time the show opened on Broadway, the original score by Carolyn Leigh-Moose Charlap had been augmented by Betty Comden/Adolph Green/Jule Styne.

The book I mentioned, THE PETER PAN CHRONICLES goes into all of this in a lot of detail, and I really recommend reading it, but the gist is that Comden/Green/Styne were brought in primarily to augment Mary Martin's material because she and the producers weren't happy with what Charlap and Leigh were giving her.

Originally, Peter had a song in ACT 2 called "When I Flew Back Home" that essentially musicalizes his monologue from the play of returning to find his nursery window barred. You can hear it on one of the Lost in Boston recordings.

Martin didn't like it and it was cut. Styne/Comden/Green tried a different approach to the scene by having Wendy sing a new song "Distant Melody" and Peter responding with the monologue as written in the play.

By the time the show opened in New York, it was felt Martin needed another solo and so "Distant Melody" was given to Peter and the monologue cut.

I think the song probably worked quite well in the original context in which it was written as a solo for Wendy and refuted immediately by Peter's memory.









Updated On: 12/21/11 at 10:30 AM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 11:04am

The Peter Pan Chronicles is a wonderful book. I read it years ago, but have been dying to locate a copy again.

Note: Kathleen Nolan was a delightful Wendy!

As far as the song not making lyrical sense for Wendy, I must b eg to differ. The story Wendy tells in Barrie's text is about their parents. She would often ask the boys how questions about them to keep the memory alive, and though we never know how long they have been away, the memories grow faint to the point that Michael and John are hardly able to answer basic questions about the family, so the lyrics "Once upon a time and long ago" aren't at all a stretch for her to sing.

Michael Bennett,
Thanks so much for revisiting the more detailed story. People often forget that this show was conceived as a star showcase with Martin in her dream (OBSESSION!) role. The show wasn't adapted with the story as its driving force, unfortunately.

Once again, being a bit of an addict to the Barrie original and a HUGE fan of the Caird / Nunn adaption, the duet version of "Distant Melody" is far and away my favorite because of the layers that it connects Peter and Wendy through and how that small change alone delves into the genesis of Peter, even if few audience members allow themselves to think about anything like that.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 9:44pm

Interesting note:

When the Papermill Playhouse did PETER PAN, Robert Johannsen was Peter. "Distant Melody" was sung by Peter's Mother (in silhouette against a full moon). It made absolutely perfect sense then.

Robert, who has a fine tenor voice, could probably not have sung a song that was scored for a soprano.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 12:18am

The Peter Pan Chronicles has actually just been re-printed in a brand new edition with a lot of additional material. If you already own the original, buy the new one. It's worth it!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 1:12am

Dollypop,
As much as I have a love-hate relationship with what I know of the Paper Mill's physical production, I was very intrigued by the choice and would love to have seen their adaption of the material.

Capn,
I must track this down!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 1:25am

After reading this thread I went right to Amazon and bought a copy of THE PETER PAN CHRONICLES for $1.50,
thanks you guys.
Having grown up hearing Martin singing it each year, it still haunts.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 1:43am

Could anyone please elaborate more on the '94 Papermill production?