PETER PAN Question RE: Distant Melody

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?

why come?

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

I've enjoyed it both ways.

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.

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

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.

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

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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.

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

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.

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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!

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