The show was built around a performance entirely lacking specificity both in the show biz sense (surprise us, please, anytime), and character sense. Williams played one color for three hours, without strong choices, risk taking, or any whiff of detail. Every line reading was measured and tossed away, out of a controlled avoidance of being too effusive. As a result, she was damn near bloodless, not helped by a dreadful costume (biking shorts) and wig. Look at her eyes, anytime. No joy, no childhood delight in watching the others learn to fly. It was a by the numbers exercise, not "bad" in any dangerous (Underwood as an Austrian nun) way, but hardly successful simply because she didn't stink. The role demands a kind of star charisma and leadership, that she take the audience in, create a spell, and hold us. She never came close to anything like that. It was workmanlike, and not since Liv Ullmann in "I Remember Mama" have I seen someone sweat and work so hard for so few audience rewards. I wish her well. But this was not the Pan for 2014.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
