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"Peter Pan Live"

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Phillypinto
#500-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:29am

Thats why they should get real Broadway vets to do this so that the show will actually be good.


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FindingNamo
#501-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:30am

I thought it was fine. It was a live broadcast of a musical with lots of technical elements. I liked getting acquainted with Allison Williams because I don't watch anything to do with that horrid Lena Dumass. I just don't see the point of picking it apart. It's a once a year thing that has happened twice. I sat down knowing I was about to watch Peter Pan, which isn't my thing at all, but you know, that's what they were performing.

Next year, Pacific Overtures.


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CapnHook
#502-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:30am

Also, tonight's non-success was not because of the material, it was because of the presentation of the material. It's a good show, and I was delighhtlfully surprised by some of the changes to the music and book for this telecast. The material didn't work because the presentation of it was flawed.

I applaud the success of the company and crew for getting through it, but I blame the non-successes on the producers and creative team. From casting to design to execution...it was all their responsibility and they didn't get it right.


"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

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sabrelady
#503-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:32am

^^^^
Like I said, it could have been worse.

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Auggie27
#504-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:33am

These last comments above about the genuine absence of storytelling are the most spot-on. We were often lost in the mayhem, buried amid a large, costly and expansive but not especially imaginative production, never emotionally connected to the heart of the tale. Nor was it really told. It was "presented" in a sense, but not with moment to moment stakes. Stories are about people wanting things, trying to get them. No goals were sought, no action taken to achieve them. It was situational, without urgency. And for a story about children, it was too child-free. The two obligatory (real) boys were often MIA. Minor point? Not in a plot about a reluctance to grow up. Everyone was clearly adult, and the case was not persuasive or made.


"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Updated On: 12/5/14 at 12:33 AM

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MoDance0934
#505-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:34am

I'm not so much of a critic, so I gotta say that I really enjoyed it. The only thing that I was very critical about was Christopher Walken. He seemed very off. I feel like NBC only put him in the role of Captain Hook because he's a big name, and big names draw in an audience. He was just terrible. I like Allison Williams a lot. I love her in Girls so to see her do this role was enjoyable.

Phyllis Rogers Stone
#506-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:35am

I didn't think it was that bad. I didn't think it was that good, though.

DigificWriter
#507-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:43am

My full review of the show:
Now that everything's said and done, I have to say that this was the best production of Peter Pan that I've seen EVER (including the original Mary Martin production).

Allison Williams was a revelation in the titular role, completely disappearing into it and making you believe in Peter as a pre-pubescent boy (something that the original Broadway Pan, Mary Martin couldn't achieve, at least vocally [and yes, I've seen the Martin production and listened to the original Cast Recording of the show, so I'm not just saying this to say it]).

Walken's performance was delightfully great, imbuing Hook with the perfect mix of intimidating scariness and over-the-top hilarity. I was particularly delighted by his performances in the Tarantella and Hook's Waltz. He also, as noted, played off of the rest of the pirates perfectly, especially Christian Borle as Smee.

Speaking of, Borle imbued Smee with a mixture of lovable goofiness and genuine menace that probably would've stolen the show if it weren't for the fact that he was working alongside Walken. The way Borle played Smee was a perfect compliment to Walken's performance as Hook, and he deserves major kudos for that.

The technical aspects of the show were another strength (in spite of Williams accidentally hitting the wall of the Darling Nursery set), and I loved that they went with the theater trope of the crocodile being played by a man in a suit. It added to the whimsy and charm of the show, and was a nice touch.

I'm not familiar with Taylor Louderman, but she was a phenomenal Wendy. Her added solo, "Only Pretend", was superbly sung, and I also really enjoyed the way that she and Williams played off of one another throughout the show, but particularly in that scene and the scene where Williams sings "When I Went Home" (which, incidentally, just narrowly beats out "Only Pretend" as the best of the new songs).

Speaking of "Only Pretend", Kelli O'Hara's reprise of it was heartbreakingly sung, and really helped enrich the character of Mrs. Darling. It also led perfectly into the reprise of "Tender Shepherd", a song that has always been one of my favorites from the production.

I also really enjoyed the 'reworking' of "Ugg-a-Wugg" as "Blood Brothers"; it kept all of the beats of the original version of the song intact, but updated the sequence for modern audience standards. The "Hickory Dickory Dock" bits that they added to the song in place of the 'Ugg-a-Wugg' lyrics were a rather inspired choice, and John Lucas and Jake Allen (as John and Michael, respectively)'s performances really helped sell them and added to the overall whimsy and charm of the production.

I also enjoyed the way they broke "I Won't Grow Up" into sections and used it to help tell more of the story.

Everyone involved in the show in any capacity deserves to be congratulated, because it was definitely worth the wait and didn't disappoint at all.

I'm giving it an enthusiastic 10 out of 10.

Updated On: 12/5/14 at 12:43 AM

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marknyc
#508-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:45am

Wow - that reads like it was written by an NBC press agent. Not one criticism in it.

I was really looking forward to this, but I'm shocked at how disappointing it was. I thought the fact that this show has been performed so many times, by so many people, would make it impossible to screw it up. I was wrong.

How do you take a joyous scene like "I'm Flying" and drain all the life out of it? And why do you light it so that the wires are more evident (in HD) than ever before? They really didn't get the hang of flying at all.

Why do you rewrite Barrie's masterpiece? It is a jewel that needs no new dialogue or updating.

Allison had little energy, Walken was strangely flat - the dog was the best performer, other than O'Hara.

Why do you cast grown men as the lost boys, and then dress them in top hats, suit vests, and pinstripes? One even had a tie on!

The new songs added nothing, and made them rush the show for time. The song Wendy sang in the boat with Peter was completely unnecessary and really dragged things to a halt.

Ashford missed all the moments in the show. I always choke up during "Distant Melody", but having Wendy walk around and interact with each boy prevented it from weaving its spell.

The revised "Ugg a Wugg" lyrics were one of the best things in the show.

DigificWriter
#509-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:47am

^ I genuinely enjoyed every minute of the show, so there wasn't much to criticize. I'm sorry if the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed this production and had no complaints about it offends you.



Updated On: 12/5/14 at 12:47 AM

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Jungle Red
#510-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:50am

You must work for NBC...

or you haven't seen anything other than community theater, which isn't a bad thing. I love community theater, but my god. Seriously?

What's that thing on Tiger Lily's head?

Starship
#511-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:53am

I loved how racially diverse the Indians were. Tiger Lily looked like a black woman and I spotted several asian and black indians. Kewl!!

Phyllis Rogers Stone
#512-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:55am

Allison Williams was a revelation in the titular role

She bound her titulars for the role, though.

DigificWriter
#513-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 12:57am

"You must work for NBC..."

So somebody who genuinely found nothing bad to say about the show is automatically a 'paid shill for the network'? Really? Really? Really?

"or you haven't seen anything other than community theater, which isn't a bad thing. I love community theater, but my god. Seriously?"

Not that it's really any of your business, but I've seen PROFESSIONAL world-class productions of the following:
Les Miserables
Beauty and the Beast
The Lion King
My Fair Lady
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella
Jekyll & Hyde
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat



Updated On: 12/5/14 at 12:57 AM

Phyllis Rogers Stone
#514-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:04am

I saw Oil City Symphony.

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chernjam
#515-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:06am

don't bother defending yourself DigificWriter. There are some on here who simply look rip people and their opinions

Jungle Red Profile Photo
Jungle Red
#516-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:07am

I'm so confused.

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Sutton Ross
#517-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:09am

-

DigificWriter
#518-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:14am

"don't bother defending yourself DigificWriter. There are some on here who simply look rip people and their opinions"

So, in other words, I should just ignore their closed-minded idiocy?

Good advice for future reference.

FindingNamo
#519-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:18am

Who cares? It was a TV production on one night. It's not like it's U2 or something constantly demanding your attention and being irritating 24/7. It was fine. It was what it was, as it were.


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Jungle Red Profile Photo
Jungle Red
#520-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:20am

#KillTinkerbell is trending. YES.

I don't get how you don't have one negative thing to say about this. The terrible island set? Walken acting all crazy?

It's so far from perfect.

Phyllis Rogers Stone
#521-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:23am

I prefer a Peter who has already gone through menopause, myself.

FindingNamo
#522-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:25am

I'm so used to everything being all gender-blurry nowadays that the traditional casting of the role felt kind of edgy to me.

So, who will be in Pacific Overtures, next year's NBC holiday musical?


Twitter @NamoInExile Instagram none

Jungle Red Profile Photo
Jungle Red
#523-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:26am

The Peoples Couch crew are having a ball tweeting tonight!! I hope they do a special.

DigificWriter
#524-
Posted: 12/5/14 at 1:26am

"I don't get how you don't have one negative thing to say about this. The terrible island set? Walken acting all crazy?"

You see those things as negatives; I see them as positives and part of the whimsy and charm of the show.

At any rate, I'm done responding to these direct attacks on me over my personal opinions. I enjoyed the show and gave it a glowing review; in the words of Dave Bautista, "Deal. With. It.".


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