Question about Cathy Rigby as Peter Pan

[Phantom487]

Posted: 11/9/11 at 1:01pm

So, I've always wondered this - and it took a lot of collecting of images to finally piece them all together - but can someone please tell me the *history* of Cathy Rigby doing "Peter Pan"???

Please see the photos below:

Photo 1 & 2: "The 35th Anniversary Production" - this played the Lunt Fontainne & toured, I believe. Was this production based on/a continuation of the Sandy Duncan one? The costume is the same - and they simply replaced Cathy's head over Sandy's on the poster. There's also a clip on YouTube of "Ugg A Wugg" - with Cathy Rigby, but with the Sandy Duncan costume/set.

Photo 3 & 4: This production toured as well - did it play NY? I know JK Simmons was Hook, according to a program I have.

And Photo 5: Which production was this poster from? The one pictured in 3 & 4? Personally, its awful.

So please - someone help me out here.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 11/9/11 at 1:51pm

She first essayed the role in 1974, at the age of 20, when she had just retired from gymnastics. Word has it this was a showy, theater-in-the-round version with unscrupulous producers trying to capitalize on her fame and skills when they offered in the role. (That much is clear from a USA Today article from back in 2004; I seem to recall reading elsewhere that on this tour they lip-synched to the Mary Martin recording, but I don't have a source, so don't quote me on that.) None of these pictures is from this run.

IBDB provides the rest:

* #1, #2 and #5 are from the same run (1990-91), indicated by the billing featuring Stephen Hanan as Capt. Hook and the costume similarity in poster and photograph.
* #3 and #4 are from the J.K. Simmons run (1991-92).

She took it back on the road in '98/'99, which led to two Broadway engagements (both featured Paul Schoeffler as Capt. Hook). Then in '04/'05, initially billed as a farewell tour for her and also to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the original Barrie novel, she was on the road again.

After that, until now, it gets a little blurry. I think she may have done it once or twice regionally, but otherwise I'm foggy.

[Phantom487]

Posted: 11/9/11 at 2:03pm

Yes, I knew about the 1974 "arena tour" - in fact, I have a souvenir program from it. Cathy said in an interview with Playbill.com: "I did an arena show right after I got out of gymnastics in '72. It was a time when athletes didn't really have agents and we didn't really know what we were going to do after we retired, and a gentleman from NBC Entertainment came to me and said, "How would you like to do an arena version of Peter Pan? Don't worry, you don't have to sing because it's in an arena. It's pre-recorded music and dialogue, and it's this mammoth show that covers an arena of 100,000 people, and you just basically mime the role." And I thought, "Well I can do that. I know movement." I had never sung before, never acted really, didn't know what blocking was or any of that, and that was around 1974. Anyway, I did that show for about a year-and-a-half on the road, and somebody in the cast said, "If you really like doing this"  and I did, I fell in love with doing this  "why don't you take voice classes and acting classes?" And I had taken some ballet and certainly had the physical ability to do it  to do theatre  and so I did."

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 11/9/11 at 2:19pm

I am sure CapnHook can help a bit more, but to clarify and slightly elaborate on what gvendo already stated --

Yes, Cathy first played Peter Pan in an area tour several years after her Olympics appearance. I am not sure where to find a publicity photo from that, but they do exist - Peter worn knee length leafed pants and a hat. The show was indeed lip synced to a prerecorded track, but I do not think it was the Martin recording. in fact, they added a song to the show for that production.

After this, Cathy decided to give theatre a go and began to study voice, eventually making her musical theatre debut in The Wizard of Oz in the American debut of the RSC adaption at Long Beach CLO. The next year, Cathy began touring in Peter Pan in the late 80s (this was my introduction to musical theatre). This production used refurbished sets adapted from the Duncan revival. After the Broadway stint, the show went back on the road, restaged by the dance captain with some further changes to the production (for one, the tour originally featured a Never Bear character that was later cut). The production played the Lunt and the return engagement was at the Minskoff. Stephen Hannan, then JK Simmons were Hook.

In 1997, Rigby returned to the role in the Clann Casale helmed tour that she still runs (into the ground) today. the show came to Broadway at the Marquis and was such a success that it reopened at the Gershwin, where it was playing during the Tony broadcast of 1999 - and how Rigy was able to perform "I'm Flying" with her full set..). Paul Schoeffler was Hook.

In 2004, that production was restaged and toured as Rigby's farewell, playing at Madison square Garden and with effects simplied from the 97 staging. Howard McGillan and James Clow were her Hooks.)

Rigby was later approached to play the role at Pittsburgh CLO and the production was restaged for THEM (with Tom Hewitt as Hook!), leading Rigby to the idea of a run in Branson that incorporated a large video wall that was built into the theatre. Success there led to return engament, now with Robert Westenberg as Hook and, I believe, Kim Crosby - Westenberg's wife - joined the show as Mrs Darling.

Now Rigby is back on the road - AGAIN. In the same production - AGAIN. Still billing the 1997 production as state of the art when it wasn't even then - AGAIN. Still with a heavily downsized cast - AGAIN. Still filling half the cast and crew with her family members because she thinks it will be fun- AGAIN.

So, if you ever want to do Peter Pan, marry into the Rigby's. It's a guarantee and the only way you will get a job. She holds the first class American rights to the show and has CONTINUALLY refused to release them to ANYONE, always harping about much she loves the show and no one will honor it the way she does... Ironic thing is thats he runs the franchise into the ground and doesn't have interest in producing a big revival. She just has the interest in lining her pockets with a beloved character.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 11/9/11 at 2:48pm

Yay! You found the arena tour publicity picture!

re: The Video of Rigby performing Ugg-A-Wugg with the Duncan choreography:
THAT was from a regional production staged by a vet of the Duncan production.