Peter Pan Review
An instant classic when first telecast, this Peter Pan may come as a surprise to those raised on Disney's animated version. Sticking rather closer to J.M. Barrie's original conception of Peter Pan and his world, there's a wonderful fragility to the piece, as well as a slightly dark undercurrent to it, as when Wendy is shot down with an arrow by the Lost Boys or the dismissive manner with which Mr. Darling treats his children. All of this meshes with Jerome_Robbins' original vision of a fantasy enacted from a child's point of view, and that vision gives the piece a great deal of its life and tone. The greater part of that life and tone, however, comes from the stellar performance of Mary_Martin in the title role. Make no mistake about it: Martin is not playing a boy, no matter how much she may proclaim that fact. There is nothing boyish about her -- but she is remarkably childish, and it is her embodiment of the spirit of youth (and all that is both glorious and selfish about it) that is remarkable. No less remarkable is this Broadway legend's handling of her many musical numbers. She's in rare voice and literally glows during each moment of song. Cyril_Ritchard does quite well as her co-star, making a deliciously hammy Hook, and the rest of the cast does the little that is required of it quite well. While the flying effects are necessarily less impressive than when seen live in a theater, they still pack a nice punch -- as does this delightful production as a whole. Craig Butler, Rovi
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