First things first, (I'm a realist, realist) overall I did enjoy this show. It was a lot better than last year's hot mess of The Sound of Music Live! I think NBC definitely took a step in the right direction, but they still have a long way to go. For the changes that were made to the script, I understand why they made some of them because it was easier for them to translate it with the cameras and costume changes and overall I enjoyed the production the dancing was superb and I loved the idea of a slide in The Lost Boys Hideout. As always though, there were things I didn't like, which were 1) How they took out Tiger Lily's dance number (Not her song in the original show, I'm talking about the dance number she had in the Cathy Rigby version) 2) How they changed the lyrics to "Ugg-A-Wugg" I know they did it because "Time's changed" and blah, blah, blah and it might have been found "Offensive" the only thing I found "Offensive" was the Indians costumes. 3) (My biggest and most massive pet peeve in the whole show) Was in "Distant Melody" how they took out Peter Pan's lines those lines were a massive turning point for Peter and they just took it away and replaced it with a two-bit song in it's place 4) The Neverland set, it looked too campy and cheesy Neverland is supposed to be a colorful and surreal place, it's not supposed to look like something out of Alice and Wonderland and it drove me crazy how they had Neverland written on the floor. Why? Just Why? 5) I deeply missed in "Wendy" them building a little house around her, I always thought that was so very cute. 6) "I've Gotta Crow" Where were the crows? Why did Peter only crow once the whole show? I was so annoyed with that! The song is called "I've Gotta Crow" so why did the crowing only happen at the end of the number? 7) The Shadow: I hate how once again in "I've Gotta Crow" they added that whole shadow dance sequence that was pointless and really annoying. 8) Tinkerbell dying, I was really hoping the Peter wouldn't talk to the audience because with a live televised event Peter might have just said "Hey girl, give a shout out for Tink's on the Tweets or Facebooks" that annoyed me so much. 9) The Fairy Dust: I hated how it was CGI it was so stupid. There were several other tid-bits that I didn't like, but I'm not going to be-rate the production. (If you want me to rant about last year's The Sound of Music Live! Tell me and I will videotape it and post it on here.) Never fear, there was also some good things in Peter Pan Live! 1)The new song "Vengeance" for Captain Hook, I thought that was pretty good and it was funny. 2) The song "Only Pretend" for Wendy was perfection it perfectly described her growing feelings for Peter and for Neverland itself. 3) Christian Borle's Arms, I was actually strangely turned on by them thy even have their own twitter account! 4) "Distant Melody" while I didn't like the fact they took out Peter I did like the addition of Mrs. Darling (I think that if they had kept Peter in the song it would have made such a beautiful and yet haunting trio.) Now let's get into the nitty gritty details.
Allison Williams as Peter Pan: I saw Cathy Rigby live as Peter Pan and I don't think anyone could beat her. Williams did do a good job though, she was an good singer, she's a lot better on uptempo songs than the ballads. Her cover of "Never Never Land" disappointed me especially that's one of the most beautiful songs in the whole show and she sang it without any emotion. Williams did an amazing job on numbers like "I Won't Grow Up" and "Wendy" (I do think that if she trains a little more on her voice and showing emotion through song she could be one kick-ass triple threat) and I think she does look like Peter, but her voice, singing not speaking, was just to high for her to be Peter. Peter is supposed to be a young boy, but he still has a semi-deep voice it's not soprano high. I think she could have used a little more spirit when she delivered the lines, but otherwise she was good.
Christopher Walken as Captain Hook: I was highly excited to see him in this role, as soon as I read about him being in it. I got these massive chills. But as soon as I saw him in this role, I was a little disappointed. He lacked energy in it and he doesn't have to do over the top energy, he could have put a little more in it than what he gave, it was like he was just walking through the numbers and his so called "Dancing" that he asked for was not on par and it just lacked something else that finesse and boldness that makes Hook Hook. (For me no one will ever beat Paul Schoeffler as Captain Hook he was jaw dropping perfectly funny and amazing.) I personally felt that it was just because he was too old for the role, he probably could have done it a few years ago, just not anymore.
Christian Borle as Mr. Smee/George Darling: Borle is amazing and I loved him as Mr. Darling and Mr. Smee (I personally think they should have had Borle play Captain Hook it would have been a lot funnier) His Smee was absolutely perfect, it was so funny and genius as he always is. I can not say anything bad about Borle because he is always perfect in every role.
Kelli O'Hara as Mrs. Darling: Kelli O'Hara is amazing, and she made such a cute Mrs. Darling. I loved her in this production as well. Her and Borle were so cute together. Her beautiful soprano voice was perfect on "Tender Shepard" and she did an amazing job with her singing.
Taylor Louderman as Wendy Darling: She was very good in her role. She was the unexpected humorous role in this show with all her lessons about being proper and a gentleman. I thought her singing was a lovely and she gave a very nice performance. She definitely brought her all for the role of Wendy and she pulled it off amazingly.
Alanna Saunders as Tiger Lily: Since they downgraded her part she wasn't able to do much, which was a shame, but from what I saw she did an amazing job and if they had kept her number she would have been amazing.
John Allyn/ Jake Lucas as Michael Darling/ John Darling: I think they did a very good job for child actors. A lot better than those terrible Von Trapp children.
Minnie Driver as Adult Wendy/Narrator: Driver made a very nice Narrator I think she did a great job, she could have also used a little bit more emotion during Narrating because I always imagined it as her telling the story to Jane and as Adult Wendy she did an amazing job and she knew how to hit her marks just right for the camera without it feeling stiff and her regretful feelings of growing up and not being able to be Peter's mother obviously upset her.
Dyllon Burnside, Jason Gotay, David Guzman, Jacob Guzman, Michael Hartung, Garett Hawe, F. Michael Haynie, Chris McCarrell, Daniel Quadrino and Ryan Steele as The Lost Boys: They were a bit to old looking to play the Lost Boys and while they had the spirit it annoyed me how they were all the same height, if not taller than Peter.
Ryan Andes, Alan H. Green, John Arthur Greene, Austin Lesch, Gary Milner, Michael Park, T. Oliver Reid, Bryce Ryness, Chris Sullivan and Matt Wall as The Pirates: They were perfect and their dancing was phenominal. They were funny and a little scary and made up perfectly for Christopher Walken's Hook.
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