Mary Martin s--ks. i say it with the deepest respect because i grew up watching her version as a child and looked forward to it every year i saw it. i know m.s. Martin's possessed minions will howl and protest in utter disbelief, but this role belongs to Cathy Rigby. trust me. i am a die hard fan of Barrie's mythical fairy land.
i will give an explanation since i know this seems like iconic blasphemy. first. i'm fond of stinko Martin but...every stink'in role she originated on stage has been done better by everyone else. Julie Andrews, Mitzi Gaynor, Catherine Rigby. all better. it's a known fact. if i watch the flipp'in "Sound of Muzak", i wanna see Julie Andrews. not squeaky, nasally, cornball Mary Martin. and Mitzi Gaynor is a lot prettier and is a better singer.
ALSO. i like cheesy, rinky dink, low budget productions and retro television stuff, but the production values in the Mary Martin production are awful. they look like kindergarten class put the whole thing together with paste, and glue and scotch tape. the sets don't even look cardboard, it looks like construction paper. and even a three year old can tell Peter Pan is just some weird, middle aged broad acting like a queer pansy.
the Catherine Rigby production however, is far superior. the sets are lavish and detailed stage sets. some of the finest i've seen and i've looked at pics of many Broadway plays and have seen many on stage including 'Peter Pan'. and Lady Catherine is far more convincing as a dude than fat butt Martin who could barely fit her enormous behind in those stupid tights. sorry true. Cathy Rigby's outfit isn't gay looking like Martin's and Cat is really rather butch in her portrayal of PP. a kid is more likely to believe Rigby's a boy more than the motherly looking Martin.
look. i think cheapo retro TV is a hoot. but there is better retro TV than the original TV 'Pan' production even. The Leigh and Charlap musical is a national treasure. it deserves the best production values possible for stage. where it truly belongs. i'm also all for chicks and dudettes playing the "Peter" role. that's a classic stage tradition and it should be kept that way for this production. but a little more realism in the performance than what Martin offered won't hurt it.
and of course mostly, Cat Rigby is without a doubt the most proficient 'Peter' on flying wires ever. i have read all about all the other numerous "Peters" throughout the play's history, and not a single one of them was a gymnast like Rigby. a gold medal gymnast no less. seeing Rigby fly the wires is breath taking and an Olympic feat.
this is my favorite version of "Peter Pan". sometimes improvements are genuinely improvements. the other versions (except for the awful 'Hook') are all excellent and the Disney version is, well, Disney. it's adorable and cute. but this is in the true spirit of 'Peter Pan'. the way Barrie had intended it originally. as a pantomime and a Fariy play.
i will give an explanation since i know this seems like iconic blasphemy. first. i'm fond of stinko Martin but...every stink'in role she originated on stage has been done better by everyone else. Julie Andrews, Mitzi Gaynor, Catherine Rigby. all better. it's a known fact. if i watch the flipp'in "Sound of Muzak", i wanna see Julie Andrews. not squeaky, nasally, cornball Mary Martin. and Mitzi Gaynor is a lot prettier and is a better singer.
ALSO. i like cheesy, rinky dink, low budget productions and retro television stuff, but the production values in the Mary Martin production are awful. they look like kindergarten class put the whole thing together with paste, and glue and scotch tape. the sets don't even look cardboard, it looks like construction paper. and even a three year old can tell Peter Pan is just some weird, middle aged broad acting like a queer pansy.
the Catherine Rigby production however, is far superior. the sets are lavish and detailed stage sets. some of the finest i've seen and i've looked at pics of many Broadway plays and have seen many on stage including 'Peter Pan'. and Lady Catherine is far more convincing as a dude than fat butt Martin who could barely fit her enormous behind in those stupid tights. sorry true. Cathy Rigby's outfit isn't gay looking like Martin's and Cat is really rather butch in her portrayal of PP. a kid is more likely to believe Rigby's a boy more than the motherly looking Martin.
look. i think cheapo retro TV is a hoot. but there is better retro TV than the original TV 'Pan' production even. The Leigh and Charlap musical is a national treasure. it deserves the best production values possible for stage. where it truly belongs. i'm also all for chicks and dudettes playing the "Peter" role. that's a classic stage tradition and it should be kept that way for this production. but a little more realism in the performance than what Martin offered won't hurt it.
and of course mostly, Cat Rigby is without a doubt the most proficient 'Peter' on flying wires ever. i have read all about all the other numerous "Peters" throughout the play's history, and not a single one of them was a gymnast like Rigby. a gold medal gymnast no less. seeing Rigby fly the wires is breath taking and an Olympic feat.
this is my favorite version of "Peter Pan". sometimes improvements are genuinely improvements. the other versions (except for the awful 'Hook') are all excellent and the Disney version is, well, Disney. it's adorable and cute. but this is in the true spirit of 'Peter Pan'. the way Barrie had intended it originally. as a pantomime and a Fariy play.