Bad casting doomed Peter Pan

[Auggie]

Last edited Sun Dec 7, 2014, 03:45 PM - Edit history (1)

What a waste of time -- not just mine (about 2.2 hours, thanks to the DVR), but also those of the model makers, set decorators, costumers, camera operators, gaffers, and extras, who I thought did a pretty good job.

I'm talking about Allison Williams, an underwhelming and unbelievable Peter Pan, and Christopher Walken, who couldn't have delivered a more wooden, uninspired Captain Hook if he had tried. Talk about phoning it in. Walken was terrible.

As for Williams, where was the petulant, sassy Pan? The arrogance that made him such a worthy pirate foe? The hint of sexual tension between Peter and Wendy? Maybe one blames the producers for casting Williams in the first place. A capable actress perhaps, but totally wrong for the role of Peter Pan.

I couldn't help but think as I wretched -- er, watched -- of the hundreds of other more deserving actresses and actors in Hollywood and/or on Broadway who could have acted, danced and sung circles around Williams and Walken. What a waste.

[shenmue]

1. Too bad

I was at work and I don't have DVR. I would have liked to see that.

[Kingofalldems]

16. If you have On Demand it is there.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. I can still remember watching the Mary Martin version

From the early 60s at my grandmother's house when very young. I loved it then.. Found it on YouTube and checked it out. Appropriately "hammy" in the acting dept...but it hasn't aged all that well.

I didn't watch the remake...

[NYC_SKP]

3. Well, yeah, when you cast a woman to play a boy it could fall flat.

I was unconvinced.

[Auggie]

4. That's another issue

Gender is easier to overlook on stage than television. I kept wishing Pan was played by a male in this version, though I'm sure there are many other actresses who could have pulled it off better than Williams. She's the daughter of NBC news anchor Brian Williams, you know. It had me wondering about nepotism.

[NYC_SKP]

7. I did not know that about her being Brian's child.

I'm not sure where this apparent tradition of casting a woman to play a boy began but there's nothing in the original story or illustrations that support that, AFAIK.

[enough]

9. Thanks for those -- they really take me back! (nt)

[Staph]

13. Peter Pan debuted as a play on December 27, 1904,

with Nina Boucicault in the leading role, and actresses playing all of the Lost Boys. It opened on Broadway in 1905 with Maude Adams in the lead, a role she continued to play for more than a decade.

As far as I can tell, the first male to play the part was Bobby Driscoll, a 15-year-old who provided the voice in Disney's 1953 animated film. Looking at IMDB, and discounting the parodies like Saturday Night Live, the performers seem to be fairly evenly split between males and females.

J. M. Barrie didn't produce the novel until 1911.

[NYC_SKP]

14. Well that's a switch, thanks!

A novel coming after a play, how often does that happen?!

Thank you!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. Tonkerbelle. Hilarious and Franco was dead(pan) *double pun* ON it !!

points for the extra good pun

[NYC_SKP]

6. Was it tonkerbelle or Taco Bell?

Seriously I thought that's what it might have been.

Funny comic in any event!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. LOL

she was fly, YO !!

[mainstreetonce]

11. It's much too big

Of a story for a .tV production.

I only watched few minutes. I kind of liked Walken.

I like Williams voice,but she didn't have the right look at-all.

[oregonjen]

10. I really enjoyed Cathy Rigby as Peter Pan

She nailed it, in my opinion. I haven't seen the newest version with Williams yet, it's DVR'd though.

[mainstreetonce]

12. Who would you choose for Pan?

Kellie Pickler

[pacalo]

15. I saw most of the musical scenes online but haven't seen the entire telecast.

From what I've seen, I thought Allison Williams was as cute as a button & sang well. She didn't have the intensity that Mary Martin had as Peter Pan, but then, I always thought that Mary Martin was too mature for the role -- honestly, she seemed like a creepy Peter Pan to me when I saw it on tv as a child.

I'm a fan of Christopher Walken so I enjoyed seeing his musical numbers; I thought he was great.

Now I want to see it all, which I found at this link:

http://www.nbc.com/peter-pan-live?cid=SEM|ptrpnlv|fllprmr2014|ggl|na|na&hcoref=SEM&WT.srch=ggl&sky=peter%20pan%20live&k_clickid=06b41a6c-0219-b989-8b0e-0000319361e8

(I don't mean to be contrary, Auggie. I've always loved musicals & I praise NBC for doing this live version of Peter Pan.)

[Auggie]

17. I thought many of the elements of the production were noteworthy

My issue is with the casting of the two principal roles, which IMO really hurt the final product. You're not being contrary, just stating another opinion. We all respect that. Thanks for posting.

[djean111]

18. I am jaded, I know, but I was kind of hoping for Walken to channel the Continental guy

from SNL - but I do realise it is a children's tale, Didn't care for William's overly perky and cheerily loud singing and acting - seemed like she and Walken were doing two different versions, one campy and the other really really earnest.

[a kennedy]

19. You mean this Christopher Walken was a bad choice?

http://m.