NBC Draws on 'Peter Pan's' Star Power for Live Event

12.01.2014

On Thursday, NBC will be taking the second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning to its next ratings hit.

The broadcaster is moving on from 1930s Austria to Neverland in its annual live event, and NBC says it is taking to heart every lesson it learned with last year's Sound of Music Live! for this year's Pan vs. Hook battle.

"Last year's success validated this crazy idea," said executive producer Neil Meron.

Girls star Allison Williams will join the ranks of the Peter Pans before her - namely Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan and Cathy Rigby - for NBC's production of Peter Pan Live! The network has made a few changes to the musical for its live television debut, though Meron says it retains the original spirit of the story, just with a few minor upgrades.

First, although key art and promos have focused on Williams as Pan and Christopher Walken as the legendary Captain Hook, NBC says that overall the network is targeting the show's star power for marketing purposes. The musical has existed in many different versions over the decades, giving NBC plenty of flexibility with casting, songs and creative decisions.

Second, some new songs have been added to the mix. Familiar fare "I'm Flying" and "Never Never Land" will stay, but they've added a new song between Peter Pan and Captain Hook as well as a new opening number for Hook and a song for Wendy as well.

Meron says part of the decision was due to the show's talent base. Taylor Louderman, who plays Wendy in the live event, also starred in Broadway's Bring It On. Mrs. Darling, played by Tony nominee Kelli O'Hara, also gets her own song: "If you have Kelli O'Hara, you let her sing," said Meron.

NBC has also added back in a song that was cut right before Peter Pan's original Broadway debut, where Pan visits his family's home, only to see that life has gone on while he was away.

Casting will be something of a surprise Thursday night, as Meron wouldn't give away exactly how they're going to portray Tinkerbell, though he did say that Nana, the family dog, will be played by a real dog this time around.

TV has no plans to back away from musicals after Peter Pan Live! airs. ABC launches its musical series Galavant on Jan. 4, and NBC already is at work on The Music Man. After last year's success on NBC with Sound of Music, Fox followed suit, announcing its plans to create a live version of Grease.

NBC will air Peter Pan Live! on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 8 p.m.

Read more at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Brief Take:

[Image courtesy of NBC]