A new revision of Peter Pan, touring the country, flew into Hartford this week. Based on the 1954 musical, this version has an updated (and more politically-correct) script by Native American playwright Loretta FastHorse, whose recent The Thanksgiving Play, has been a hit on Broadway and in regional theatres. Lonny Price, the Broadway actor (Charley in the original production of Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along) who turned director, gives the musical an update. The characters of Tiger Lily and Wendy are more prominent. Amanda Green, daughter of late lyricist Adolph Green, fixed some of the lyrics. Of note: the show is now multi-racial cast, and Peter is played by a male, Jonah Barrricklo at this performance.
The original Peter Pan musical, based on the book by James Barrie, was first presented in 1954 starring Mary Martin as Peter and Cyril Ritchard as Captain Hook. They both won Tony Awards. Jerome Robbins, choreographer and director, staged the original, before moving on to West Side Story. The show was one of the first Broadway musicals brought to television, Future Broadway revivals starred Sandy Duncan and Cathy Rigby. (SCTC produced a TV skit with John Candy playing Divine playing Peter Pan, as envisioned by John Waters and Andy Warhol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knlJOHnr11A)
