"Look at me, way up high, in the sky . . . I'm flying!"
Jerome Robbins and Mary Martin in rehearsal for the Peter Pan telecast in 1956 at NBC’s Brooklyn Studios. Watching them is Martin’s daughter, Heller Halliday, who was also in the 1954 Broadway production.
Photo: Bygone Broadway Instagram
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Top 15 Portrayals of Peter Pan
A while back, in 2021 - in celebration of the 110th anniversary of “Peter Pan” - I posted a list of my favorite portrayals of the villain of the story, Captain Hook. Earlier this year, I updated that same list. I said then that, even as a kid, I always liked Hook more than his nemesis, the titular Peter. While this is true, I do think it’s important to state that, as much as I may love the dastardly pirate Pan battles constantly…this does not mean Peter is a bad character.
I think that Peter Pan gets a bad rap a lot nowadays, mostly because, if you read the original book…Peter is kind of a little psychopath. He’s sort of a little tyrant, threatening to kill or banish anybody who doesn’t do what he wants, and refusing to listen to reason when people try to help him or keep him under control. And that’s the entire point: Barrie’s story originally didn’t HAVE Hook. The original idea behind what would become “Peter and Wendy” was that Pan was a representation of both everything good AND everything bad about childhood: he is not necessarily EVIL, but he is stuck perpetually in a state of infantile, underdeveloped youth. He’s brash, cocky, and has a LOT of power that I don’t think even he is fully aware of. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding Peter, which actually makes him more fascinating to adults than I think many might realize. Peter’s arc in the story is one of coming to grips with emotions he’s never experienced before, and taking up a kind of responsibility he’s always tried to deny in the past. He’s much more dynamic and more interesting than many people give him credit.
I’ve been in a Peter Pan mood lately, so I decided…what the heck? I might as well give a bit of a spotlight to some of my favorite portrayals of the Boy Who Never Grows Up that have come around over the years. (On that note, there has long been a tradition, particularly in stage shows, of women playing Peter, so there will be some ladies included here. Don’t you dare whine about it, they’re absolutely awesome.) Some of these versions stick to the ambiguity of Barrie’s original, while others make Pan either more heroic or more villainous depending on interpretation. There’s a lot of ways you can go with the idea of an eternal child, both idealistic and cynical. So, think Happy Thoughts, everyone, and don’t forget the pixie dust! Here are My Top 15 Favorite Portrayals of Peter Pan!
15. Sandy Duncan, from the Styne-Charlap Musical. (The most famous stage musical version of the story; Duncan first played Peter in a 1979 Revival of the show on Broadway.)
14. Greg Tannahill, from Peter Pan Goes Wrong.
13. Petermon, from Digimon: Ghost Game. (Yeah. Peter Pan as a Digimon. That weirdness speaks for itself.)
12. Mia Farrow, from the 1976 TV Musical.
11. The Version from “Peter and the Starcatchers.” (I’m referring specifically to the books; there is a stage version based on the first book, but I haven’t seen it for various reasons. I love the original books, though. This is probably one of the “nicest” versions of Peter on the list, for lack of a better description.)
10. Robin Williams, from Hook. (Come now, you all knew he had to be here somewhere.)
9. The Version from “Alias, Hook.” (Without going into detail, this really shows how scary a Barrie-accurate Peter can be without much real change.)
8. Charlie Rowe, from SyFy’s Neverland.
7. Betty Bronson, from the 1924 Film.
6. Robbie Kay, from Once Upon a Time. (By far the most evil version of Peter Pan ever made, at least that I've discovered.)
5. Mary Martin, from the Styne-Charlap Musical. (She originated the part on Broadway, starting in 1954.)
4. Cathy Rigby, ALSO from the Styne-Charlap Musical. (She’s been playing the role off and on since the 1970s - no joke, look it up - with her most recent stint being in 2015. She was in her sixties then! Talk about Never Growing Up!)
3. Jason Marsden, from Peter Pan and the Pirates.
2. Jeremy Sumpter, from the 2003 Film.
1. The Disney Version. (Originally played by Bobby Driscoll; this one wins out mostly just because this is the first version I think of when I think of Peter as a character, and because I think the various spin-offs and such have really helped to make him a more likable protagonist over time, while still keeping him true to his established persona.)
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So the Broadway version of Peter Pan is making its rounds in my neck of the woods soon, and while I’m not sure I can justify the expense right now, I am extremely curious about both the restaging since I last saw it and more importantly the fact that PETER IS PLAYED BY A YOUNG MAN. I’ve never seen the Cathy Rigby/Mary Martin version with Peter being played by a dude, and I just wonder why the decision was made and what kind of a singing voice he has where the songs will suit his voice. Like did they pitch the songs down an octave or something to fit him? Or does he just have a higher pitched voice naturally? So many questions…
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