 PETER PAN
A Musical in Three Acts, 9 Scenes. Book (adapted from the play) by
James M. Barrier. Music by Mark Charlap. Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. Additional
music by Jule Styne; additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
Orchestral arrangements by Albert Sendrey. Incidental music by Trude
Rittman and Elmer Bernstein.
Winter Garden Theatre, New York - 20 October 1954 - 26 February 1955
(152 perfs)
Synopsis
Act I - The Upstairs Nursery of the Darling Home in London
As Mr. and Mrs. Darling prepare to go out for the evening,
they come and say goodnight to their children, Wendy, Michael and John.
Mr. Darling wonders if having a dog for a nanny is such a good idea.
Mrs. Darling defends poor Nana, the children's dog and nursemaid, who
has been very nervous of late. One night last week, while the children
slept, Nana saw a young boy appear in the middle of the room, but before
she could catch him, he flew out the window. She was, however, able to
grab his shadow which Mrs. Darling tucked away in a dresser drawer. While
Mr. Darling acknowledges that Nana has done some good, he insists that
she spend the night downstairs. Nana, barking her protests, is taken
from the room by Liza, the children's maid. When things have calmed down,
Mrs. Darling and her children sing a lullaby.
Once the children are asleep a fairy, Tinker Bell,
and Peter Pan fly in through the window. Tinker Bell shows Peter where
his shadow is hidden. Peter despairs when he can't get his shadow to
stick and begins to cry. Wendy wakes up and asks him: Boy, why are you
crying? When he tells her, she offers to sew his shadow back on to him.
Peter delights in his newly attached shadow. He then tells Wendy about
the fairies and how they are dying. It seems that every time a child
says he or she does not believe in fairies, one more fairy dies. Wendy
asks Peter where he comes from, and Peter replies Never-Never-Land. Michael
and John wake up. Suddenly, Nana and Liza, having heard noises upstairs,
come in to check on the children. Peter and Tinker Bell hide while the
children pretend to be asleep. After they leave, Peter invites Wendy
and the boys to come with him to Never-Never-Land, and they all heartily
accept. There is just one problem. How will they get there? Peter's solution
is easy. He throws fairy dust on them and, telling them to think lovely
thoughts, he teaches them to fly.
Act II - Never Land
Outside their underground hideout the Lost Boys wonder
when Peter will return. Suddenly they scream in fear as Captain Hook
and his pirates attempt to capture them. The Boys scatter and hide. Hook
is out to kill Peter, for he is the one who cut off Hook's hand and threw
it to a crocodile, who now follows him about hoping for more. By chance,
Hook discovers the Boys's underground hideout and now summons Smee to
provide the appropriate music to devise a plan for the Boys' demise.
Suddenly, Hook hears the loud tick-tock of the crocodile, which has swallowed
a large clock, thereby warning Hook that he is on his way. Hook and his
men flee. The Boys are now safe, but not for long. Out of nowhere Indians,
headed by Tiger Lily approach. Leaving the Boys alone, the Indians continue
on their way through the forest, looking for the Pirates.
Seeing a strange bird in the sky the Boys shoot it
down with bow and arrow. When Peter, Michael and John land, they are
distressed to see dear Wendy with an arrow in her heart. Wendy is not
dead. However, until she's well enough to move into the underground hideout
the Boys build a house around her in the hopes that she'll be their mother.
Hook is so furious that the Boys have found a mother
that he develops a plan to kidnap Wendy and kill the Boys. The next day
the Pirates have captured Tiger Lily and tied her to a tree. While hiding
nearby, Peter imitates the Captain and orders the men to set Tiger Lily
free. The real Captain shows up and is enraged at the discovery that
his prisoner has been released. Who or what has set Tiger Lily free?
Hook speaks out to this strange Spirit of the Forest and Peter, still
hiding, is only too happy to oblige. He converses with Hook using different
voices. Peter's triumph is short lived, for he is unmasked by Hook. Peter
and Tiger Lily escape the clutches of the dastardly Hook.
Later in the underground house the Boys are effusive
in their love for Wendy. Only a jealous Tinker Bell wishes Wendy would
leave. Peter and Tiger Lily rush in from their chase. Together they smoke
a peace pipe and vow eternal friendship. Tiger Lily and the Indians leave
to stand guard against Hook and his men, above ground at the entrance
to the house. Wendy asks Peter to sing the Boys a lullaby. Listening
to the lullaby Michael and John long to return home. Wendy confesses
that she too is homesick. She asks Peter if they can fly home. The Lost
Boys wish they had parents and Wendy offers hers to all of them. Everyone
is excited at the prospect of being adopted, except Peter. He says he
won't go. Wendy, seeing how sad he is, assures him that she'll come back
once a year for spring cleaning.
Just then, the Pirates attack and subdue Tiger Lily
and the Indians. Under the impression that the Indians have beaten the
Pirates (from a secret signal that Peter and Tiger Lily had set up),
Peter sends Wendy and all the Boys on their way. Before she leaves, Wendy
pours out Peter's medicine for him to take before he goes to bed. As
they leave the underground house, they are taken away, one by one, to
Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger. Under Hook's orders the Boys are to walk
the plank and Wendy is to become the Pirates' mother. Hook makes sure
everyone is gone, then descending silently into the underground house,
he puts poison into Peter's medicine and leaves. Tinker Bell tries to
tell Peter of everyone's capture and warn him that his medicine is now
poison. Peter tells her she's being silly. In order to save Peter's life,
Tinker Bell drinks the poison herself. As she is about to die, she weakly
tells a distraught Peter that if all the boys and girls in the world
who believe in fairies would clap their hands then she would live. Peter
asks children of all ages everywhere to believe and clap their hands.
They do and Tinker Bell is saved! Taking his dagger, Peter heads off
to rescue Wendy and the Boys and jumps into his new role as Peter Pan
- The Avenger!
Act III - The Jolly Roger
Hook basks in his moment of glory. As the Boys are
walking the plank, he hears the tick-tock of the always hungry crocodile.
(In truth, it is only Peter carrying a large, loud clock.) A terrified
Hook is defeated by Peter in an exciting duel to the death. As he is
about to give up, Hook asks Peter, Pan, who and what art thou? Peter's
reply is simple: I am youth! I am joy! I am freedom! Hook tries to flee
but he is then confronted with the real crocodile! He jumps off the ship
and meets his well-deserved cruel and miserable fate. All celebrate Peter's
bravery and victory.
Night after night, back at the Darling home, Nana and
Mrs. Darling await the return of the children. Then, one night, the Darling
children silently appear at the open window and sing to their Mother.
Amid tears of joy the family is reunited along with the Lost Boys, who
are willingly adopted by the Darlings.
Many years go by, and one night Peter flies once again
into the Darling nursery. He wakes a much older Wendy, who has a daughter
of her own, Jane. Peter wants Wendy to come with him for spring cleaning
but she can't. She's old now: Ever so much more than twenty. Wendy leaves
the room, and Peter begins to cry.
His crying wakes young Jane, who calls out to him: Boy, why are you crying?
Peter introduces himself. Jane knows all about him. She has been waiting
for him to come and take her to Never-Never-Land. Peter throws fairy
dust on her. As they begin to leave, Wendy returns and tries to stop
Peter from taking Jane, but she knows she can't. Reluctantly, she lets
Jane go - Just for spring cleaning - and together into the night Jane,
like her mother before her, flies off with Peter Pan to Never-Never-Land.
- BILL ROSENFIELD
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