It was fun to receive emails from people asking me what I thought about Peter Pan Live. I’m flattered and to-be-clear I am no expert, or certainly no more an expert than everyone else who saw it.
When I sit down to watch a live show bought to me in another form like film or TV, that is NOT the ‘realty junk’; it’s like buckling myself into a ride. I don’t come off a roller coaster and say well it’s not like driving my car……..both have wheels, right? A live TV stage production IS NOT a live stage production, and for that matter neither is a film version. They are different forms of entertainment and to be quite clear, if people outside the realms of midtown New York see a TV show such as this and show support to LIVE theatre wherever they reside because of it—-well, I gotta crow about it.
The twitter-twerking-fingers-of-critics began before the first commercial in some places and to one I wrote, “Turn it off if you don’t want to see it.” I get that all of the forms of social media out there offer the platforms for people to rant with their own feelings; and that is their right. But as I read various discussions, all I kept thinking was that it was too bad many did not just go for the ride; pixy-dust and tinker-bell (wasn’t it just wonderful how they did that —-LIVE) included.
Christopher Walken was not a little lost boy in front of you; he was a parody. He knew his audience and he knew EXACTLY what he was doing; it’s very hard to be hated and loved at the same time. Very difficult. His clothing and his make-up (and yes including his eyebrows) made him a living cartoon. The young lady pictured is my grand-niece as she was watching the show. Ava was riveted, absolutely riveted, to the show according to my niece, Meaghan, Ava’s mom. THAT is for whom the show was intended.
All of the magic that people had in their lives when they saw it as a child, has been transformed into those who judge instead of those making the choice to enjoy. Look at Ava’s little face. Don’t you wish you saw Peter Pan Live through those precious eyes? You probably did when you were younger. It’s a shame that so many of us who did not want to grow up…….well, did just that.
I didn’t sit down last night to watch a Broadway show. I sat down to watch a live production on television of a tale told a million times. And quite frankly, I loved it. I’m sorry if the tea-cup falling off Peter’s head, or the Walmart commercials, or the Rex Harrison singing style of Christopher Walken, or seeing the wires, or any other morsel of distraction you had; RUINED it for you. Because you missed out on a wonderful evening of entertainment by some wonderful performances from Ms. Williams and a wonderful cast, to some beautiful songs, to a gorgeous make-believe set (to the critics—you DO KNOW it was ‘make-believe’, right?), and to be honest…….I would rather go for the ride than to judge how I got there.
My niece Meaghan is a sharp business woman (she is probably one of the best Wedding Planners on Long Island) who does not easily have her eyes just ‘glazed over’. She is smart, has been a lover of the arts for years, and she pulls no punches in saying how she feels. She wrote this to me last night referring to observing her own daughter watching the show:
“….I literally felt like I was having an outer body experience watching myself as a child…”
So, yes I enjoyed Peter Pan Live last night and as Ava ‘flew’ up the stairs to bed last night, I’m told she ran up singing “…..I won’t grow u—–up…..not me….”
And hearing that was ‘sound of music’ to my ears. Peter Pan Live was worth every minute of my time. Bring on next year, I’ll visit never-never land, or any other place NBC wants to take me, ANY day of the week..
I am a diabetes dad.
PS—One note for NBC…..7:30-9:30 and maybe to 10:00 pm is about the most you will get for a good viewing time for kids, especially on a school night….a point to consider.
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