GIRLS Star Allison Williams To Play Peter Pan In NBC Production

[Someone in a Tree2]

However strong or weak she is in the "Girls" ensemble, she strikes me as singular un-boylike. Shouldn't that be a pre-requisite for the part?

[tazber]

It's fine.....I guess.

I no nothing about her.

It seems strange to go from casting a massively popular singer last year to casting a pretty much unknown this year.

[broadwaytbay]

my lord are you people ever happy? with anything? We got a serious name for Hook, a lesser name but talented for Peter, maybe this year won't be about watching the STAR Sh*t the bed, and we can all shut up and enjoy it. just a thought...

[StageManager2]

Someone in a Tree2, yeah, she's so femme on Girls. I can't picture her as a boy at all.

[best12bars]

Hey, I'm happy if she is talented and can play the part, but if the ratings don't come, neither will future TV "live" musical events.

Here's hoping it doesn't tank.

On the flipside ... if the ratings do come, maybe networks will be more open to casting talented (perhaps even Broadway) performers as leading players on TV ... or even risk a less obvious choice for a show.

[east side story]

I guess they really could not get ANYONE to do this project.

[finebydesign]

> Well, at least they realized casting a male was never gonna work.

I don't understand this at all. I actually don't think it works at all with a woman. It's weird and creepy.

[Fan2]

Daughter of news anchor Brian Williams.

[MattTamanini]

Finebydesign, you do realize that this role in this show has never been played by a male actor, right? This version of Peter is always a woman,most notably Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan, and Cathy Rigby.

broadwaytbay, I don't see anyone being angry or unhappy, I just think there is concern that a minimally known star (despite her father's national & network prominence) won't attract the audience that will continue the trend of live TV musicals.

[Larcen26]

She's a good actress, and her singing on Girls has been decent, (likely played down a little for the show/character.)

But, she's the hot one...the one with the nice rack, the one with the Maxim spreads, the tall leggy one. (stressing tall)

Seems just terribly un-childlike.

And if even a few people tune in just to see her in a tiny costume, it's a little tainted, don't you think? I mean, I doubt I will be able to keep myself from checking out her butt, and I should not be tempted to do that on someone who is supposed to be a small boy. Mary Martin was a beautiful woman, but could remain "boyish" in her look well into middle age, and certainly wasn't "sexy" Same with Sandy Duncan and Cathy Rigby.

I don't like being small minded about this, and I will admit that I am...but she just seems miscast.

At least there's Walken.

[beautywickedlover]

I'm not familiar with Allison Williams either, but she she seems to be a trained singer, so I'm sure she'll do well.

[tazber]

No, no one here is ever happy.

*eyeroll*

[PalJoey]

Allison Williams won me over with this quote:

"It's such an honor to be a part of this adventure, and I'm very excited to get to work with this extraordinarily talented team. And besides, what could go wrong in a live televised production with simultaneous flying, sword fighting and singing?"

[Phillytheatreguy10]

I applaud this choice, especially after watching those Youtube clips Broadway World posted. I think it's a bold move on behalf of NBC. They have Christopher Walken for the ratings draw. I don't think she got the deal based purely on the fact her father works for NBC, I mean she is capable from what I've seen. Also, considering there's an equity call for a Native American Tiger Lily, maybe people just interested in the project. I remain optimistic.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Who's directing?

I hear Ashford is choreographing, yuk, he ain't no Jerome Robbins.

[Marianne2]

I've only seen 1 episode of Girls, so I don't know Allison Williams that well. But, I think Walken and it being Peter Pan will get people to watch. Like I got excited for The Sound of Music based on the title. I like Carrie Underwood, but she was not why I tuned in. I actually went in thinking she would be terrible. But, I was going to watch anyway.

I do wonder who else will be cast. It's been so long since I've seen it, I forget all of the roles besides the Darling family and Tiger Lily. Those of we have nobody cast for yet, anyway.

[Polka Dot2]

Re: Allison not being "boy-like"

She will act. That's why it's called acting :)

[LizzieCurry]

Finebydesign, you do realize that this role in this show has never been played by a male actor, right? This version of Peter is always a woman,most notably Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan, and Cathy Rigby.


And Jack Noseworthy and BD Wong.

[Starship]

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Who?

[henrikegerman]

Very few mid century kids got to see Mary Martin ever and they had no trouble marketing her Peter Pan for tv. I'm semi-guardedly not unhappy about this. Williams has grown light years as an actor from season 1 (in which she stood out as not making an impression) to season 2 of Girls (she more than held her own with the rest of the cast).

At least this time NBC cast a lead who actually can act. Whether she's good in the role remains to be seen. Stephen Moyer can also act and he was almost almost as bad in SOM as Underwood.

[Starship]

Out of all seriousness though, congrats to Allison. Hopefully this will be a big boost to her career and I'm sure she'll do fine. I'm hoping people aren't too hard on her, especially since it's a role that's not held as tight to people's hearts as Maria in Sound of Music.

Quite frankly, I don't care who the role went to. As long as it's not someone like Justin Bieber I'm all good. Most likely you'll get the needed ratings just based on the name alone and I guarantee you it'll bring in more than Sound of Music did. The family audience is greatly underestimated and I'm sure you'll get twice as many viewers based on the fact that most people think it'll be Disney's Peter Pan. Add that with Walken and the few Broadway stars sprinkled in here and there I'm sure it'll be a NBC hit.

[MattTamanini]

LizzieCurry, Jack Noseworthy was an understudy and is reportedly the only male to ever play the role on Broadway, but that was in "Jerome Robbin's Broadway," a revue, not "Peter Pan."

There have been other men to play the part yes, including BD Wong and Robert Johanson, but those were in regional productions; not Broadway or tours. I am sure there are many community theatres that have done this as well, but in terms of major productions (not to mention the intentions of the authors), it has always been a female part.

[Jungle Red]

South FL Marc, no one is forcing you to watch this. If you're not interested, leave the thread. Watch Mary Martin.

[Jordan Catalano]

First look at Allison Williams as Peter Pan!!!! She looks AMAZING In Costume!!!!

[DigificWriter]

Women are ALWAYS going to be featured as Peter Pan in this show for two reasons:
1) That's the gender for which the musical's score was written
2) It's in keeping with the tradition started way back with J.M. Barrie's original play