Interview: Bailey Frankenberg of PETER PAN at The Fox Theatre

In today’s culture, it is hard to find anyone who doesn’t have some experience with the story of Peter Pan. For many, their first exposure to the “boy who refused to grow up” was through Walt Disney’s classic 1953 animated film. Others first journeyed off to Neverland with Peter and Wendy by reading the original 1904 play by J.M. Barrie. And in between (and beyond) have come many different iterations of this timeless adventure. But for musical theatre fans, there is just one PETER PAN – the classic 1954 stage musical which starred Mary Martin and was captured for posterity through a 1955 NBC broadcast. So how does one take a story with its beautiful score but also some troublesome stereotypes and bring it to an audience in 2025? That is just what Larissa FastHorse and the team bringing PETER PAN to life on the stage at the fabulous Fox Theatre have done – taken a classic and updated it for a new generation. And in the role of Tiger Lily, Bailey Frankenberg has a front row seat to what makes this story so magical. I had the chance to catch up with Bailey and hear all about her career and what it is like to play an iconic (but updated) heroine as well as serve as Fight and Flight captain for the show.

BWW: Bailey, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today. We are really looking forward to PETER PAN here in Atlanta!

Bailey Frankenberg: Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to come and play The Fox!

To start, can you tell us a little bit about how you got started in the theatre?

I'm originally from Oklahoma and am Choctaw and I'm a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. So, I grew up all across the state. But I grew up a small town girl. A traveling children’s show came to my small town when I was in the first grade or so and we put on THE WIZARD OF OZ in a week. That was my first taste of being on stage. And then I had the opportunity to see a national tour of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST come through Oklahoma City - back when I was 10 or 11, and I didn't know that musicals and performance and production could be that big. I was blown away. So, when I was a young teenager we moved to Texas and it was really important to me to go to a school with a drama class because I never had access to that before. And I have been doing theater ever since. It's the most consistent thing in my life that I've always known what I wanted to do and ended up going to college for it. I went to a community college just outside Dallas. And then I was admitted to an acting conservatory in New York City. And then from there I started my professional career that has taken me across the world to Tokyo, Canada, and across the United States. It's been a really special journey.

PETER PAN has been a favorite of musical theatre fans for so many years, but this production is something a bit new. Can you tell us a bit about what audiences can expect – both the familiar and the new?

It is a special show in the sense that there is literal magic. It goes beyond just an imaginary place that we all wish we could go to. There is actual magic in front of your eyes that most other musicals don't have. We have flying effects – PETER PAN is known for flying and bringing that magic to the stage. We also have fighting in the show - there's a lot of adventure. We still have most of the original music, but a lot of the book has been revived. It's not unrecognizable but we wanted it to reach audiences that are coming to see us. So, we're set in more contemporary, ambiguous United States. We're taking the story out of 1900s Edwardian England and are making it relatable and reachable so that any kid who sees the show can feel like Peter Pan's flying outside their own window. But it absolutely still translates. We still have “I Won't Grow Up” and all of the pirate songs. We do have a new number, that replaces a more dated, harmful song in the original that alluded to stereotypes that were not very inclusive. It has now been replaced with a song that is from the same musical canon as the original writers of the show. And the original lyricist’s daughter came in and rewrote the lyrics to that song, and we put it in. It's a really exciting new way to keep the heart of the music alive while still making it for everyone. 

And what Larissa FastHorse has done to update the script is so exciting (and overdue)– especially for your role as Tiger Lily and as a Choctaw and member of the Cherokee Nation. Can you tell us more about that?

Yes, that has been so huge and I'm so honored. Being a native person playing a native person is really special. Something that's really specific about our show is I'm also portraying my own lineage - my Tiger Lily is based off my ancestors. Our Costume Designer researched and designed costumes for every single indigenous person in the show. A lot of people think that indigeneity across North America is this monolith and there's only one culture, one language, when there's over 570 different federally recognized tribes with hundreds more state recognized tribes. So now, instead of Tiger Lily being from a stereotypical plains tribe, I can be specific in who I am. And that representation is really exciting. All of Tiger Lily's tribe are the last of their people from around the world. So, no matter who they are, they can all be a part of her tribe. All their costumes are based off of their own lineages from East Asia and South Asia to Africa and Eastern Europe. So, they have used what's already established, how Neverland works, in order to give Tiger Lily and her tribe a tangible reason to be there. And I think that is what is really brilliant. 

So, in Neverland, each culture will never die out. It represents the importance of understanding and preserving all cultures. Just like Peter Pan wants to keep childhood and wonder alive, this adds another meaningful layer that is unexpected but wonderful to see.

Yes! That's really been my favorite part about it all. So that's why I'm excited to bring this version to people. For a lot of the adults, this might be their first time reconnecting with the story since they were kids. So, I'm really excited to be a part of that full circle moment. And to give all communities a place in the world of Neverland and Peter Pan because it wasn't necessarily for everyone before.

And you play triple duty in this production, not only as Tiger Lily but you serve as Fight Captain and Flight Captain. Tell us a bit more about what those captain roles entail? Flights (and fights) are an integral and iconic part of this show, so that has to be thrilling.

Oh, it's so exciting! I love being able to apply circus skill sets to the show. I actually got a lot of my training from an Atlanta-based theater company - Havoc Movement Company - and they do a lot of really incredible work. I really wouldn't be the captain that I am without them. I owe them so much. So, we have creative directors, dance choreographers, and fight choreographers. Not every musical is going to have fights and flights, but because ours is this beautiful adventure spectacle, we have it all. So, as captain, I learn every piece of choreography and whenever our creative team leaves, after the show opens, I'm the one who makes sure everything is not only safe and consistent, but the artistic integrity remains alive for the entire duration of the production. So, if somebody's injured or if a move isn't working, I work with them. I'm the one who has to think of temporary modifications that are still within the world of artistic integrity. It takes a lot of skill and experience and creativity in order to do it. With the fighting, I have expansive sword fighting experience and I know every fight in the show. If you are slapping someone or punching someone, you want to make sure that you're doing it safely, but that it looks real to the audience. So, I maintain all of those in the show. With the flying effects, I have harness and silks and lyra experience, so I'm helping to maintain Peter Pan while he's flying in the air - making sure that he looks good while still maintaining technique. I keep an eye on everything from the flips to how the dives look and I also train new actors. It's a big responsibility and I'm so thrilled to have the opportunity.

What is your favorite part about playing Tiger Lily? She has really come into her own since the original and, I believe, plays much more of an integral role in the play now which is exciting.

It's really cool to be somebody who is a woman, a strong leader, and a warrior. She is an intricate part of the story and in turning the tides of the adventure of Peter and the Lost Boys against Hook. The banding together actually happens in a big fight sequence where a friendship develops between Peter and Tiger Lily nonverbally agreeing to help each other out to face this common enemy. They decide to put all of their differences aside and come together as partners. Tiger Lily wants to be a co-leader in Neverland with Peter, but Peter has to come around to it. To have an indigenous hero on stage is something we really don't get to see a lot. I hope other native kids and people – anyone, really - can look up there and be inspired by it.

What do you look forward to the most before you step out on stage each night?

I feel excited that every show I get to challenge myself. It's not a show that I can just coast through. I really have to hone in and there's a lot of physicality in it that, as an artist, I dreamed one day I could be. Even as I'm getting older, I'm getting stronger and my abilities keep growing. It's really exciting to feel like I can keep leveling up with every performance. I also love hearing the reactions from people taking in the show. There's the part where everyone's flying to Neverland and it’s like the audience is on a roller coaster. I was a swing for the whole first year of the production, so I understudied everybody. But I was able to sit in the audience a lot and experience the show with 1000 people who had no idea what to expect. Being in that energy is amazing. And then in Act Two, when there's that moment of audience interaction, being in the middle of all that engagement - it's a very vibrant energy. There's a lot of electricity between the audience and the performers on the stage. It makes the whole room alive. Especially hearing young voices laugh and interact throughout the show. It reminds you why theater is so important - bringing people together and the relationship between storytellers and the audience. It's a really sacred place. 

What’s next for you after PETER PAN? Anything planned?

First, I would definitely go on a vacation with my fiancé. I've been a part of the show since Halloween 2023. I closed DRACULA at the Shakespeare Tavern, down the street from The Fox and then flew the next day up to New York to start rehearsals. I've been on the road ever since. So, I’ll be excited to have a little bit of rest time. And then just looking forward to the next big, beautiful thing. I don't have anything truly lined up, other than just big dreams.

PETER PAN runs at the Fox Theatre from Tuesday, April 29th through Sunday, May 4th as part of the 2024/2025 Regions Bank Broadway in Atlanta season. Tickets are available at the Fox Theatre box office at 660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308 and by visiting Foxtheatre.org/peter-pan or by calling 855-285-8499. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by contacting sales@foxtheatre.org. Performances are Tuesday April 29th – Thursday May 1st at 7:30PM, Friday, May 2nd at 8PM, Saturday, May 3rd at 2PM and 8PM, and Sunday, May 4th at 1:00PM and 6:30PM.