Miley Cyrus on Playing Tinker Bell in NBC's Live PETER PAN: 'I Would Rather Choke on My Own Tongue'

By: Feb. 24, 2014
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Tinker Bell won't be twerking across the stage in NBC's live PETER PAN this December.

Pop star Miley Cyrus responded to rumors that she might be playing the fairy sidekick in the network's mega-TV musical broadcast on Decmber 4, 2014 by Tweeting: "I would rather choke on my own tongue", along with a picture of her in a magazine (left) that claimed she would "get better reviews than Carrie Underwood" did in THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Cyrus is currently taking her controversial new image around the country on her BANGERZ tour, and it looks like she won't be returning to her Disney roots (i.e. Hannah Montana) anytime soon.

The PETER PAN broadcast will feature iconic songs "I'm Flying," "I've Gotta Crow," "I Won't Grow Up," and "Never Never Land," and a book full of magic, warmth, and adventure. Based on J.M. Barrie's 1904 play and his own novel adaptation, PETER PAN is a classic tale featuring a score by Morris "Moose" Charlap and Jule Styne with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green.

Originally directed and staged by Jerome Robbins, the 1954 Broadway production opened on October 20, 1954 at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York. It starred Mary Martin as Peter and Cyril Ritchard as Captain Hook. Both stars earned Tony Awards for their performances. It was followed by NBC telecasts of it in 1955, 1956, and 1960 with the same stars, plus several rebroadcasts of the 1960 telecast. The show has enjoyed several revivals onstage.

Though business was strong, the show closed in 1955 to make way for the live broadcast on NBC, with ratings of 65 million viewers--the highest ratings for a single night program at the time. NBC later broadcast the show live again in 1956 and 1960, all to strong ratings. It was also the first broadcast of a musical in color. None of NBC's telecasts took place in a theater in front of a live audience; they all were broadcast from NBC studios.


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