Carolyn Leigh News

The Kean University Department of Theatre's 2014-2015 Season continues with the high-flying musical Peter Pan, opening Friday, February 20 in Kean's Wilkins Theatre. Based on the tremendously popular play by Sir James M. Barrie, Peter Pan will be directed by Department of Theatre faculty member Holly Logue with musical direction by Meg Zervoulis, choreography by Michele Mossay, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, and music by Morris 'Moose' Charlap. The cast of Kean University students also includes two local children - Joshua Hunt of Cranford and Lucas Luchsinger of Elizabeth - who will share the role of Michael Darling.

To be perfectly candid, I found NBC's presentation of PETER PAN LIVE! to be completely unwatchable this past holiday season. However, my review copy of the soundtrack CD landed in my mailbox yesterday. The recording is making me rethink my abandoning the film in the middle of 'Hook's Tango.' Ultimately, Broadway Records' PETER PAN LIVE! (Original Soundtrack of the NBC Television Event) is nicely entertaining and quite charming.

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber have announced the next production in the second season of Chicago's hit 'lost' musicals in staged concert series, Porchlight Revisits... City of Angels, featuring book by Larry Gelbart (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, M*A*S*H), music by Cy Coleman (Sweet Charity, Barnum) and lyrics by David Zippel (The Goodbye Girl, Disney's Mulan) with direction by Christopher Pazdernik and music direction by Aaron Benham. City of Angels is presented for two-nights-only Tuesday, March 3 and Wednesday, March 4 at 8:00 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Sondheim on Sondheim (February 6 - March 15) on nights when there are no performances at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

Peter Pan Takes Flight at New Stage on Dec. 4th

Having witnessed the stultifying, bloated NBC production of PETER PAN LIVE (what were the 'powers that be' thinking would hold a child's attention span for three hours, however padded with yet more Peter Pan plugs from Walmart?), I was reluctant to attend Playhouse on the Square's annual production of the James Barrie children's classic. I am probably one of the handful of reviewers to recall the 1955 NBC production (and later one as well) with the legendary pairing of Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard (whose fruity, overly ripe 'Captain Hook' would make Johnny Depp's 'Jack Sparrow' seem more like a white collar executive). As an IPad-free child inured to black and white fare, it hardly mattered that Mary Martin was, to put it politely, mature; that the production values were clunky; that the wires and 'Tinker' herself were glaringly apparent. In short, I was captivated. Yet, Martin possessed the kind of spunk and spontaneity that made us children believe (not to mention that she had the kind of singing voice that made her a legendary Broadway performer, as evidenced by SOUTH PACIFIC and SOUND OF MUSIC). She could make a child want to fly. Allison Williams, last evening's 'Peter,' lacked that optimistic boyishness (though she had the tomboyish Hilary Swank look 'nailed') and, despite having a pleasant enough voice, often seemed out of breath; but Chrisopher Walken, whom I like and who I initially thought would be inspired casting, seemed to have wandered in from a cocktail party hosted by zombies. His dancing made that of the Monster in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN seem as nimble as that of Fred Astaire. Despite the wonderful lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and despite the 'ear candy' musical score by Mark Charlalp and Jule Stein, those long, middle stretches in Neverland made me wonder if it would Neverend.

Pirates! Crocodiles! Mermaids! Magic! Relive all of the heavenly high-flying highlights of last night's PETER PAN LIVE!

Growing up, my brother, sister, and I wore out our VHS recording of one of Mary Martin's TV productions of PETER PAN. Mixed in between viewings of APOLLO 13 and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, we learned every word to every song, and while I don't remember dancing along with the Lost Boys, there is no doubt that we could have, if asked. I've never seen the musical on stage, so, for me, PETER PAN simply belongs on TV; and producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan spared no fiary dust in creating a magical PETER PAN that reinforced why this holiday tradition should never grow up and fly away. Despite a handful of hiccups that befall many live productions, simply put, PETER PAN LIVE! is a triumph for children young and old.

In anticipation of NBC's exciting live broadcast of the musical Peter Pan this Thursday, I knew it was essential to attend the Patrick Grossman directed incarnation running through January 4th at The Noel Ruiz Theatre at CM Performing Arts Center (CMPAC). They have been overly buzzing, too, as they even received a shout out from Allison Williams (who portrays the title character for NBC) on the Seth Meyer's show.

According to mythology, the 'Phoenix' was a bird of great beauty, said to have lived 1,000 years in the Arabian wilderness. The Phoenix burns itself to ashes on an ancient funeral pyre, only to rise again from those ashes with the renewed exuberance of youth. Its renewed life cycle symbolizes the immortality of the spirit, the rebirth of idealism, the essence of creativity, and the aura of eternal hope. With her new show at the Laurie Beechman, Visible Phoenix (which opened October 17 and returned last Friday night), multi-award winner Carolyn Montgomery-Forant has returned to the cabaret stage (after a 14-year hiatus to raise her son and run a cafe business) as the very personification of that rare beautiful bird.

BroadwayWorld.com continues our exclusive content series, in collaboration with The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which delves into the library's unparalleled archives, and resources. Below, check out a piece by Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, Ph. D., Judy R. and Alfred A. Rosenberg Curator of Exhibitions, Shelby Cullom Davis Museum, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts on PETER PAN:

BroadwayWorld.com's Richie Ridge was on hand at PETER PAN's press day where he talked to the stars and creative team about how they are putting together this live TV event. Here, Richie talks to the producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Join Peter Pan, Wendy, Michael, and John in the high-flying timeless Broadway musical that will whisk you away to a place where dreams are born and no one ever grows up! On November 28th running through December 14th Centenary Stage Company will venture into 'Neverland' for their holiday production of Peter Pan.

UnsungMusicalsCo. (UMC) will continue its 2014 Unsung concert series at 54 Below with Unsung Bob Merrill and Unsung Carolyn Leigh, Vol. 2, following its recent sold-out, critically acclaimed Unsung Carolyn Leigh concert for Lincoln Center's American Songbook. The two all-new evenings are created and directed by Ben West (Unsung Carolyn Leigh, The Fig Leaves Are Falling, At Home Abroad) with musical direction and arrangements by Fran Minarik (Unsung Carolyn Leigh, At Home Abroad).

Coming up this week, 54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond.

Join Peter Pan, Wendy, Michael, and John in the high-flying timeless Broadway musical that will whisk you away to a place where dreams are born and no one ever grows up! On November 28th running through December 14th Centenary Stage Company will venture into 'Neverland' for the family holiday production of Peter Pan. Based on J.M. Barrie's classic tale and featuring an unforgettable score by Morris 'Moose' Charlap and Jule Styne with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Peter Pan is one of the most beloved family favorites of all time.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported: in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Broadway composer Amanda Green and PETER PAN LIVE executive producer Neil Meron chat about expanding the lyrics to classic songs such as 'I Won't Grow Up' and 'I'm Flying,' for NBC's upcoming live broadcast of the musical classic. Green is the daughter of one of Peter Pan's original lyricists, Adolph Green, and has an impressive list of theater credits of her own, including the recent Broadway musical 'Hands On a Hardbody.' Commenting on choosing Green for the job of adding new lyrics to familiar numbers, Meron explains, 'It fleshed out the show. It deepened the characters, it kind of drove plot more-which good songs do in musicals. Amanda was just wonderful in capturing the spirit of her father and [Green's partner] Betty Comden.'

Amanda Green and PETER PAN LIVE executive producer Neil Meron chat about expanding the lyrics to classic songs from the musical.

Today in 1991, the second Broadway revival of Peter Pan opened at the MInskoff Theatre, where it ran for 48 performances. Peter Pan is a musical adaptation of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and Barrie's own novelization of it, Peter and Wendy. The music is mostly by Mark 'Moose' Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne, and most of the lyrics were written by Carolyn Leigh, with additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. The original 1954 Broadway production, starring Mary Martin as Peter and Cyril Ritchard as Captain Hook, earned Tony Awards for both stars.

UnsungMusicalsCo. (UMC) will present Unsung Carolyn Leigh, Vol. 2 at 54 Below on Thursday, November 20 at 7 PM and 9:30 PM. The evening, showcasing songs by the Tony- and Grammy-nominated lyricist of Peter Pan, Little Me, and How Now Dow Jones, is created and directed by Ben West (Unsung Carolyn Leigh, The Fig Leaves Are Falling).