Is NBC’s ‘Peter Pan Live!’ A Gender Confusing Musical?

By Staff Reporter | Dec 05, 2014 11:44 AM EST

TEXT SIZE    

"Peter Pan Live!" is NBC's live television special and a new production of the 1954 musical adaptation of "Peter Pan." The first broadcast of the musical was scheduled on Dec. 4 and a rebroadcast was set on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. The live special was narrated by actress Minnie Driver, who played the role of adult Wendy.

The 2014 live musical production of "Peter Pan Live!" depicted the story from the point of view of an adult Wendy, who narrated at various points throughout the show. Though some have praised the show due to its over-the-top production, the live musical wasn't without problems.

One issue that "Peter Pan Live!" braved was the gender or sexually confusing claims from some viewers. The perception came when the production cast a female actress, Allison Williams to portray the role of the boy who would never grow up, Peter Pan. And as reported by Hollywood Life, even actress Anna Kendrick expressed her reaction on Twitter.

Allison Williams, the 26-year-old daughter of "NBC Nightly News" host Brian Williams and "Girls" star, transformed into Peter Pan on Thursday. Despite the fact of being a grown woman playing an adolescent boy, The Daily Mail said Williams won over critics for her magically stunning performance.

In the "Peter Pan Live!" Williams was also joined by Christopher Walken, who played the role of notorious Captain Hook and who also stole the show because of his outstanding performance. Prior to its broadcast, the live musical was bombarded with lousy preconceived negative notions on social media.

The show's star Allison Williams, who played the titular character, said that you cannot hate-watch "Peter Pan Live!" Time reported that she also candidly admitted the major issue with hate watching is that people will be watching under the assumption that it's going to be bad and going to make fun of the show no matter what.

"Watch it the way you watch everything, watch it critically, do whatever you want," Williams told Vanity Fair. "But even if it's just secretly, go along for the ride."

Williams also stressed that hate-watching "Peter Pan Live!" is really not a good idea.

"Today's audiences like to watch things cynically," Williams said in an Entertainment Weekly report. "And I'm on a show that's cynical in tone so I'm no stranger to that ... Hate-watching is a thing. Peter Pan, you cannot watch cynically. If you do, you're going to hate it, no question. It falls apart instantly."

Though Williams almost crashed into a wall in an opening scene, she maneuvered her way through difficult choreography and a powerful score that would have tested even a Broadway show.

Despite the gender confusing and hate watching issues, the actors' remarkable performances in "Peter Pan Live!" just showed that an ambitious production like the musical can make watching the 3-hour spectacle worth the effort.

pre post  |  next post
More Sections