As previously reported, Tony Award winner Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher, The Sound of Music Live!, "Smash") will star as Mr. Darling and Smee, the comedic sidekick to Christopher Walken's Captain Hook. "Girls" star Allison Williams will fly in the musical's title role.
O'Hara, who is slated to return to Broadway in The King and I, has been Tony-nominated for her performances in The Bridges of Madison County, Nice Work If You Can Get It, South Pacific, The Pajama Game and The Light in the Piazza.
Further casting, including the Lost Boys and Darling children, has not yet been announced, although F. Michael Haynie, who recently starred as Boq in the hit Broadway musical Wicked, tweeted Sept. 8 that he has been cast in Peter Pan.
"Thrilled to announce my next gig!" he said on Instagram and Twitter. "Can't wait to go to Neverland with the phenomenally exciting cast of "Peter Pan: Live" on NBC! #LostBoyF"
Thrilled to announce my next gig! Can't wait to go to Neverland with the phenomenally exciting cast of…
http://t.co/ArQyA8h2my
— F Michael Haynie (@fmichaelhaynie)
September 8, 2014
Both "Smash" and "The Sound of Music Live!" were produced by "Peter Pan" producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan.
The original Broadway production of Peter Pan, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins and featuring the songs “I’m Flying,” “I’ve Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up,” and “Never Never Land,” opened on Broadway in 1954. The show had a book by J.M. Barrie and a score by Mark “Moose” Charlap and Carolyn Leigh, with additional songs by Jule Styne and Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It starred Mary Martin as Peter and Cyril Ritchard as Captain Hook, both of whom won Tony Awards for their performances.
Martin and Ritchard reprised their Broadway roles in a live telecast of the production, which aired on NBC in 1955. The production was so popular that NBC followed it in 1956 with a second live telecast — and in 1960 with a videotaped version, both also starring Martin and Ritchard. The 1960 videotaped version was rebroadcast in 1963, 1966 and 1973 and was released on home video in 1990.
Read Playbill.com's article "Who Should Play Wendy Darling in "Peter Pan" here.
Read Playbill.com's article "Who Should Play Captain Hook" here.
Read Playbill.com's article on who should play Peter in NBC's "Peter Pan" here.
