National Tour NewsPeter Pan Musical to Launch New National Tour With Revised Book by Larissa FastHorse
Directed by Lonny Price, the new production of the Moose Charlap-Carolyn Leigh musical will readdress its depiction of Native Americans.
By
Logan Culwell-Block
January 31, 2023
An all-new production of the 1954 Moose Charlap-Carolyn Leigh musical version of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan will launch in December at Saint Paul, Minnesota's Ordway Center. An official opening will follow in February 2024 at Baltimore, Maryland's Hippodrome. Tony nominee Lonny Price will be at the helm, with the tour produced by NETworks Presentations.
As always, the production will feature the Charlap-Leigh score, with additional songs by Jule Styne, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green. Though Jerome Robbins' adaptation of Barrie's original script will also be used, this new tour will feature a revised book by Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse, who has been brought on to tackle the musical's depiction of Native Americans.
“I am thrilled to be part of bringing Peter Pan to life for a new generation,” says FastHorse in a statement. “If you loved this musical before, you will still see the show that enchanted you, while discovering a Peter Pan that everyone can enjoy, without harm, for many years to come.”
The production will not be the first to try and address the issue. For the 2015 NBC live TV broadcast, producers worked with Native American consultant Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate to develop new lyrics for the musical's gibberish-laden "Ugg-a-Wugg." It was reported at the time that the new, authentically Native American lyric would become the standard performing version of the show, a plan that has not since materialized.
FastHorse will be make her Broadway debut this season with The Thanksgiving Play, set to begin previews at The Hayes Theater via Second Stage March 23. Her works also include What Would Crazy Horse Do?, Native Nation, and Cow Pie Bingo.
Though there are many musical adaptations of Barrie's play of the flying boy who won't grow up, this 1954 edition has proven the most perennial. Originally written as a vehicle for Mary Martin, the musical would play a brief Broadway run in 1954 before closing so that the production could be broadcast live on TV. The telecast was so successful that it was re-mounted twice more with much of the same cast, and then again with an all-new cast led by Girls star Allison Williams in 2015. The musical is frequently revived on Broadway and at regional theatres around the world, with Sandy Duncan and Cathy Rigby among the most prominent Peter Pans in more recent years.
Casting, creative team, and additional stops for the new tour are to be announced. For more information, visit PeterPanOnTour.com.
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