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4 | November 22, 2017 | 22nd century media holiday guide
22ndCenturyMedia.com
‘Peter Pan’ continues holiday tradition
For more than three decades, Music
Theater Works’ December production has
been a North Shore tradition, bringing
families together to enjoy a favorite musical
over the holidays. Children, parents
and grandparents alike have delighted in
these annual presentations of beloved operettas
and Broadway classics, and many
young people remember them as a formative
experience in kindling a life-long
love of the theater.
The tradition continues this year when
Music Theater Works presents the perennially
popular musical, “Peter Pan,”
at Evanston’s Cahn Auditorium from
Dec. 23-Jan. 1. The story of the boy who
would not grow up and his swashbuckling
nemesis, Captain Hook, has been near to
the hearts of theatergoers since Peter first
flew across a London stage more than 100
years ago. There have been many versions
of this tale over the years, but this
1954 Broadway musical adaptation has
emerged as perhaps the most favored of
all.
When a producer approached Mary
Martin, Broadway’s premiere leading
lady, with the opportunity to build a new
“Peter Pan” around her abundant talents,
she jumped at the chance. Martin was
so enthusiastic about the project that she
insisted on assembling the production
team herself. Hearing the song, “Young
at Heart,” on the radio, she decided then
and there to hire its lyricist, an unknown
twenty-something named Carolyn Leigh.
Leigh brought along her even younger
writing partner, the composer Morris
“Moose” Charlap. Martin was delighted
with her young songwriters, and felt they
would bring a youthful exuberance to a
tale that cried out for just that.
In Broadway legend Jerome Robbins’
original staging, “Peter Pan” was an immediate
sensation on Broadway, and soon
reached an audience of millions more on
NBC television in 1955. The broadcast
was so popular that the cast went into the
NBC studio again in 1956 and 1960, and
that 1960 taping was rerun year after year,
introducing generations to this evergreen
musical.
A whole new generation can experience
it live this December. Rudy Hogenmiller,
Music Theater Works’ artistic director,
will stage a magical new production with
a cast of 33 led by Aubrey Adams (Paramount
Theatre’s “Mamma Mia!” and
“West Side Story”) taking the title role,
and Music Theater Works’ longtime leading
man, Larry Adams (“South Pacific”
and “Kiss Me, Kate”) playing everyone’s
favorite villain, the irrepressible Captain
Hook. Among the young performers playing
Peter’s loyal Lost Boys are Wilmette’s
Asher Alcantera and Daniel Shoemaker.
Roger L. Bingaman will lead the full orchestra
playing the lush original Broadway
orchestrations.
So whether you’re a newcomer or a lifelong
“Peter Pan” devotee, here is a chance
to be part of an enduring local tradition,
and fly off to Neverland this holiday season.
Look out for crocodiles!
“Peter Pan” will run Saturday, Dec.
23 through Monday, Jan. 1 at Evanston’s
Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St. The
audience can meet and talk with cast
members after the matinee performances
on Dec. 26, 27 and 30. As always at Music
Theater Works, admission for those
25-and-younger is half price. For tickets,
call (847) 920-5360 or visit www.Music-
TheaterWorks.org.
Submitted by Music Theater Works, 516 4th
St, Wilmette. Call (847) 920-5360 or visit
www.MusicTheaterWorks.com.
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