Radio Age - 1955, April - 36 Pages, 2.8 MB, .PDF - VacuumTubeEra

—
"There have been many Peter Pans since Maude
Adams first essayed the role in this country, but it is
doubtful if any of her predecessors had the elfin charm
and acting skill of Miss Martin" — Jack Hellman, Daily
Variety, Hollywood.
"The production, we sincerely believe, will stand
forever as one of video's listening milestones."—Bob
Williams, Philadelphia Bulletin.
"Through this children's classic, TV came of age."
—Larry Wolters, Chicago Tribune.
"TV's most ambitious and rewarding project."
Stan Anderson, Cleveland Press.
The program which produced this reaction among
audience and critics alike was the first ever to feature a
full-length Broadway production with its original cast.
The television version was identical to that which played
in New York for 32 weeks — the only difference being
in the far greater audience by which the single television
performance was seen.
Unique Sound Pickup System
Since the play itself was staged for an ordinary
theatre, its translation to the medium of television presented
no unique technical problems to the practiced
personnel of NBC — other than one of microphone
pickup from Miss Martin as she floated through the air.
None of the show was pre-recorded, since it was felt that
a "live" performance was essential to maintain spontaneity.
With the star and three children whizzing back and
forth past stationary microphone booms at an elevation
of some 20 to 30 feet, ordinary methods of sound
pickup would be unsatisfactoty. The solution was a
portable transistorized microphone and transmitter developed
by NBC engineers. The entire installation was
Mary Martin and Jerome Robbins, director of the TV
production of "Peter Pan," form an airborne dance team,
above, in rehearsal. Below Cyril Ritchard, as the venomous
Captain Hook, rallies his crew aboard the pirate ship.
small enough to be concealed on Miss Martin's person.
The antenna was concealed in a split leather belt around
her waist, the tiny microphone was worn on her chest,
and the transmitter, no larger than a king-size package
of cigarettes, was fastened under her arm.
To conceal a receiving antenna large enough to cover
the large flying area and maintain the same volume level
from the highest to the lowest points of Miss Martin's
swooping flight, a wire was placed on the studio floor,
covered with tape and painted over to match the surrounding
scenery.
The rest of the antenna consisted of
a large loop of wire strung under the lights.
By this means, Miss Martin carried an enthralled
audience with her on the flying trip to Neverland,
soaring gracefully through some 100 gyrations in the
course of the 2-hour program by means of the same
type of flying device that has been used for all theatrical
presentations of "Peter Pan."
RADIO AGE 21