Peter Pan

Peter Pan

Peter Pan, first produced in 1904, was written by Sir James M Barrie. It was based on Barrie’s tale The Little White Bird. The play is about the adventures of Peter, a boy who doesn’t want to grow up, and the three Darling children- Wendy, Michael, and John- whom he teaches to fly and he takes them to Never Land with him. After escapades among fairies, fierce pirates, friendly Indians, and mermaids, the Darlings return home, bringing the Lost Boys with them. Only Peter remained behind, refusing to enter the adult world. The role of Peter Pan traditionally is played by a woman. Nina Boucicault was the original Peter, and Maude Adams enjoyed one of her greatest successes in the role. Eva Le Gallienne revived the play in 1929. Leonard Bernstein wrote music and lyrics for a 1951 New York production featuring Jean Arthur as Peter and Boris Karloff as Captain Hook. In 1954, Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard starred in a musical version that was a hit on Broadway and later became a television classic. Other actresses who have portrayed Peter include Hayley Mills (1969) and Maggie Smith (1973) in London and Sandy Duncan (1979) in New York. (Grolier Online)
In 1953, Walt Disney Films took Barrie’s play and made an award-winning film. It became an instant classic that is still, 57 years later, enjoyed by kids everywhere. The film begins in the London nursery of Wendy, John, and Michael Darling, where three children are visited by Peter Pan. With the help of his tiny friend, the pixie Tinkerbell, Peter takes the three children on a magical flight to Never Land. This enchanted island is home to Peter, Tink, the Lost Boys, Tiger Lily and her Native American nation, and the scheming Captain Hook who is as intent on defeating Peter Pan as he is from escaping the tick-tocking crocodile that once ate a hand of his that Peter Pan cut off--and loved the taste of so much. (IMDB)
Disney, 49 years later, made a sequel to Peter Pan, called “Return to Never land.” In 1940...