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2 TV ENCORE By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media F or the second consecutive year, NBC's presenting us with a night at the theater for the hol- idays. Following the success of last year's immensely popular special "The Sound of Music Live!," which drew in more than 18 mil- lion viewers, the network is run- ning with what works. "Peter Pan Live!" is a live tele- vision broadcast of the latest production of the story about a boy who refuses to grow up. "Girls" star Allison Williams will be soaring across the stage in the title role, and with Oscar- winning actor Christopher Walken ("Catch Me If You Can," 2002) donning his pirate's hat and curly black wig as Captain Hook, the event is not to be missed. The three-hour live spe- cial airs Thursday, Dec. 4, on NBC. This version of "Peter Pan" is just the latest in a long line of adaptations of J.M. Barrie's play, which debuted in London in 1904. The original Broadway pro- duction came 50 years later, with Mary Martin ("Birth of the Blues," 1941) cast as Peter and Cyril Ritchard ("Half a Sixpence," 1967) as Hook. Both stars took home Tony Awards for their per- formances, and the Broadway cast album of the songs is still in print today. This isn't the first time NBC will be airing the musical either. Sixty-five million viewers tuned in to the peacock network's live broadcast of the Broadway pro- duction in 1955, and further tele- Graybeals Carpet 2 x 3" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" Harrison- Metzger 2 x 2" On the Cover casts hit the air in 1956 and 1960. They've come full circle with this latest production, and there's no doubt that the ratings will be through the roof. For anyone only familiar with Disney's animated version of Peter Pan, it may seem odd to have a woman playing the role of a young boy, but Martin and Williams are by no means the exception to the rule. For stage productions, it's actually become the norm for Peter to be a female part. English law at the time of the first stage production prohib- ited minors under the age of 14 to be on stage past 9 p.m., and size and proportions simply work better with a woman playing the part than a man. The role has been played by the likes of such stage actresses as Sandy Duncan ("The Hogan Family"), Cathy Rigby ("The Wizard of Oz," 1981), Maude Adams ("What Every Woman Knows," 1908) and Mia Farrow ("Rosemary's Baby," 1968), and now Williams is joining the ranks of these iconic women. As far as the star of the show in concerned, the role is a dream come true. Williams has loved "Peter Pan" since she was a little girl. Her father, "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams, spoke to this when he visited "Late Show With David Letterman" in October. "I have listened to those damn songs since she was three years old. Whether some network was going to invite her to do it on television, immaterial. She's been Peter Pan since she was old enough to make a sound." Indeed, a "Today" piece showed a picture of a three- year-old, felt-covered Williams dressed up as The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and looking cute as a button. "I'm as excited as I was as that tiny girl in my Halloween costume as I am now," the actress said in the interview. "Girls" fans, in which Williams plays one of the four main char- acters, Marnie Michaels, will have borne witness to some of the actress' crooning chops already. With some (ahem, most) of her performances on the show coming across as pretty cringe-worthy, if not without tal- ent, you may be surprised to learn that Williams is actually classically trained in singing. Perez Hilton dug up some videos of Williams belting it out, includ- ing a performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and a highly praised mashup of the "Mad Men" theme song and "Nature Boy." Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, executive producers for both "The Sound of Music Live!" and "Peter Pan Live!," have high Neverland comes to prime time with 'Peter Pan Live!' hopes for their leading lady. "She will reinvent the iconic role of Peter Pan with her wit, her warmth, her dynamic flying and her wonderful musical abili- ties," they said in a statement. "The score will be sung beauti- fully and introduced to a whole new generation of families." As for her on-stage nemesis, singing apparently isn't Walken's strong suit, but his phenomenal acting chops and experience both on the silver screen and the theatrical stage should more than make up for that. "The songs are done almost like patter," he told "Entertainment Weekly." "Think Rex Harrison in 'My Fair Lady.'" And apparently, he dances, so that alone is worth tuning in for. The cast also includes Minnie Driver ("Good Will Hunting," 1997), who serves as narrator and also plays a grown-up Wendy who has become too old to return to Neverland. Christian Borle ("Smash") doubles up as Mr. Darling and Hook's right- hand man, Smee, and Kelli O'Hara ("Sex and the City 2," 2010) portrays Mrs. Darling. Allison Williams and Christopher Walken headline "Peter Pan Live!" D&J Liquors 3 x 2" Animal Shop 2 x 2" www.ransfuneralhomes.com HARRISON-METZGER & RANS FUNERAL HOMES 304 S. Chicago St. | Royal Center, IN • 574.643.2265 123 E. Main Street | Kewanna, IN • 574.653.2265 • Funeral & Cremation Services • • Preplanning Options • Monument Sales • Offering compassionate services during your most diffi cult time of need.

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