'Peter Pan' will be NBC's next live musical
'Peter Pan' will be the next live musical broadcast by NBC, the network recently announced. NBC's version of 'The Sound of Music' was a ratings hit that surpassed expectations.
'Peter Pan' has previously starred both Mary Martin (l., flying with choreographer and director Jerome Robbins) and Cathy Rigby (r., in a 2004 Missouri production).
L: AP R: Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitors/PR Newswire
PASADENA, Calif.
Following up on the success of "The Sound of Music" last month, NBC said that it will broadcast a live version of "Peter Pan" in December.
It will be produced by the same team, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, that made "The Sound of Music" with Carrie Underwood. The live musical reached 19 million viewers, surprising even NBC entertainment president Robert Greenblatt.
No cast members were announced on Sunday.
"I have some dream choices, but I don't want to talk about it before approaching them," Greenblatt said.
"Peter Pan," which opened on Broadway in 1954, has a strong history with NBC. The network aired a live broadcast of the show from its own studios in 1955 with Tony Award-winner Mary Martin in the title role and most of the original Broadway cast, reaching 65 million viewers. That was a record for television at the time.
NBC broadcast the show live again in 1956 and 1960, and it was the first broadcast of a musical on color TV.