mike48128
Thus should have been better. The production values are far superior to the 1960 Mary Martin version which, sadly, is only available in bootleg copies of unknown quality. (Why doesn't NBC re-release it?)Cathy Rigby does a very good job of recreating the role, but in the close-ups she looks so much older than 40, and somehow older than Mary Martin. This detracts from the "youthful" look the character should have. Too bad she didn't make it when she was much younger.If you have never seen the 1960 Mary Martin version, you will probably like this version as the production values are first-rate and even the flying and acrobatics are better. However, NOBODY can re-create the performances of Mary Martin and Cyril Richard (as Capt. Hook)---they own the roles. Small children who have never seen the original version will probably love it. Minor faults: 1. The "Take your medicine" scene and "clap if you believe in fairies" scenes lack the "heart" of the original. 2. Capt. Hook is far more cruel in this version, and the mermaids are evil, which is closer to the Barrie story.Be aware that various "bootlegs" of the Mary Martin 1960 version are available. Watching them is like viewing a movie with your glasses off: The sound in good but the picture is fuzzy. Also, they are DVD-R's, which are not known to be very durable or long-lasting.
Liza-19
I for one, never liked the Mary Martin version. I always thought it was too corny - good songs but BAD casting and worse lines. The mediocre sets and costumes can be forgiven because it was the 50s, but there is no excuse for casting a blonde Tiger Lily. The girl that played Wendy had the most annoying voice in the world - thank God she never appeared in anything else.Anyway, when I found out that they were releasing the Cathy Rigby version on DVD I couldn't wait to see it. Peter Pan is a wonderful show, it really is. It deserved a much better production than was out there, and Rigby's version is splendid! All of the actors were wonderful! I was SO happy with this Wendy who, for starters, has a lovely voice (what a concept!) and just seems to love her role. She plays Wendy throughout the entire show (grown up as well - in the Martin version the same annoying girl played Jane at the end which never made sense to me) so I was happy to see that.Cathy Rigby is superb - she LOVES her part and just brings so much energy and love to her role as Peter that you get completely swept up into her world. I wonder how many Olympians, after retiring can say that they've been able to do something like that - playing the lead in Peter Pan - she just seems to be having the time of her life up there, and it's contagious!I could go on and on, because this is just a beautiful production. Tiger Lily is beautiful and (surprise) actually looks like an Indian! She's a beautiful dancer too, I hope to see more of her in the future. Paul Schoeffler is the best Captain Hook I've ever seen, both as Hook and Mr. Darling he just had so much great appeal and charisma. I can't stop watching this movie! Five stars, 10/10, it's perfect!
shellie
I have seen several productions of Peter Pan and this has to be my favorite. It has the lighthearted appeal of the original story, with colorful and imaginative sets and costumes that are a joy to see. While children can enjoy the story as a new experience, those of us who are adults can enjoy the acting skills, as well as the stunning special effects. While they may be commonplace on most videos which were movies, the flying alone is a wonderful example.While I know that there are those who see Mary Martin as the ONLY Peter Pan, in the spirit of Peter Pan, I just have to say "phft-ft-ft-ft!" Mary Martin was always just Mary Martin playing a role. While with Cathy Rigby, I actually found myself forgetting that it was a woman, and not a young boy playing Peter Pan.
Acrosslne
In Mary Martin's Peter Pan, the dances were very thrown together. This is not a bad thing when the cast can make it look like that is not the case. That WAS not the case. You could see mistake after mistake, and you could tell when even the littlest mistake was made.Furthermore, the casting for Mary Martin's was terrible. Wendy had a piercing to the ear sounding voice, and Mary Martin in no way, shape, or form made a believable little boy. She instead made a believable little old man.In Cathy's version, everyone sang on key, and everyone seemed prepared for the performance at hand. Cathy's performance made it easy to forget that she was an adult woman, and truly made you believe that she was that of a young boy. This is not easy for many actors/actresses out there. What's funny is that she had little training. Mary Martin had lots.Makes you wonder who possessed the real talent.
AD
