L.B. stands for Lost Boys -and- for Leonard Bernstein

I thought I'd stay with the Peter Pan theme that's been going on this week.
(Gee, imagine that.)

I must admit I'm also late in reporting this one, as I'd been with Disney's depiction of the Lost Boys being featured by The Hundreds. I've really no excuse in not reporting it other than Life intervening... such as attending Madama Butterfly at Lyric Opera last night. The amazing Patricia Racette did indeed vocally float as delicately as a winged beauty as well as radiate with all the glory of Japan. Bart beamed, for he says [and rightly so] that she has the perfect voice for Madame Butterfly.

Okay... on to Peter Pan.

It seems a "long lost" Pan is flying again. In the form of Leonard Bernstein's "forgotten" musical. It's been 60 years since its premiere! And then, all but forgotten, like Wendy's memory of Peter Pan coming to her window. I knew of it, naturally. But I cannot say I am entirely familiar with it. I suppose I should correct that, no? I'm pretty sure Bart has a recording of it. I'll give it a listen if he does and report back to you. For unfortunately due to time and such, I will not be able to attend the new production. (And please don't hate me when I say I'm not so very fond of his outfit in the show. It just seems "too much" to me. Those brown leg fringes, for instance.)

You can read about the new production here.

And I also came across this in-depth article about Bernstein's version of Peter Pan here.

A Comment that Glows Like Tinker Bell

I'm pleased to announce that Jeremy Sumpter, the young man who brought Peter Pan to life on the big screen, has read Peter Pan's NeverWorld!

I'm even more pleased that he liked it!

What better testimonial than Peter Pan himself?

Thank you, Jeremy Sumpter.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work. All the best.

Hindsight Inspiration

Long after writing Peter Pan’s NeverWorld, I noticed how the song "Obscurity Knocks" by The Trash Can Sinatras reminded me of Michael Pan. It's rather uncanny and eerie how well it fits. For those of you who have already met Peter’s brother via ink on the page, have a look and see if you don’t agree. If you’ve still yet to read about him, what sort of insights into Michael does it provide for you?


Obscurity Knocks
The Trash Can Sinatras

Always at the foot of the photograph - that's me there
Snug as a thug in a mugshot pose
Owner of this corner and not much more
Still these days I'm better placed to get my just rewards
I'll pound out a tune and very soon
I'll have too much to say and a dead stupid name

CHORUS
Though I ought to be learning I feel like a veteran
Of "Oh I like your poetry but I hate your poems"
Calendars crumble I'm knee deep in numbers
Turned 21, I've twist, I'm bust and wrong again

Rubbing shoulders with the sheets till two
Looking at my watch and I'm half-past caring
In the lap of luxury it comes to mind
Is this headboard hard? Am I a lap behind?
But to face doom in a sock-stenched room all by myself
Is the kind of fate I never contemplate
Lots of people would cry though none spring to mind

Know what it's like
To sigh at the sight of the first quarter of life?
Every stopped to think and found out nothing was there?

They laugh to see such fun
Playing Blind Man's Bluff all by myself
And they're chanting a line from a nursery rhyme
"Ba Ba Bleary Eyes - Have you any idea?"

The calendar's cluttered with days that are numbered


You can listen to this song for free by clicking on the big play button in the upper right corner at this site.
(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the website playing the music for free.)

Wearing Out the Lost Boys?

I’m a little late in reporting this one. I had to find the time to explore exactly what I’d been looking at when I came across it. I’m out of the loop when it comes to current “clothing trends” so the following brand name had been unfamiliar to me.

There is a popular line called The Hundreds and it embodies the youth culture to some degree. (Not meant offensively, as I said, I’m not in the loop.)

But take a look. They’ve managed to partner with the House of Mouse and create “cute thug” versions of Disney’s adaptation of the Lost Boys. I’m surprised these were allowed given how protective Disney can be of its characters. I’m glad they did it, for I like them very much.

They're featured in a Limited Edition run of T-shirts brought out on the market on December 11.
For individual Lost Boy pictures as well as the Peter Pan and Captain Hook hats and the shirt with Tinker Bell, or more info in general on these creations keep scrolling down here.

Fa la la la WOW

BRAVO to the Goodman Theatre for this year's production.

As the saying goes, they have outdone themselves for its 30th Anniversary. Remember when I said they vary the appearance of Marley's ghost? They stepped it up by many notches. The show opens differently. It provides a welcome, pleasant ease into the Dickensian magic. A major change is made to one of the Ghosts. A decidedly bold but thoroughly enjoyable choice. All in all, wonderful performances and additions. And yet very familiar.

Comfort and joy!

And yes, Fred's window is STILL snowing and I've no idea how. :)

A note on Fred. I mentioned his fiancé in the last post but this production says his wife. Not that it matters, as the myriad of versions vary it back and forth. Sometimes it allows for a bigger discussion between Scrooge and Fred about whether or not "being in love" is worth anything. If you're wondering what's written by Dickens, Fred is in fact already married. Thus, they presented it correctly. Shame on me for being tainted by variations. Bravo to the Goodman Theatre for creating memorable and fantastic variations.

Don't miss it.

Singing the Praises of this Carol

Tonight Bart, his sister Lage and our Aunt will be attending A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre. For Bart and I it will be our fourth year in a row. (Or at least third.) Yes, it’s that excellent of a production. All of it from the script to the acting to the special effects are sheer delights. And since the actors tend to switch out from year to year (while others remain the same), a new experience is to be had each production. But it doesn’t stop there. They also vary other parts of the show. Such as where/how Jacob Marley enters and the arrvial of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

I am still trying to figure out some of the effects. In particular, the window in Nephew Fred’s home. Are you ready for this? It’s snowing! Not that amazing, you say? What if I told you that the window is a fly-on set piece (suspended by wires) and that just the window frame and panes exist. It’s suggestive, there is no wall. And yet…it is snowing. The snow can be seen falling in the glass, but none of it falls behind the bottom of the window pane. (This part isn’t so difficult to solve, as perhaps there is an unseen tray protruding to collect the snow.) However, there is nothing above that could be producing the flakes, as they fall only within the window itself. It’s astounding. Aunt attended last year and I’ll never forget her sincere “Ooooh!” exclaimed in delight at a bit of the Ghost of Christmas Present’s magic.

My favorite part of the tale is when Scrooge arrives on Christmas Day at his nephew’s home. Fred’s fiancé kindly welcoming the repentant miser chokes me up. Call me sentimental, it’s just touching no matter what you say.

And on the subject of A Christmas Carol, isn’t it intriguing how much exposure and alteration this story has seen? It certain endures the test of time. Umpteen movies have been made of it and each one has its great moments. It’s been replicated with authenticity and also completely “abused” into a Flintstones’ special, even by Mr. Magoo. It's been acted quite seriously by cinematic great George C. Scott and done both as a movie and as a One Man Show by the gallant Patrick Stewart. Even lovable crazy man Bill Murray played the miser in the ingeniously re-tooled Scrooged. Kelsey Grammer stars as the miser in a musical also featuring Jane Krakowski from 30 Rock. The Muppets have a take on the tale. Good grief, Barbie’s Christmas Carol is released this season.



Very few stories are as malleable as this one. In whatever form it takes, the poignant message of Dickens shines through like the light of the Ghost of Christmas Past.

If you’re in Chicago, do check it out if you’re never seen the show. You won’t be disappointed. The direct link for tickets and info is here.

Second Post: Fa la la la WOW

Shadow of a Doubt

Don’t you just love Peter Pan’s shadow?
How it moves around like a living entity all its own?
I don’t.

Sorry to rain on the balloon, but I’m going to have to pop the parade.

The “living shadow” does not appear in the play Peter Pan nor does it happen in the book Peter and Wendy. It’s yet another concoction of the House of Mouse. And a slightly (pun noted) damaging one at that, for the free-roaming silhouette has become part of pop culture. (Much like the ruby slippers of Oz.) The mischievous moving shadow even shows up in P.J. Hogan’s version. In fact, he devotes quite a bit of time to it. (Time which might have been spent putting some other aspect of the book onto the screen.)

Please don’t take offense to me pointing it out that it’s not correct. I’ll grant you that it’s a charming idea. But don’t forget that I’m a Pan purist. It’s just my nature to sigh at misrepresentation.

You may now be wondering what DOES happen according to Barrie. You probably remember some of it correctly: Peter’s shadow is snapped off when Nana slams the window down on it as he is escaping from the Darlings’ home. Now for the parts you might not know. Mrs. Darling finds it in Nana’s mouth (after checking for a little boy’s body outside as she saw him leap out a window). She keeps it, rolls it up and stuffs it in a drawer. (You likely remember the drawer.) But what you probably don’t recall is Mrs. Darling's intial inclination. At first she hangs it out the window: He is sure to come back for it; let us put it where he can get it easily without disturbing the children. The narrator goes on to say: But unfortunately Mrs. Darling could not leave it hanging out at the window, it looked so like the washing and lowered the whole tone of the house. So you see, in Barrie’s vision, a shadow does not behave like an inky flat person of free-will. It’s rather like a piece of laundry. I know what you may be thinking…what with all the magic that Peter Pan has been exposed to, wouldn’t his shadow have obtained magical qualities? No, apparently not: You may be sure Mrs. Darling examined the shadow carefully, but it was quite the ordinary kind.
Again, sorry to have debunked Disney’s touch for those who liked it. But let us assume that it is a sentient shadow for a moment. It’s just not logical (outside of it being utterly fantastical). What happens to the shadow when it is re-attached to Peter? It behaves normally, so… does that mean it is now dead, so to speak? Or is it still “alive” and a slave to Pan’s motions? Either notion is creepy. It just doesn’t work, if you ask me.

Now it’s entirely possible that Barrie himself would have relished this idea. If stage effects had been sophisticated enough to have produced a living shadow, would he have wanted one? (Chances are it could be easily accomplished with a scrim and backlighting.) Animation had been in its infancy when the play premiered in 1904. Barrie probably would not have readily thought to produce an animated Pan. And if he had, it would have remained silent anyway. So we are left wondering whether or not he would have enjoyed the “living shadow” concept. There is no way to know for sure. However, I'll admit that it does indeed have a Barriesque quality.

For Peter Pan’s NeverWorld, I decided to make a compromise. Since the idea is in fact ingrained into popular culture but nevertheless incorrect, how could I reconcile the two, as it were? I solved it thus: Peter’s shadow is again “lost” when he arrives on NeverWorld and it is roaming around freely. Did I go against my own rant? No. You see, the shadow is not willfully flitting around. Rather it’s being blown about by the wind. Naturally, I couldn't simply separate him from it without cause. As for what that reason is or how Peter Pan is re-acquainted with his pesky shadow… you’ll have to read the book to find out, of course.