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Review

'Peter Pan' still enchants

By MARTY CLEAR
Published October 14, 2005

TAMPA - Peter Pan is certainly among the best-known stories for young people, and probably more people today know the story through the 51-year-old musical than through J.M. Barrie's century-old play.

But despite its mythic title character, a satisfying message and a cache of nostalgia that no other show can beat, Peter Pan simply doesn't qualify as great musical theater. There are no great songs and only a few good ones, and the pace is slow despite a wealth of memorable scenes.

Still, there's a lot to like about the current production, which runs through this weekend at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Foremost among the admirable elements is Cathy Rigby, who according to the program has now played Peter Pan longer than anyone else. Still impish at 52, Rigby's quite convincing as a young boy. She wields a strong if unexceptional singing voice, and she's still obviously enthusiastic about her role even in her farewell tour. Her gymnastics background is obvious in her flying scenes, which are impressive despite a very visible wire.

There are plenty of other fine performances as well, most notably James Clow as Captain Hook and Patrick Richwood as Mr. Smee.

The tone is essentially the same as the famed Mary Martin version that baby boomers grew up with. The crocodile is still played by a person in a reptile suit, not a high-tech animatron. Sets are elegantly Victorian and the stage effects are wonderfully old-fashioned. The portrayal of the Indians, if not exactly offensive, is certainly outdated.

That's all fine for the parents in the audience, many of whom have warm childhood memories of the television version. Some kids, though, may get a little antsy during the slowly paced 21/2-hour show.

Peter Pan, through Sunday at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Carol Morsani Hall. 8 tonight, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. $31.50-$67.50 plus service charge. Call (813) 229-7827 or go to tbpac.org.

[Last modified October 14, 2005, 01:39:02]