Rigby alights adeptly in 'Peter Pan'
For several generations now, ''Peter Pan" has served as a musical theater rite of passage. The audience at the Wang last night drew fans of all ages -- those inducted by Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan, and those lucky enough to catch the farewell performance of Cathy Rigby.
Rigby, even at 52, captures every inch the boyish imp of Barrie's long-beloved character who descends upon a room of three sleeping siblings and, with his fairy friend Tinkerbell, leads the children on an adventure to a magical place called Never Land. Rigby is sincere and polished in the title role, finding moments within the script to deliver a Peter Pan that has some depth along with his young mischievousness.
And then there's the flying. It doesn't matter that you know Peter is going to fly. It doesn't matter that you can see the fly line in the spotlight. When Rigby shoots up into the air, it's a wonderful thing. Part of the magic comes from the fact that Rigby never lets on she's about to leave the ground. Her body is like a wrapped spring, ready for an airborne somersault, flip, or twist at a moment's notice, much of the time mid-song. Did we mention that Rigby is 52?
Surrounding Rigby is a cast that runs the spectrum from sweet to evil. At the sweet end is the Darling family, the clan spirited away to Never Land. Elisa Sagardia is a pleasing Wendy and Tracy Lore is charming as
At the evil end is, of course, Captain Hook. Howard McGillin is a delightful Never Land villain, filling his perfect pirate costume and hitting his perfect pirate notes with preening confidence and a dash of danger when necessary. The merry band of knucklehead pirates that surround Hook are also strong as they trip, dance, and sing around him. The showstopper in this production is ''Ugg-a-Wugg," a percussion-driven dance number with excellent choreography by Patti Colombo, some of it respectfully borrowed from Jerome Robbins's original Broadway staging.
Many of the dance numbers fare better than the songs and dialogue sections because the microphones and sound cues seemed at battle. Much of the dialogue in the more populated scenes came through the sound system as garbled. Those that know the story may not be concerned, but those enjoying ''Peter Pan" for the first time will struggle to pick up some of the details.
It may be antithetical to think of a play about a boy who wouldn't grow up as a piece of literature turning 100, as ''Peter Pan" did last year. Part of the magic of every performance, but especially with a show like ''Peter Pan," is knowing that a pair of young eyes in the audience is watching its first play. This ''Peter Pan" is not perfect, but it generates just enough enchantment to tip the scales in the fairies' favor.
