|
The three-hour "Peter Pan Live!" that aired on NBC on
Thursday night on the Comcast-owned network followed last year's
live production of "The Sound of Music." It drew half the 18.5
million viewers who saw last year's show, NBC said.
But not everyone was enthralled by the latest version of the
beloved children's story about the boy who refuses to grow up
and the one-handed pirate.
Viewers who found the production lackluster, wooden or odd
turned to social media to vent their disappointment.
"Weird that the 'lost boys' are grown men," tweeted actress Mia
Farrow.
"I'm watching #Peter Pan but it looks more like a gay pride
parade," comedian Dane Cook said on Twitter.
"Honestly at this point, I'm just sticking around to see that
psycho in the crocodile outfit again," tweeted Adam Lusici.
Oscar winner Walken, 71, drew the most varied comments for his
laid-back, sashaying portrayal of Hook, which some likened to an
aging Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films.
"Christopher Walken can kill anyone on this stage anytime he
likes. The only thing stopping him is his lack of interest,"
said TV viewer Maureen Johnson.
But another fan named Matt Anderson tweeted, "Tap dancing
Christopher Walken might just have saved this crapfest."
Williams, of the hit HBO show "Girls," won praise for her
singing but lost points for her faltering British accent.
The Hollywood Reporter said Williams could sing and act and
credited the actress for her performance in a role that called
for "a fair amount of physical effort, much of it on wires."
"Williams held her own and in the process held the show
together," it added.
Variety described her voice as "perfectly fine" but noted she
was less boyish and buoyant than other actresses who have played
Peter Pan.
"It's been 60 years since Mary Martin soared in a live NBC
production of J.M. Barrie's story, bringing a nice symmetry to
this holiday telecast," the trade magazine said.
"But that was nearly a lifetime ago - certainly before the age
of social media, creating an army of buccaneers eager to pick
such a project apart in real time," it added.
(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Dan Grebler)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
Not
all magic and fairy dust for live TV production of Peter Pan
