NBC must have been THRILLED with the work, Smash star, Christian Borle did in The Sound of Music Live Last year, because they are also casting him in the upcoming production of Peter Pan Live.
Deadline reports:
Tony winner Christian Borle is finalizing a deal to pull double duty on NBC‘s live production of Peter Pan. He will play Captain Hook’s right-hand man Smee and the Darling kids’ father, Mr. Darling, opposite Allison Williams’ Peter Pan and Christopher Walken’s Captain Hook. In the original Broadway production of Peter Pan and in the 1955 live broadcast on NBC, the parts of Hook and Mr. Darling were played by the same actor, Cyril Ritchard, with Joe E. Marks playing Smee. In Steven Spielberg’s movie Hook, Smee was played by Bob Hoskins. Borle has Peter Pan-related musical experience — he won a Tony in 2012 for playing pirate Black Stache, future Captain Hook, in Peter Pan prequel Peter And The Starcatcher.
I like the idea of the same actor playing both Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, as a ying/yang dichotomy from the kids point of view. But I can understand pulling out the role as a star vehicle for the great actor, Christopher Walken.
Producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron not only worked with Christian in The Sound of Music Live, but are the team that brought Smash to NBC as well. Now, I wonder if anybody else from Sound of Music will be cast in Peter Pan?
Peter Pan Live airs on NBC December 4.
Via Deadline
