Peter Pan (Original Cast Soundtrack)

To be honest, I have had zero inspiration for blog posts these last couple of weeks. My mind has been so stuck in Secret of the Hazel Tree that every time I have free time to waste on the computer, I'm researching for the story or writing it. But... I'm reaching a compromise with myself. Since I have no ambitions for great posts at the moment, I will be making myself write up reviews to all the millions of musicals I've been listening to lately. There are some real gems out there, folks! And the sad thing is... most of them are going unnoticed by the greater crowd. 

So... first on the list, the musical that delighted me while I washed the dishes this morning: 

Peter Pan (Original Cast Soundtrack)

1. Medley: Opening Titles/Tender Shepherd - This song starts the musical out with a glorious overture full of tunes that immediately stick in your head. Mrs. Darling says good-night to her young children, and the narrator warns of a certain Peter Pan who is coming after the parents leave the house. The Tender Shepherd song is a lullaby-like song, soft and beautiful.

2. I Gotta Crow - Once you get past the odd fact that Peter Pan is played by a girl (Cathy Rigby in this soundtrack, but she does a rather good job of playing the all-famous Pan), this is a fun song. Peter sings of himself and all his cleverness, boasting his accomplishments, and all in all being very proud of his shadow. Definitely one of my favorites.

3. Neverland - "Peter, where do you live?" This song is really pretty and another favorite; Cathy Peter sings of Neverland, showing Wendy all the wonders of the island.

4. I'm Flying - Peter teaches Wendy, John, and Michael how to fly. Michael's "CANDY!" always makes me laugh during this song, and the lyrics are spot-on. You can imagine just what is going on without even seeing anything. "You try, and you'll fall flat on your face. I told you, Wendy." But visuals are always fun, so here you are.

5. Medley: Opening Act Two/Hook's Tango - "The lost boys were out looking for Peter, the pirates were out looking for the lost boys, and the Indians were out looking for the pirates." The narrator says this straight out of the book. Don't you just love it when adaptations do that? :) Hook's Tango introduces us to the villainous Captain Hook and his despicable crew, and in a fun, Carmen-like ballad, Hook tells of his plan to kill the lost boys. 

6. Indian Dance - Look out! It's Tiger Lily and the Indians! This song is mostly instrumental as the Indians go on the warpath, with a few cries and chants thrown in. In my personal opinion, Jules Styne did a great job of capturing the different elements of the island in this musical, because this song sounds very Indian.

7. Wendy - Peter and the lost boys want Wendy to stay to be their mother, so they build her a house to live in. "Peter, wait! We forgot the chimney!" Very fun.

8. I Won't Grow Up - How could it be a Peter Pan musical without the famous opinion that Peter thrives on? This is one of those catchy tunes, and even if you do want to grow up, it's hard not to sing along with Peter and the lost boys. And poor John fails epically in trying to fix Peter's grammar. "I won't grow up! Not me!" "Not I!" "Not me!" :)

9. Hook's Tarantella - Hook had a tango before, and now he requests a tarantella. This song is short, but it's got one of the best moments in the musical. Just listen to it, and once you get to the pirates', "To the ship! To the ship!" you'll know what I mean.

10. Ugh-A-Wug - Another Indian song, with lots of drums and hardly any lyrics. Not that that's a bad thing, but it's nice to have lots of lyrics to sing along to. While I'm still not sure what "ugh-a-wug" means, the lost boys and the Indians make peace during this song. ;)

11. Distant Melody - Another one of my favorites, a duet between Peter Pan and Wendy as they recall the mothers they left behind on the mainland. 

12. Farewell - The above video is 8 minutes long, and it includes Distant Melody and Farewell. I couldn't find another video of Cathy Rigby singing, so I had to go with the long video. Wendy and her brothers want to go home, and the lost boys wish to accompany them. Yet, Peter cannot leave Neverland. 

13. Hook's Waltz - Not many villains get to choose their own songs, but Hook is no ordinary villain. He's the slimiest rat in the pack, the unlovable, the one who would stoop to the lowest of tricks in the book, the creepiest creep in the world... yes, him. Captain Hook. And this is his song. He's in his element, you know.

14. I Gotta Crow (Reprise) - Peter takes down Captain Hook, and now everyone sings his glory. They all love him, and they all clamour for him to teach them how to crow. After all, can anyone not admire Peter Pan?

15. Finale - Wendy brings her company (i.e. brothers and lost boys) back to her house as Mrs. Darling breaks into a reprise of Tender Shepherd. Mr. Darling sets a few ground rules for his new children, and they're all happy to grow up together (reprise of I Won't Grow Up sung as I'm Going to Grow Up). Peter promises to come back for Wendy, and mistakenly does so when she's all grown up. When Wendy tells him she's forgotten how to fly, her daughter Jane takes her place to go to Neverland with Peter. Peter belts out one last reprise (Neverland) as he and Jane fly off towards the second star to the right.

16. Medley: Bows/End Titles - And here we are, suddenly at the end. How to describe the end titles except a fantastic conglomeration of all the wonderful songs from the musical that make you wish they were the opening titles all over again? 

And that's it! A five-star soundtrack all around! This is quickly becoming one of my favorite musicals, and I hope you enjoy it, too!

God bless!