"Peter Pan Live!": The best and worst moments from the musical
NBC's second live musical event -- "Peter Pan Live!" -- aired Thursday. The three-hour musical production starred "Girls" actress Allison Williams in the title role and Christopher Walken as the villainous Captain Hook.
Here's a look at some of the best, worst and most Walken-tastic moments from the show...
THE BEST
Nana - Hands down, the dog is the breakout star from the beginning of the production. Not only did Nana not miss a cue (unlike some of the human performers) but she's also just super adorable.
Mrs. Darling's First Song - Broadway veteran Kelli O'Hara, who played Wendy's mother, shined with her performance of "Tender Shepherd" -- one of the production's early standout numbers.
The Sets - You can criticize some of the performances, some of the special effects, some of the musical numbers, and some of the costuming choices, but the sets are killer. They feel expansive, grounded in reality, and successful imaginative.
Great Row Boating - In the scene where Peter and Wendy row through a fog-filled lagoon, the tone and atmosphere was engaging and provided one of the few moments of real magic.
THE WORST
Focus Issues - Sure it's just a tech issue, but it really does help to keep your actors in focus, especially when the show is going in for a tight close-up. This is a problem you'll never have when you put on a musical in a theater, but the transition to live television can produce unforeseeable problems.
Michael's Flying Freakout - When Michael, the youngest of the Darling children, is first pulled up into the sky on wires, it seemed like he was not expecting it at all. Maybe it's because he's young, or that he was excited, but it looked like he was going to hyperventilate while flying over miniature London.
Terrible Life Lessons - Is Peter's motto, "Never run from danger," really the best message to send to children?
#SaveTinkerbell - When Tinkerbell is dying from poison, Pan looks into the camera and tells everyone that they need to clap their hands in order to save her. This breaking of the fourth wall works great in a theater when there's an actual audience present, but not so much on TV where people are less likely to start clapping at home -- by themselves.
THE MOST HUH?! MOMENTS
Peter Pan's Creepy Entrance - Allison Williams suddenly appearing in the dead of night through an open window is just as terrifying as a flying kidnapper's entrance should be.
Hook's Three-Second Encore - In the middle of a commercial break, the show cut back to Walken's Hook attempting to sing a note for a grand total of three seconds before cutting back to commercials, leaving everyone at home confused and vaguely unsettled.
The Croc - A man in a bright blue crocodile suit is terrifying, but not in the way the producers may have intended.
THE WALKEN
Hook's Multi-Regional Accent - Swinging wildly from vaguely Russian to vaguely English, but also with randomly scattered pirate slang, Walken's accent made every single moment feel like a bizarre "Saturday Night Live"sketch.
Hook's Throne - He has a La-Z-Boy recliner throne! Legitimately, that's awesome. More pirates should have recliner thrones. Wait, when did pirates have thrones? Whatever, it's amazing.
Walken's Fake Tap-Dancing - Everyone knows Walken comes from a song and dance background, but he is getting on in his years. That being said, if they are going to have fake tap dancing, he could at least try his best to match it.
"LagoooOOOooon" - Walken's attempt at a spooky delivery of the word "lagoon" ended up being one of the unintentional highlights of the entire show.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
- Why is there a dead maid in the Darlings' closet?
- Where did Peter Pan get all that mesh for his costume? Is Neverland just full of raver clothing stores from the mid-1980s?
- How can the Lost Boys' house be so spotless when not a single one of them knows how to effectively sweep or mop?
- Who is the "Peter Pan Live!" equivalent to "The Sound of Music Live!" hottie Michael Campayno? - "Peter Pan the avenger?" When did Peter Pan join The Avengers? What could he possibly bring to the table?
Ready for more Peter Pan? Check out the trailer for next year's origin story feature "Pan," which stars Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard, Garrett Hedlund as a young Captain Hook and newcomer Levi Miller as Peter.