Peter Pan
During late 1949 Bernstein starting composing
incidental music for a new production of J.M. Barrie's play
Peter Pan. Producing the show with Peter Lawrence
was Roger Stevens, who would become one of Lenny's
biggest supporters. Earmarked for the show were
Jean Arthur as Peter and Boris Karloff as Captain Hook.
In the end Bernstein supplied more than he had
been asked for. In addition to the incidental music, he wrote
the music and lyrics for five songs and two choruses
:
Who Am I?
My House
Peter, Peter (originally written for Betty Comden
entitled Betty, Betty, though never recorded)
Never Land
Pirate Song (chorus)
Plank Round (chorus)
Captain Hook's Soliloquy (unperformed until 1975)
The production opened at the Imperial Theatre
in New York April 24th 1950. The show received good notices
and ran for 320 performances. The music that
Lenny had written was simple but effective, its simplicity in part
was due to the limited singing ranges of the
performers but also mirrored the simple directness and innocence
of the children in Peter Pan.
Music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein
Play by James M. Barrie
Directed by John Burrell and Wendy Toye
Produced by Peter Lawrence and Roger L. Stevens
Orchestrations by Hershy Kay
Conducted by Ben Steinberg
Sets and lighting by Ralph Alswang
Costumes by Motley
Music co-ordination and arrangements by Trude
Rittman
John Burrell, Peter Lawrence, Boris Karloff,
Leonard Bernstein, Trude Rittman