THE SHOW
The classic story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, is reborn for the 21st century stage in a co-production of Musical Entertainment AG with Jim Henson's Creature Shop, in the AUS$ 8 million production Pan, which opened at Sydney's Capitol Theatre on 14 May 2000. The multi-Academy Award winning imaginations at Jim Henson's Creature Shop have created the new Neverland for Pan, using cutting edge theatre technology undreamt of by J.M. Barrie when he wrote his magical and timeless story a century ago.
(Source: CD booklet)
CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Captain Hook
There are two sides to Captain James Hook, late of the British Royal Navy. There is an inside and an outside. Outwardly he presents with every tall magnificent inch, the elegant, fearless Captain; resplendently moustachioed, in tricorn and wig - a lethal master swordsman in a plushly adorned red coat with shining boots and buckles, a bit of a dandy with frilled white jabot and with flouncing cuffs setting off his proudest adornment, the ultimate seafaring accessory - a shining, vicious hook. But the bright hook, like the rest of this splendid veneer, conceals a malign and hideous reality.
A scarred and mangled suppurating stump, pierced through with driven pins and bound with well-greased flanges for the attachment of…devices. An ugly, frightening thing. Like its owner.
Remove the hat and wig and discover James Hook’s bald and scaly pate thinly plastered with noisome strands of oily hair. Untie James Hook’s jabot and discover that it is white only because of the cloud of powder that has settled upon it and clung to the dirt or to the chicken fat that has run down his proudly jutting chin. Peel off James Hook’s coat to loose the moths and dust and some small sense of evil and worms unthreading the fabric - and say nothing of revealing the collection of stains he wears for a shirt.
These are the sartorial testaments to the real James Hook. The evil inside, the coward, the liar, the schemer and the seething boil of hate that wells inside. Any courage he may still have is fed by these things and any compassion he may once have had has long ago been consumed by them. Hook is beyond redemption and mocks at the world because of it. Bright, quick, funny, dangerous and entertaining, he is an evil star glowering down on a world that can never be his, however much he wants to master it.
(Source: former Pan website. Many thanks to Darkmagican for providing this item)
SCENES AND MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
Prologue
Scene 1: London, The Darling Nursery
Scene 2: Neverland - Near the Home Tree Clearing
Scene 3 - Neverland - A different perspective on the Home Tree Clearing
Scene 4: Neverland - The Home Tree Clearing
Scene 5: Neverland - Universal Harmony Rock
Scene 6: Jetty beside the "Jolly Roger" / Into the Swamp
Scene 7: On the way to the picnic
Scene 8: Neverland - Skull Rock and the Promontory
ACT TWO Prologue
Scene 9: Neverland - The Indian Camp
Scene 10: Neverland - The Home Tree Clearing
Scene 11: The Underground Home
Scene 12: The "Jolly Roger"
Scene 13: The Journey Home
Scene 14: London, The Darling Nursery |
The most anticipated and biggest Australian theatrical event since Peter Allen's The Boy From Oz, Pan had quite a difficult journey to opening night. Besides the huge technical challenge of putting the show on stage, its senior producer Kerry Jewel was sacked just seven weeks before opening night after an escalating battle over the copyright and control of the show between him and German-based investors Musical Entertainment AG. The case was later brought to the Supreme Court of NSW.
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One of the most famous actors to play the role of Captain Hook was Charles Laughton, the legendary actor who also played Captain Bligh in Mutiny on the Bounty. J.M. Barrie believed Hook had to terrify both children and adults.
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 The CD Pan - Soundtrack to the Theatrical Spectacular was released in 2000. It contains 16 tracks of instrumental music and songs from the show. Philip Quast is NOT featured in any of them though.
(Listen to a sample from Track #8 - 'Hook's Theme')
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