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From the Ice Rink to Neverland
Skating champ Kurt Browning plays Peter Pan on stage
| Source: |
Tandem Magazine |
| Date: |
November 18, 2007 |
| Author: |
Sarah B. Hood |
Of all the fairytale plays in the beloved English tradition of the
Christmas “panto,” probably none is better loved than Peter Pan. Not
only does it have every ingredient of a perfect child’s adventure,
from pirates to fairies to mermaids, its lead character can fly!
According to tradition, a woman plays Peter, and the last time the
show played Toronto, the feisty Sheila McCarthy (Little Mosque on the
Prairie) donned the requisite leaf-green tunic.
This time, producer Ross Petty (who always reserves the juicy villain’
s part for himself; Captain Hook, in this case), has taken a daring
step. Not only is Peter Pan being played by a grownup man, but one who’
s never acted in a play before. However, neither flying nor putting
together a winning performance should be much of a stretch for this
Peter Pan: Canadian skating champion Kurt Browning.
Although he was the first man ever to achieve a quadruple jump in
figure skating – which must be about as close to flying as most of us
could ever hope to come – Browning admits he’s a little overwhelmed
by finding himself onstage in the middle of creating a show.
“I feel as though I’m watching a TV show about how these things are
put together... except I have to participate,” says the extremely
modest star. He does concede that dancing on solid ground is simpler
than doing it on a frozen rink. “With certain moves I’ve worked with
choreographers first off-ice, without skates. Then, when I’ve taken
them to the ice, I couldn’t do them,” he says. “Things are easier
on feet.”
However, he says, there are exceptions to the general rule. “Certain
things are easier on skates, because the blades move you. Now, I have
to keep getting my speed back every time.” On the other hand,
learning the script isn’t a big challenge. “The lines themselves are
not going to be as much of a problem as I thought. Except I have a
newborn baby boy and a four-year-old son, so I have a hard time
finding quiet time to study,” he says.
“This is, as far as I’m concerned, related to skating in a way,
because I’m working with an audience like I do when I skate, and over
the years I’ve been handed a microphone over and over, so talking in
front of an audience is something I’ve grown into and I enjoy,”
Browning continues.
It did take him a little while to understand the character of Peter
Pan, though. “I do a lot of comedy stuff in my skating,” he says.
“Although Peter Pan is a young boy, he’s also a leader. I kept
playing a lot with the Lost Boys, and they had to pull me aside and
say, ‘No, you’re the leader. Clearly I wanted to be one of the Lost
Boys.”
And clearly, Browning has no regrets about taking this chance. “I’m
actually getting this wild chance,” he says. “Every day I’m
learning. And I’m loving it.”
Ross Petty Productions presents Peter Pan from November 22 to January
6 at the Elgin Theatre. For tickets, call 416-872-5555 or visit
www.ticketmaster.ca.
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