MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) — Before ‘Peter Pan,’ the Tony award-winning musical comes to Capitol Theater, the actors must learn how to fly.
The cast of Peter Pan the musical rehearses wire flying.
“It’s just an out-of-life experience,” Laetitia Hollard, who plays Peter Pan, said. “Theater is the only place you can do things like this. It’s so magical.”
To create the wonder, the 16-year-old star from McFarland shows that hard work is top priority.
“The flying process really impacts the singing,” she said. “I’ve been doing crunches, jumping jacks, just to get my core ready, so that when I’m flying I can sound exactly the same, as if I am on the ground.”
Hollard also gets a little help from flyman David Gersbach. For Peter Pan to jump up, Gersbach must jump down.
“The hardest part is just trying to learn the sequence, then feeling the weight of the actress and still trying to keep them within the flow of the performance itself,” Gersbach said.
Full of “trust,” Hollard said, “I do the least amount of work. I just have to stand there and keep my core open and sing.”
Gersbach said he prefers working behind the curtains.
“Obviously,” he said, “the most important part of this position is making sure that the art is happening on stage. We should really be transparent back here.”
The magic is brought by the Children’s Theater of Madison, shows starting Saturday, March 14. Tickets can be found on its