British playwright J. M. Barrie's fantasy about a boy who refuses to grow up has endured as one of the most beloved works on the American stage. Having premiered in London in January 1905, it opened in New York on 6 November 1905 starring Maude Adams, for whom Barrie had written the play. It ran for 223 performances, and Adams scored a major triumph in the breeches role of Peter, returning to New York in revivals in 1906, 1912, and 1915, and playing it on tour. Numerous revivals, tours, musical, and motion picture adaptations proliferated through the 20th century starring diverse Peters, including Marilyn Miller, Eva Le Gallienne, Jean Arthur,* Mary Martin,* Sandy Duncan, and Cathy Rigby, among others.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.