The 1954 musical based on Peter Pan that starred Mary Martin was titled Peter Pan.
The stage musical premiered on Broadway in 1954, with Mary Martin playing Peter Pan and Cyril Ritchard playing Captain Hook. Martin’s performance became one of the most famous theatrical interpretations of the character, especially because Peter was traditionally played by an adult woman in stage productions.
The musical included songs by Mark Charlap and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, with additional material by Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Its songs and production style helped establish a durable stage version distinct from Disney’s animated film.
The title is easy to confuse with later television presentations. NBC broadcast the musical in 1955, again featuring Martin, and later color productions preserved its importance in American musical-theater history. The work remains known simply as Peter Pan, not by a separate subtitle.