Taking Flight

Tony Award nominee and Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby performs at Wolf Trap in her final tour as "Peter Pan."

In her farewell tour as Peter Pan, Tony Award-nominee and two-time Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby takes flight at Wolf Trap's Filene Center Tuesday, July 19 through Sunday, July 24.

Recently honored with the National Broadway Theatre's Distinguished Lifetime Service Award, She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her 1990-91 performance as Peter Pan. Rigby first performed the role of Peter Pan in 1974 in a touring production.

Rigby was the first American woman to win a medal in Gymnastics, bringing home 12 international medals, eight of them gold. She has also performed in "Seussical the Musical," "Annie Get Your Gun" and numerous other theater productions and television movies.

Cathy Rigby was online Friday, July 15, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss her farewell tour of her career in gymnastics and her upcoming projects.

A transcript follows.

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Cathy Rigby: Greetings from Neverland! Hi, this is Cathy Rigby. I'm thrilled to be on my final national tour with "Peter Pan." I'm thrilled that you could join me. I've done this particular role 2600-2700 times. I've toured now since August on this particular tour. It's been the best tour, the best audiences and the most fun I've ever had. Let's get started.

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Fans Everywhere: No, this can't be. Peter Pan never grows up. Please come back, please come back. What were the factors in deciding to retire as Peter Pan?

Cathy Rigby: Well, I think, like an athlete, you know when it's time to retire. I love the role. I want to be physically the best I can be. If I were to do another national tour in seven years, I would be ever so much more than 20. I want to be physically, mentally and emotionally into the role like I am now.

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Washington, D.C.: It's amazing to me that you, a gymnast and a mother, have made a career as a singer, albeit in a limited role. Did you have voice training or did you have a voice?

Cathy Rigby: I did train. It isn't a limited role. It runs from ballads to other various songs. Peter sings a variety of roles. My first role was as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz." I've also done "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and "Annie Get Your Gun." Not only am I singing, but I'm flying and wearing a harness and standing on my hands, so it makes singing more difficult. It's quite demanding!

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Falls Church, Va.: Do you think girls respond differently to the story of Peter Pan than boys?

Cathy Rigby: Not necessarily as a gender question. What I find is that adults and children respond differently. One - adults tend to watch through their children's eyes, whereas the children tend to really get involved in the adventure of it all (the flying, dancing and more obvious and exciting aspects of the show). The adults appreciate the poignancy and the actual story -- the longing to not grow up.

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Falls Church, Va.: How did you make the transition from your career as a gymnast to your career on Broadway? Also, did you feel more pressure to succeed since you had such a successful career as a gymnast?

Cathy Rigby: That's a good question. As I said earlier, I really studied very hard in my theater career in singing and acting. I also had 12 years of ballet prior to theater along with my gymnastics. That was obviously important and helpful to my career in theater. At first, I remember getting reviewed as a gymnast who performed in theater. For example, "She sings well for a gymnast." That changed once I got to Broadway, was reviewed their and got nominated for a Tony. It took going to New York to get legitimate.

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Falls Church, Va.: how do you stay in shape for such a demanding role while you're on the road?

Cathy Rigby: I just do the show! I warm up really well and then for two hours every evening I'm put through my paces and, you know, in the first act alone I'm flying through the window, singing on my hands, jumping from the dog house to the staircase and singing "I'm Flying." In the second act, there's an aerobic dance when the Indians and Lost Boys become friends. That is a seven minute dance workout that is a week's worth of exercise.

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Washington D.C.: Have you ever had any mishaps occur while flying during Peter Pan?

Cathy Rigby: Knock on wood, not in this production. I have had many little incidents in other productions. One time I was sword-fighting and flying to the crow's nest of the ship. I was flying too fast and I put my arms out to stop myself from crashing and I forgot that I had a sword in one hand. They're not sharp, but the swords are hard metal. That hit the crow's nest first. It hit me in the eye and needed about 15 stitches.

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Washington, D.C.: We saw you on TV when you were in town to speak in March and we're coming to the show opening night! Can you tell me what to expect? I'd like to bring my 3 year-old to the show. Will it be appropriate for all ages?

Cathy Rigby: It's most appropriate if you take younger ones to the matinee. It's harder for younger ones to stay awake if the show starts at 7 p.m. It really is for kids who are a little older. I love to hear from parents that their kids were on the edge of their seats the entire time.

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Vienna, Va.: I have two questions. What equipment is needed to make you fly? And, do you think that the children of today with all their knowledge of special effects can still suspend their disbelief and really believe that you are flying?

Cathy Rigby: I'll answer the last one first. Absolutely they suspend their disbelief. They do at times, when the light hits the wire, see it.

Sometimes I go to the lobby and meet the kids. They say that their favorite part is the flying.

They are most excited about that. I have ten volumes of autograph books from kids. Almost every one from the kids says "I want to fly." Their imaginations are much more innocent and somehow more developed than ours. They'll ask the rhetorical question, "How do you fly?" When I say "with fairy dust," they say that it isn't true, but they're willing to play along.

No matter what age surrounds you, you believe in the magic of the show.

As for the technical question, there's a track system somewhat like a train's. The wire is the size of pencil lead and it holds probably around 1,000 pounds. It's really done manually. I'd be afraid if it was done with computers or machines. The gentlemen who fly me, Paul and Randy, are experts. They make it look easy. If you don't pull at the right angle in a coordinated fashion, I'd fly into a wall. They come up with new, more daring ideas each week. I'm almost at the point where I can flip on a single wire. That's never been done before.

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Washington D.C.: Dear Cathy,

What is the most difficult part of touring with a musical theatre production like Peter Pan?

Cathy Rigby: Being away from your own home is the most difficult aspect of being on the road. It's also the most exciting part because you get to travel around and visit different states and meet different types of people. It really is as much of an adventure as Neverland. I miss the conveniences of a washer/dryer and my own bed as well as my friends at home.

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Manassas, Va.: What do you plan on doing after Peter Pan is all over?

Cathy Rigby: More theater! I hope to do something original. I'm working with some writers in Los Angeles on some new projects. I will go home for a while. We have a theater, called La Mirada Theater for the Arts, where my husband and I produce a series.

We have a series that will go out next year including "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "Camelot."

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Please tell us about your kids and upcoming projects.: I saw you and some of your children a number of years ago at the National Theatre and you were great!

Cathy Rigby: Thank you, I hope you come back and see it. Things are always changing, improving and evolving. Please always come back to visit Neverland.

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Washington, D.C.: In light of recent events -- have you ever been worried by security threats when performing at the Olympic games?

Cathy Rigby: It's been a while since I competed. I was at Munich where there was a security issue. I'm not at the Olympics any more as a performer, but there's always a worry whether you're in a theater or the subway about our safety. It's sad to always be looking over our shoulders, but I do think about it.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi Cathy -

Other than Peter Pan, what has been your favorite role to perform?

Cathy Rigby: I have two other favorites: The Cat in the Hat in "Seussical the Musical" and Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun." The Cat is because it's the first time I was able to be spontaneous and ad lib with the audience. It was almost like being a stand-up comic at time interacting with the audience. That gave me a great deal of confidence as a performer to trust my instincts.

For Annie, I found her to be an amazing woman. Not only was she amazingly talented as a sharp shooter, but she was a groundbreaker during her time. Even though it seemed passive at times, she stood her grounds, helped defeat her family, stayed with the man she loved (they died within a few weeks of each other) and she was popular around the world. She performed for kings, heads of state and other famous figures. She was an amazingly good woman.

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Sterling, Va.: What are you going to do after Peter Pan? Do you think you could ever see another staged version of Peter Pan from the audience and not be the one flying through the air?

Cathy Rigby: Well, theater. Absolutely. I came to the realization years ago that "you don't own this part. You simply get to step into Peter's shoes every night." That's an amazing gift. I really look forward to the opportunity of watching the magic from the seats, so yes!

My whole identity isn't being Peter and a gymnast. I have a life that I look foward to after this. The best comparison is to Michael Jackson who thinks that he is Peter. The mere mortal cannot be that -- it gets you into trouble!

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Washington, D.C.: How did you initially prepare to play Peter Pan, the singing as well as 'flying' and all the rest of the work involved?

Cathy Rigby: Well, after learning the show (songs, words, etc.), I just started rehearsing. I had to aerobically get into shape. That was the toughest part. As far as the acting, I would watch my two sons and watch their nuances, stances, perspectives and reactions to different things. That's served me well. The boys were and still are rambunctious and athletic, so that was extremely helpful.

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Alexandria, Va.: I just want to say that I loved your performance as Peter Pan. Only have seen it on DVD, but watch it at least once a year. I have Mary Martin's tape as well. Wonderful singer of course, but you were always aware she was a lady. You were much more convincing as a tomboy and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Only one complaint, "the noble RedMAN?" Please! How PC can you get?

Cathy Rigby: As far as being a tomboy, when my daughter, who's now 19, was four, she told me that she wanted to grow up and be a boy just like me. I don't know if that's a compliment or not!

As for redman, we don't say that -- the brave, noble warrior is what we say. We changed it from redskin to be P.C. We try to make Tiger Lily noble. She fights with the boys because they steal from her. We try to make this more understandable for the children.

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Washington, D.C.: After performing Peter Pan 2600-2700 times, have you made any changes to the role, or viewed your character in a different way?

Cathy Rigby: My character has evolved very much over the last 30 years. I think that the biggest change was after my role as the Cat in the Hat. There's now an ease that wasn't there before. That makes playing the role of a child more realistic. To be that much more comfortable makes it richer.

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My house in Alabama: Do you have any pets?

Cathy Rigby: Oh, yes! I love animals. Next to gardening and theater, I want to run a zoo! I have a dog that travels with me and three more dogs at home. Even though I recently lost my little bird, growing up I had cats, dogs, birds, snakes and a monkey. I asked my dad if I could have a monkey if I made the Olympic team. He didn't think I would, so he said yes and had to follow through.

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Washington, D.C. : Do you keep in touch with any former Olympians?

Cathy Rigby: I recently saw Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci. I don't see them often, but we keep in touch as great friends and it's always wonderful to see them at special events.

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Springfield, Va.: Not a question, just a comment. I saw your performance in Peter Pan a few years ago (at the GMU Center for the Arts). My children were young then and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I am coming to opening night at Wolf Trap to bid a fond farewell. It was a most enjoyable show then, as I am sure it will be now. My children are now 18 and 20 and are just as excited! Thank you

Cathy Rigby: Oh, I'm thrilled that you're coming to Wolf Trap. It's a first for me. It's an outdoor theater and I'm really excited to do that. It will give the show even more authenticity as a trip to Neverland.

I love that it brings generations of people together to share memories and experiences. That's one of the nicest parts of the show.

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Bethesda, Md.: I'm surprised to hear that your flyers come up with new moves each week. Do you have rehearsals while on tour to learn their new maneuvers, or do they just happen during performances and you just go with it?!

Cathy Rigby: All of the above! Sometimes we rehearse, sometimes we'll get an idea. The flying mostly evolves into something new and then we rehearse it.

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Cathy Rigby: Thank you. I appreciate your enthusiasm and love of the show. I look forward to performing for you and perhaps even meeting some of you. Have a great day and think lovely thoughts!

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