Arts & Entertainment

NBC Broadcasts 'Peter Pan Live!' from Bethpage Thursday

Starring Allison Williams and Christopher Walken, the show airs live at 8 p.m.

Bethpage’s Grumman Studios will be in the spotlight Thursday when NBC broadcasts “Peter Pan Live!” onsite.

The production stars Allison Williams in the title role and Academy Award winner Christopher Walken as Captain Hook in the classic tale about a boy who never wants to grow up.

The Bethpage broadcast helps anchor Long Island’s role in the film industry.

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“This new production, following last year’s live NBC production of ‘The Sound of Music,’demonstrates that Nassau County is well on its way to establishing itself the Hollywood East of the movie and television industry,” County Executive Ed Mangano said.

“We now have more filming days than four of the five New York City boroughs and regularly employ electricians, carpenters and artisans and use local vendors for hardware and other supplies,” he added.

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In Bethpage, preparations for Thursday’s broadcast began Nov. 6. NBC has 16 cameras at the studio, 350 staff members and crew and the cast of 46.

The former Grumman property in Bethpage now houses two production companies and nine sound stages that compete internationally for film and television production.

Nassau’s Industrial Development Agency previously assisted Grumman Studios to upgrade its facilities. Now, the studio boasts 500,000 square foot with seven expansive sound stages with extensive storage capacity, and is surrounded by 30 acres of paved outdoor space for set construction and parking.

Grumman Studios is a qualified New York State production facility, the largest in the greater New York area, and is only minutes from midtown Manhattan. Productions shot at Grumman are eligible for tax incentives through New York State.

Officials say that the most expensive motion picture in history, “The Amazing Spiderman 2,” was also filmed in Bethpage. Additional projects filmed in Nassau County include “Man on a Ledge,” “Salt,” “The Following,” “The Good Wife,” “White Collar,” “Royal Pains,” “The Blacklist,” “The Black Box,” “The Leftovers” “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Americans,” “Zero Hour,” “Beware the Night,” as well as numerous commercials, print shoots and videos.

Image: NBC’s “Peter Pan Live – Hook’s Waltz (Preview)”/YouTube; behind the set photos courtesy of the Office of Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano.

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