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Which brings us to another thing. When McGillin enters the stage as Captain Hook, even before he utters a word, audiences greet him with "boos."
"I haven't done anything yet, but they see the red coat and the curly black wig, and there go the boos," McGillin said. If that happens in general, think of what McGillin has to look forward to in Philadelphia, where booing is a local tradition!
McGillin plays Hook opposite the legendary gymnast/actress Cathy Rigby, who says this is her farewell performance as Peter Pan.
"Peter Pan" recounts the adventures of the three Darling children who follow Peter Pan away from their nursery and into Neverland, where they encounter the wicked Captain Hook - McGillin.
McGillin's career took an opposite turn from most actors. Growing up in Santa Barbara, Calif., about 90 miles uphill from Los Angeles, McGillin was directed by teachers and coaches to go to Hollywood and build a career in television and the movies.
But he headed east, to New York, instead.
"I like working in front of a live audience," he says. "I like the energy and the give and take inherent in live theater, especially musical theater. Once I realized that, I headed to New York. L.A. is beautiful and warm. Santa Barbara is even more beautiful, and it's home. I feel a pang every time I leave it.
"New York, though, is where my life and work is. People may think I'm crazy for leaving a place like Santa Barbara to stay east and have a career in the theater. But I love it. If I have to tear myself away from the beauty of California, I can't wait to get back to the work and the audiences in New York."
With leading-man looks, a versatile acting style, and a fine baritone voice, McGillin had no trouble finding and maintaining work at the theater. Look at the record. He landed "La Boheme" in 10 days, quick time when you consider how long some people have to pound New York pavements before catching a break.
"Touring is new to me," McGillin says from his hotel room in Cleveland, one of "Peter Pan's" stops before the Academy. "There are fewer musicals for men of my age and my voice. So when this was offered, I decided it was time I hit the road.
McGillin said he's having a ball playing Hook. "Playing a character that is so broad is freeing, and I'm able to give him shades of character. I also have chances to interact with the audience and ad-lib. Well, I have to say something when they boo me on sight. I've been encouraged to egg the crowd on. As if the red coat, wig, and flowing mustache are not enough!
"And then there's the swordplay. Cathy and I have some exciting things that look as if we're really going at it. All of a sudden, I'm a swashbuckler! I love it. Performing is something that gets into your blood. Especially live performing. I relish it. It's like a drug. It makes me happy to come to work," he said.
One of McGillin's longest runs was as Broadway's Phantom of the Opera. He's been the man behind the Phantom's mask for several years during "Phantom's" 17-year run.
If you go
* "Peter Pan" opens Tuesday and runs through Sunday, March 27, at the Academy of Music, Broad and Locust streets, in Philadelphia. Tickets range from $90 to $27.50 and can be ordered by calling (215) 893-1999 or going online to www.kimmelcenter.org.
* Audiences will have the unique opportunity to take part in four Peter Pan dinners in the Academy of Music ballroom. Food selections include Alligator Fingers, Lost Boy Pasta and Tinkerbell Salad. Cost is $28. Dinners are 6 p.m. March 25, 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. March 26 and noon March 27.
