A final ovation sounds in honor of Peterson

There was one last standing ovation Wednesday afternoon for beloved Utah actor/singer Robert Peterson, following the screening of a segment of his rendition of "Impossible Dream," which he performed a few months ago. The occasion for that performance was President Gordon B. Hinckley's birthday celebration in the Conference Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The standing ovation for the singer came at the conclusion of a memorial service on the mainstage of Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre — the University of Utah auditorium where the late actor performed in an estimated 107 productions over the past 34-plus years.

Friends, colleagues and family members joined to pay tribute to Peterson, who died Dec. 1 in St. George.

Charles Morey, artistic director of Pioneer Theatre Company, who directed 34 of Peterson's productions, noted that it was appropriate that the "celebration of the life and career of Robert Peterson" be held on the stage where he had entertained thousands of theatergoers.

And the event, indeed, was a celebration — with a sampling of songs from shows he had performed in, a few backstage stories and comments from President Thomas S. Monson of the LDS First Presidency, from Peterson's eldest son, Scott, and from retired Salt Lake City drama critic Nancy Melich, who covered most of his Wasatch Front career.

Morey said that Peterson not only raised the level of professionalism when he joined the company but drew a crowd.

James Prigmore, PTC musical director and longtime accompanist for Peterson, said it had been a pleasure to work with him over the years.

He talked about "Bob's Wives Club" — actresses who performed opposite Peterson in countless productions (this group includes the characters of daughters, cousins and not-quite wives as well, he explained). Then Prigmore accompanied two well known PTC actresses — Anne Stewart Mark and Victoria Mallory — who sang selections from "Kiss Me, Kate," "Man of La Mancha," "Kismet" (Peterson's favorite musical) and "South Pacific."

President Monson said he had known Peterson from the time he first performed in "Promised Valley" in 1968.

"He dreamed his own impossible dream and lived to fulfill it," Monson said, adding that Peterson was always gracious "and set an example for all who knew him."

Actor Richard Mathews frequently shared a dressing room with Peterson. He told several backstage anecdotes, including one particularly hilarious one in which he recalled that Peterson was a serious poker player.

In one production (in which he went against the grain to play a villain), he wore a black patch over one eye, to set the "bad man" theme.