A Mary Poppins Question

Is the new Mary any good? WIll she and the rest of the cast still be there when I see it at the end of May? Any response is helpful.

Updated On: 11/8/05 at 12:11 PM

I'd frankly wait until the show comes to NYC. I saw the show in London and thought it needed some serious work. The show is being re-worked for Broadway- it will completely change from the very dark show that it currently is to a much sunnier and flashier show. My sources tell me that the awful # where the toys attack the children will be cut.

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I agree. That song, temper temper should be cut, at least replaced by the original music such as sister suffragette.

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I agree with Piazzaslight. I hope they don't change it too much - I liked the darker tone, which was much more faithful to the original books than the movie was, but I also liked that they kept most of the great songs from the movie.

Unless they want Pamela Travers to haunt them for life...they better keep the same show.
Temper Temper maybe...but nothing else. The show is perfect. Sunnier? Flashier? What do they want? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? HOW has it been updated or fixed? WHO are your sources?
This really angers me. I thought great reviews from The London Critics would help their decision to say the show is frozen.

The show got a mildly UNFAVORABLE review from the dean of London critics, Michael Billington. Ben Brantley also gave it a mildly UNFAVORABLE review.

In order to make the show a hit on Broadway, the producers are going to correct the flaws pointed out by Brantley and Billington. They are going to maek the show sunnier and a lot more "fun" rather than morbid.

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Again, this is probably Disney wanting to tone it down. Cameron Mackintosh wants it to be faitful to the P.L. Travers books.

Updated On: 11/8/05 at 04:49 PM

Just saw Mary Poppins in London and loved every dark and delicious minute of it. Gavin Lee as Bert steals the show (and stops it dead with Step In Time) in my opinion and the fabulous number where the toys attack the kids is worth the price of admission alone and should scare the bejesus out of any misbehaving brat as that is exactly what it is about.

The other treat is the satanic nanny Miss Andrew singing Brimstone and Treacle. This is the full strength warts and all Mary Poppins that makes sense and enchants as opposed to the ersatz sacharine sickly sweet ickypoo rot your teeth confection that Disney unleashed in 1964.

I'm glad I saw it before it gets de-fanged and castrated for Broadway consumption.

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Changing a show for Broadway ALWAYS works

*cough*ChessTabooBombayDreamsDanceoftheVampires*cough*

The show received excellent reviews from all the London critics, and the producers/directors would be mad to change anything about it. They have created something completely new and fresh by sticking to the books - we're not just seeing the film on stage (and the film on stage would be pretty boring, in my opinion). Just because Brantley didn't like it does not mean that Disney is going to urge Cameron Mackintosh to change a large amount of it. The big, happy family musical from London (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) hasn't worked on broadway. Broadway needs the more sinister version of the show. I'm sorry, Brantley isn't the God of broadway, and most people would be able to see beyond his pretentious review. I think this man's an idiot, if you hadn't noticed.

Scarlett Strallen as Mary Poppins is on a contract that expires on October 29th, along with Gavin Lee as Bert.

Mary P x

I loved Mary Poppins except that Temper, temper number like many of you. It was hilarious, my favorite numbers were Supercalifragil... etc. and Brimstone and Teacle. It was sensational.
But honestly I don't think they will bring it to Bway especially now that Chitty will close on New Year's Eve...because the problem is the same. A little dark show with an amazing (and very expensive) set.

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I don't think it's fair to say that the audiences have stayed away in droves - I have seen the show 14 times, and the only time that there were some empty seats was at the beginning of September this year - the time when all the schools start the new academic year. I have been back since, and it was packed, with a huge returns line...

I apologise for my mistake about Billington.

Mary P x

I'm curious!
how many mp books are there?
I got mp book, but doesn't mention miss andrews.

I prefer miss andrews than that tea party with unca albert

chitty and mary are completely different. the same thing is the composers (richard m sherman and robert b sherman)

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Updated On: 11/9/05 at 08:18 AM