Ashley Brown - Mary Poppins

[zerodanny]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 10:06am

Just wondering how long Ashley will be playing Mary for? I am sure there are loads of actresses that would be Fab in the role, I wonder who will be the next Mary Poppins on Broadway!!

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 10:09am

Not sure, but I saw "Mary Poppins" this past Friday and loved it! Ashley was fantastic

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 10:46am

I agree that Ashley was wonderful in the role. I'm sure she will extend once her contract is up in October, but I'm crossing my fingers that her first replacement will be Jenn Gambatese.

[Clara's Pony]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 10:54am

I really didn't rate Ashley at all (her southern accent coming through just one too many times is a big issue for me), was just wondering how many people agree.

[BroadwayBound86]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 11:49am

I wouldn't be surprised if the show closed by the time her contract is up. Although I would love to see Gambatese in the role.

[alex2155]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 12:05pm

I believe her contract is up in October, I definitely don't see the show closing by then. They are selling really well right now.

[Sondheim_Geek]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 12:05pm

Why do you think the show would be closed by October? It's in the high 90s every week and pulling in over a million a week. It's not going anywhere for a while, IMO.

[BroadwayBound86]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 12:08pm

The only reason it stayed open over Tarzan is because it won a Tony award. Otherwise it would have gotten the axe. As well as it may be that it's making a lot of money, by the time they take away what they will be spending on salaries, and putting into advertising the show, they are losing more than people think.

[willact4food]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 12:18pm

BroadwayBound, you couldn't be more wrong.

Mary Poppins is doing great business. In my opinion, it's a crime to put Tarzan and Mary Poppins in the same sentence. The show was doing steady business to begin with, and is now doing outstanding business.

Tarzan was a disaster to begin with, according to many people.

And while some didn't appreciate Brown's performance, most would still agree that Mary Poppins is a million times better than Tarzan.

I would love to know where you are getting your facts from, as you seem to enjoy throwing them out there with no support. Even when you have the whole board coming down on you telling you that you're wrong.

And Mary Poppins won a Tony for their set...

Something tells me that is not what is filling the seats every night.

[Dirty_Rotten_Guy]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 12:30pm

yeah, MARY POPPINS is doing very well, when i went Saturday, I'm pretty sure it was near sold-out
though I liked the show even less than TARZAN, and thought Ashley Brown was only okay, I see the show running for a few years. it wont be nearly the success of THE LION KING or BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, but it will do well enough.
I am curious who will replace Ashley though...hopefully someone a bit better.

[winston89]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 1:15pm

I know that there had been a few people who thought that Disney closed a show becuase they had to, thus they chose to give Tarzan the boot. This couldn't be farther from the truth. The reason why Tarzan and any show for that matter closes is because it isn't making money. Tarzan had been doing bad at the box office since day one. I am suprised as to how it ran as long as it did.

I rember talking to somoene when they just announced the closing of beauty and the beast. She thought that they could have just closed lion king or poppins because she didn't like Lion king. And she hear poppins was bad. Pretty much, the thought process that was going through her head was that Disney HAD to close a show. Not that they closed one becuase it was doing badly.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 1:21pm

Does she still have that awful, obvious Britsh accent?

[AshleyBrownFan123]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 1:25pm

I know that Tarzan closed because of low profit. But, some people liked Tarzan. Some liked The Wedding Singer. I liked Brooklyn.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 1:30pm

I know cast recordings with their singing and very little dialogue aren't anywhere near the same as seeing a show live and hearing all the dialogue as well, but I can't think of a single fake British accent from ANY cast recording that's convincing. Well, Philip Quast. But he's Australian and amazing. I can't listen to 'Tommy' in one sitting because of the accents. Even Donna Murphy has moments in 'The King And I' where it just doesn't click, and she's otherwise sublime. (God knows what'll happen to 'Billy Elliot'; I hope there's an OBCR just so I can hear American-Geordie!) So feel free to not pick on *just* Ashley Brown if we're getting into fake British accents. :P

Also... *British* accent? Please stop that. I know we're a very small chunk of land, but we have a very wide selection of accents that can't possibly fall under a single umbrella heading. :P

Updated On: 7/10/07 at 01:30 PM

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 1:35pm

She says so herself.

Just look at the weekly grosses. It will be playing a long time. I think Ashley just bought an apartment in NYC, so I think she'll want to extend her contract.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 1:36pm

"Also... *British* accent? Please stop that. I know we're a very small chunk of land, but we have a very wide selection of accents that can't possibly fall under a single umbrella heading. :P "

Ditto Southern accents. Even within a state the "southern accent" can vary greatly. Yet we're always lumped together.

[alex2155]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 1:45pm

Ashley just bought an apt? WOW!!! That was fast...I mean she's quite young and has been on Broadway for very long (maybe about a year total between the two shows so far)...Disney must pay well. I wonder where her new apt is located, because depending on the neighborhood, maybe she was able to save up enough.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 1:55pm

Sorry if I offended.

She's doing a really bad Julie Andrews accent.

Better?

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 2:18pm

hehehe. I LOVE when people act like they know what they're talking about and have "inside info." makes me laugh every time. Poppins ain't goin' nowhere. I saw it with Ashley Brown and then Megan Osterhaus. I preferred the understudy :)

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 2:29pm

Believe me DISNEY is not paying anyone in POPPINS a large salary, Ashley must just know how to save and she was on the road, if that apt. buying story is actually true.

[dannilupone]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 2:53pm

The writer of the book, wrote funny lines for Mary Poppins. Almost like a sitcom...every line should get a laugh - if it is not funny - they cut it. Ashley Brown does not have an ounce of comedic timing. The two laughs she got for the entire show consisted of the site-gag when she goes up the stairs. That was not even her choice...it was direction. Get her off the stage and please!!! for the love of god!!! let this show trickle off and die.

[willact4food]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 3:02pm

dannilupone, people like you sicken me. When you wish for a show to close, do you understand what you are wishing for?

You're wishing for tons of people to possibly lose money.

You're wishing for numerous cast, crew, production, etc. members to be out of a job.

You're wishing for people to not be able to see what they may think is quite an enjoyable show.

How dare you. You don't have to like a show. But to wish for it's demise is wrong and stupid on your part.

And the day you play a part in Mary Poppins, I will be in the front row, evaluating YOUR every move. You better pray that you get a laugh!
Updated On: 7/10/07 at 03:02 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 3:21pm

Well, I hope Ashley is growing in the part (which is certainly possible), but when I saw her in it, her acting was very one-dimensional. She basically grinned and smirked incessantly throughout the entire show. She had one reaction to everything. Completely wrong for Mary.

What I liked so much about Julie Andrews (in her Oscar-winning performance) was that she always gave us an unpredictable reaction to what was going on around her. When you thought she should be sweet and kind, she was irritated. When you thought she would be horrified by something, she was cool as a cucumber. When you think she would be startled, she was bored. When something was funny, she was mad, etc. It was ANYTHING but a one-dimensional performance. But she always caught us off-guard.

I thought Ashley sang very well. A solid soprano voice. But she didn't win me over as Mary.

She didn't' even interest me.

BUT! There is no denying that the show is a hit. It's not going anywhere soon. Whether a show wins Tonys or not has little to do with keeping a show open or closing it. It's all about the box office... and a Tony win (or several) can boost box office sales for a while. But the decision to run or close a show is based on profit, not awards.

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 3:27pm

wait, wait, wait! Shows are on BROADWAY to make MONEY?!?!?! You just blew my mind, best12bars. I assumed they existed to give us all something to fight about.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 7/10/07 at 3:28pm

I thought in an earlier interview Ashley said that Disney practically bought her an apartment. Was i the only person who remembers this or did i just make this up?