Ashley Brown to Star in National Tour of Mary Poppins

[mll85]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 11:30am

http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/13597

[suicidalmickeymouse]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 11:32am

Great!

[Act4ever]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 11:43am

That is so exciting!!! She's the only reason I wanted to see the show on Broadway and now I can just see her in Chicago! Woo hoo! Very great news!

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 11:53am

Good for her. A star taking their show on the road. I like it!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 11:55am

I may go see the tour now.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:07pm

Yay! I hope this comes to to an area near me...I'll be out of college probably by the time it reaches Boston.

Updated On: 4/17/08 at 12:07 PM

[tthomas76]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:11pm

That's great news... I know we'll be going to Chicago now to see it..It'll be our daughters first time seeing it!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:11pm

If this isn't great news for today, I don't know what would be.

Here's hoping other tours follow this as it used to be the norm back-in-the-day when stars headlined the tours of their shows: Ethel Merman and Angela Lansbury in their productions of GYPSY; original Broadway cast of WEST SIDE STORY; practically the entire original Broadway cast of JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:18pm

I wonder if Gavin Lee will join her? He mentioned in a recent interview he wanted to see the country...

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:27pm

I think I read that also. It seems I read somewhere that the tour will not include his dancing upside down. That they couldn't do that on tour.

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:29pm

You forgot about Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd and Yul Breyner in King And I.

Updated On: 4/17/08 at 12:29 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:29pm

It shouldn't be hard for Gavin to do the tour if he wanted to. He isn't on any equity exchange and he is here via work visa so the logistics shouldn't get in the way.

He could get a citizenship if he wanted to considering that he is married to a US citizen.

[justafan2]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:30pm

Why would a star of a Broadway show leave to star in a touring production? I'm not being sarcastic---I really want to know--are there added benefits to being on tour? Variety?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:31pm

I had no idea his wife was American. Did they meet after he came over to do Mary Poppins, or did he know her previously?

"Why would a star of a Broadway show leave to star in a touring production? I'm not being sarcastic---I really want to know--are there added benefits to being on tour? Variety?"

It's not a bad career move, particularly for this tour, which will be pretty high profile. It's playing a lot of big markets, and she'll get reviewed and get a lot of press in every city the tour visits. Updated On: 4/17/08 at 12:31 PM

[Bdwy24]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:40pm

You get more money on tour! When you're in NYC that is homebase so you don't get per diem. When on tour you get $777/week for housing/food (unless it has increased recently). You can easily live on that and put away your salary.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:42pm

Her wife from what I understand is an actress. I think that the two of them met in England. But, still she would still be an American citizen. And, it is eaiser to get citizenship in America if your married to a citizen rather then trying to go through INS.

But, regardless of this he never joined Mary Poppins on Broadway via an equity trade. He was there under a work visa. I had thought that he was here via an equity trade with Creel but I found out that I was wrong and it was as I said a work visa.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 12:46pm

Lee's wife is an American woman, so therefore, he probably has his Greencard and has the ability to work in the States whenever he wants.

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 1:19pm

Good for her! I hope she has a wonderful time with the show on the road.

I'm curious who will replace her on Broadway.

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 2:03pm

Great news about Ashley!

QUESTION: Is it really a "National Tour" if it's listed as an OPEN RUN in the first city it plays?

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 2:24pm

Fantastic News!

[BrianS]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 3:52pm

winston89, while a work visa allows him to legally work in the US, he would still need the approval of Actors Equity to be cast in a Broadway production.

I don't know for a fact that Creel was the tit-for-tat trade that was used with British Equity, but he is either in Poppins on Broadway because (a) Equity considers him an "internationally recognized star" (that's how Michael Crawford was hired for DOTV) which allows him to be cast without giving a West End role to an American actor in return or (b) he was involved with a deal with British Equity to allow an American to perform on the West End.

All that means is that if your facts are right about it not being a trade, Equity considered him a "star."

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 5:52pm

QUESTION:

Is it really a "National Tour" if it's listed as an OPEN RUN in the first city it plays?

[zepka102]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 6:19pm

I read the news article on this site first. I've been sick for the past few days and don't really feel like my mind is all here, but does it say the tour is starting March 25, 2008 or am I really just seeing things?

[James885]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 6:42pm

That's great news. She was out when I saw the show in NYC so maybe now I'll be able to see her. Now it was be FANTASTIC if Gavin Lee decided to go on tour as well!

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 4/17/08 at 7:19pm

Why is it taking over a year to come to Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theatre in November 2009? I hope Ashley will still be in it. I love her:^).