Catherine Walker as Mary Poppins

[fshunk]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 3:19pm

Saw her perform the role on Sunday past matinee at the New amsterdam Theater.Thought she did a fantastic job. In fact she seemed perfect as Mary Poppins,and the entire cast put on an excellent performance as well.Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 3:20pm

I saw Ashley Brown as Mary Poppins and thought she was amazing! I'm very interested in seeing Catherine Walker's take on the role. How does she compare/contrast with Ashley?

[ashley0139]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 3:39pm

I saw her and she was fabulous. I really liked her take on the role. Granted, I've never seen anyone else.

Posted: 8/14/07 at 3:46pm

We went last Tuesday night and saw Megan Osterhaus as Mary Poppins. I was disappointed that there was an understudy, but she did fine. Gavin Lee was incredible and really stood out. I was also curious as to how the understudy we saw compared to Ashley Brown (who we were really hoping to see) and if Gavin stands out as much to her Mary.

[Norah3]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 4:11pm

I saw the show soon after opening last year, and I saw Catherine Walker as Mary a month or so ago. I was really moved by her take on the role! It had such depth and was so real. A beautiful actress, she was every bit Mary Poppins, but a little softer and more graceful. Very Julie Andews like, actually. And her voice was glorious!

[Smartful Dodger]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 9:15pm

Have seen both Ashley Brown and Catherine Walker do the role.

Honestly, Walker is better. She's stern and direct, but the humanity and softer sides of the Poppins character are more nuanced than Brown's characterization -- almost like she delights in being "in charge" because it's something, her directness, that people don't expect.

Walker just seemed to have more fun with it. Maybe she can afford to be more relaxed in the role because she didn't have to "open" it.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 9:48pm

I haven't seen Catherine, but when I saw Ashley, I was thoroughly unimpressed.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 9:52pm

Ashley is entertaining because she has a lot of energy and has a beautiful voice. However, the two times I've seen her, I just did not get the vibe that she was 100% comfortable in the role, and that's what its inhabitor needs.

Walker seems to be comfortable in it from all the positive notices she's received.

Updated On: 8/14/07 at 09:52 PM

[Norah3]

Posted: 8/15/07 at 1:28am

I don't know that "relaxed" is a word that could ever describe any part of an Understudy's life. The regular performer gets months of rehearsal for the one role, the understudy gets a much shorter period to learn two, with no idea of when they will have to go on. I can't even imagine what that would be like, especially with a huge show like M.P.! BRAVO to Walker and understudies everywhere!

[Princeton78]

Posted: 8/15/07 at 7:35am

Eeek.
I love Ashley Brown, but it sounds like she's out a lot. I guess I'm lucky I caught her.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/15/07 at 9:06am

Princeton: I think she was recently on vacation.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/15/07 at 9:28am

It seems she took a vacation in late June and one last week.