Lee Joins Brown on POPPINS Tour

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 2:35pm

"Producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher are pleased to announce that Gavin Lee, who originated the role of Bert in the hit Broadway and London productions of Mary Poppins, will be joining Ashley Brown, who originated the title role on Broadway, for the show’s eagerly anticipated North American National Tour.

Both Brown and Lee are currently starring in Mary Poppins on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre (Broadway at West 42nd Street) and will remain on The Great White Way until a date to be determined. Their replacements in the Broadway company will be announced at a later date. The Mary Poppins North American Tour begins performances in Chicago at The Cadillac Palace Theatre on March 11, 2009. After Chicago, the tour is scheduled to play The State Theatre in Cleveland, The Fox Theatre in St. Louis, and The Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, with additional cities, venues and dates to be announced..."

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=28173

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 2:37pm

Fantastic news. Congrats to both of them!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 2:44pm

Holy smokes! This is going to be one much talked-about tour. A reminder of the glory days when the original Broadway stars toured the country in their respective shows: Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury and Tyne Daly in GYPSY, Carol Channing in HELLO, DOLLY!, etc.

[tthomas76]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 2:44pm

I see a trip in our future planned for next spring.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 2:50pm

Fantastic news! They're both ridiculously talented.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 3:01pm

Well at least DOLLY and GYPSY were great shows.

I wish these two extremely talented actors would get out of this piece of Drek and do a better show.
Updated On: 5/21/08 at 03:01 PM

[James885]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 3:17pm

This is great News!!! He was outstanding when I saw him in the show back in March. I'm definetely going to be catching this tour. I can't imagine that it wouldn't make a stop in D.C. somewhere. This is actually one show that I think would fit the Kennedy Center Opera House very nicely, since it has such a gigantic set.

[lite2shine]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 3:24pm

That's amazing! I guess Disney made an offer he couldn't refuse.

[Johnnytoc]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 3:25pm

I'm so happy for him. He's ridiculously talented and in such a fun show.

[DG]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 3:26pm

This makes me very happy.

[tinkerscanne]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 4:05pm

This is so exciting. I can't wait to catch the tour with them if it makes it to Philly. (Not that I won't go to NY to see it again this summer!)

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 4:08pm

Couldn't care less about Brown, but I have heard wonderful things about Gavin Lee. Really looking forward to seeing him...plus he's rather easy on the eyes :)

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 4:14pm

WOW! Looks like I'll be heading out of town to see it!

Gavin and Ashley being in the show makes it SUCK even more that it wont be part of Buffalo's Season next year.

Oh well...

[MungoGypsy8232]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 4:18pm

YAYY! I remember reading in an interview somewhere that he said he'd love to see the country because he loved it here and our audiences are always so generous, so this isn't that big of a shock. Plus, it coincides with him not being involved with the Bye Bye Birdie workshops anymore.

[wickedmenzel318]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 4:21pm

I wish it was coming to Florida. I would love to be able to see both of them.

[insertclevernamehere]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 5:11pm

This is fantastic!

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 5:33pm

It seems like Gavin Lee just won't give this role up...

I'm glad though, because he sure is good at it.

I imagine Disney is paying him a ton of money, considering he will not only be living an ocean away from his home, but will be touring around a country that is an ocean away from his home.

Really want to see this, come to FLORIDA!

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 5:35pm

I'm SO happy this is starting in Chicago!

[matty159]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 5:35pm

I hope it makes to the Kennedy Center too, but look how long it took Lion King! (Though I hope to have moved to NYC before the tour starts!) It made it to Norfolk, VA and what seems like every other major city before landing there this summer.

Does this mean that they will probably stay with the show in NYC until the tour launches?

Regardless, excellent news!

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 5:52pm

I'm so excited to see them both!

[kec]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 6:04pm

James I agree with you -- this show would be fantastic at the Kennedy Center.

Great news about Gavin Lee doing the tour.

[defyinggravity42694]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 6:48pm

North America is so lucky! I saw Ashely and Gavin on Broadway and they were amazing (and extremely nice at the stage door too)!

[lite2shine]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 7:23pm

I wonder who will be the replacements for Broadway company?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 7:27pm

lite2shine, Brown and Lee won't be leaving the Broadway company until November, so their replacements won't be cast for quite some time.

[winston89]

Posted: 5/21/08 at 7:33pm

This is good news indeed. They are both great and I am glad that they are going to be part of the tour. This won't make any difference to me because I live in NYC and have seen the show on Broadway a couple of times and loved their performances in it very very much.

This is very much a treat for anyone who is able to see the tour.

Everything else I was going to say was said. That they aren't going to cast/announce the replacements for them until a bit later on considering that they are leaving in november along with the rest of the original cast. And, that Lee wants to travel around the country because he has never seen it before.

I don't think it is going to be hard for Lee to do any traveling in America considering the fact that his wife is American. I do know that he is here on a work visa and not part of any equity exchange if that makes any difference in terms of him traveling around the country. I know from Jenny Galloway being in Les Miserables that a work visa means that he would have to come back to England for a bit before going back to America to work. I would think that he would go back there for a brief bit of time between his run in the Broadway production ending and the tour starting.