MARY POPPINS Tuesday, November 14th - Review

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 2:47am

I saw MARY POPPINS tonight. I was in the center orchestra, second row. There were a couple of critics in front of me (they were jotting down notes) which I thought to be kind of odd--that they would be in the front row. From where I was sitting, I definitely felt as though I would have been better able to appreciate the whole picture had I been further back. But the seat aside...onto the review.

Gavin Lee is really the shining star of the cast. I see why they held him over from London. Whenever Bert comes back on stage, it reminds the audience that the show is taking place in England. Most of the other actors' accents came and went. I was also thoroughly impressed with Daniel Jenkins. He took what could have been a flimsy, nothing role and really dug his teeth into it. A very well-rounded performance. Rebecca Luker is just totally wasted in this show. Not one of her songs allows her to use the glorious soprano that is her signature. It's lovely to see her back on the stage nonetheless. She is gorgeous as ever and creates a beautiful portrait of Mrs. Banks. Henry Hodges was on tonight and was top notch, as usual. He was just cute as a button, and never missed a beat. Totally enthralled with everything going on around him. Ashley Brown was very, very good. At times I felt a mechanical quality to her characterization, while at other times she presented Mary as very human. Regardless, you can tell that she's working her ass off up there. But dare I say, she's trying just a tad bit too hard? She has a beautiful voice. That's without a doubt. The set is amazing, as everyone says. It was overall a lovely show. Every time Gavin Lee was on stage, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I think the critics are going to be mixed on this one. Given that it's the first Disney show (AIDA aside) about real human beings, it's definitely a step up from all of the cartoon fluff.

Side note: This is probably just me, but while I know this was a part of the original story--all of the pushing of the gender roles really made me uncomfortable. I mean, did they really have to keep telling us that the man of the house is there to pay the bills, and the woman is never substantial enough and always cleaning up the husband's mess? That stuff, at this point, is just tiring already. It's not necessary, and given that this show is going to be around forever, and millions of kids are going to see it, I hate that that junk will always be in there.

Anyway, I digress. The choreography was a blast. Gavin Lee has SO MUCH ENERGY. His performance just totally blew me away. All that dancing! The actress that plays the maid (I forgot the character's name) did a very fine job. She had the character nailed, and was always bringing new things to the table. Lots of fun. Anyway, that's all I have to say. Go see it! And sit somewhat far back so you can get a full view of the goings on. Enjoy!

Updated On: 11/15/06 at 02:47 AM

[BroadwayRandy0711]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 3:44am

Great review Wanna Be A Foster.
I have to agree with you on Rebecca Luker. I even told that to her about not being able to belt it, like we all know she can, and she totally agreed with me. She did say how much she likes this role though.
BTW, the character name that plays the maid is Mrs. Brill.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 7:18am

Oh, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm seeing the evening show today!

[jess20882]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 11:42am

nice review, wannabe - although i disagree with you on daniel jenkins, i really disliked his portrayal of mr. banks. but that doesn't really matter, i loved the show in general

i had a random question for anyone who reads this...
we're all commenting on how wonderful gavin and ashley are, and the kids...and rightfully so. but i was wondering which NON-lead character was everyone's favorite?
you know, like the park keeper or mrs. lark or valentine...
just curious

[AnythingCanHappen]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 12:06pm

I absolutely LOVED Valentine/Tyler Maynard. Ms.Andrews was good... but I have seen pictures of the Original London performer and her body type seems to work better. (She is much shorter, and it seems to work better in my opinion.) I wasn't as blown away by Neleus as I would have liked to have been. I really just love the role of Mrs. Banks as a whole. I love the movie, but this sad Mrs. Banks offers a character with the 'awww' factor. Not to mention Rebecca Luker is just fierce. Robertson Ay and Ms. Brill were adorable as well. (I wish the character Ellen from the movie was in it. I LOVE HER!) I also really enjoyed Mrs. Corrie. That is SUCH a fun role. Oh, and I have to add that Cass Morgan made me cry. The bird lady/feed the birds is such a great song now. I question the change from movie to stage for the constable, but he does play the role well.

[carymetorent2]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 12:55pm

I agree that Rebecca Luker is completely wasted, as is Mark Price. When Tyler goes on as Robertson Ay, he will be on stage less time than he is in the ensemble!

I finally got to see a different Michael the last time I went. Alexander Gumley was adorable, but Henry Hodges is perfect in the role, so he definitely stands out to me.

My favorite non-leads are definitely Tyler as Valentine (but then again, I am biased) and Cass Morgan as the "Bird Lady." Mrs. Andrews is more featured. She does have a song and a half, so I wouldn't count her in the smaller roles category. Neleus is a great dancer, very light on his toes, but he isn't really given much to stand out with. I would definitely have to say Mrs. Corrie is also fabulous too - I can't remember who plays her, but her accent is excellent and she is very energetic and fun to watch.

[jess20882]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 1:50pm

do you mean matthew gumley or alexander scheitinger? everyone keeps mixing up these little boys...guess that comes with sharing the roles three ways...

has anyone had any luck yet with opening night tickets for tomorrow?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 5:51pm

As for opening night tix, I'm assuming that they are very hard to come by for this show.

Updated On: 11/15/06 at 05:51 PM

[jv92]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 5:56pm

I love Being Mrs. Banks, although other than that, Mrs. Banks is a bit of a dismal part.

[zerodanny]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 7:33pm

I would love to see the Miss Andrew on Broadway the current one in London Luise Gold is absolutely AMAZING!!! looking forward to seeing some clips on that unmensionable website!!!

[carymetorent2]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 9:55pm

I mean Matthew. I can read the insert in the Playbill :-P
I would love to see Alex though!

There were some opening night tix up on Ebay last I saw.

[jess20882]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 10:05pm

i'm sure they cost an arm and a leg, though...plus, i wouldn't trust them. they haven't been released to 'the public' yet...

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 11/15/06 at 10:07pm

i just checked ebay...no opening night tickets for Mary Poppins on there.

[carymetorent2]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 1:46am

they were probably all snatched up by now. most of the auctions i saw, ended monday.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 1:49am

Damn. This "ignore" feature keeps failing to work.

[jewelchk]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 6:34pm

I was also at the Tues Nov 14 show, but allllllll the way up in the rear balcony. I've seen a lot of questions and answers about the $20 seats, but I'm going to add my two cents here. As Wanna Be A Foster said, this is definitely a show that it's better to sit further back for, and I'd imagine front balcony would be both more affordable than the closer seats and have a perfect view. I sat on the right side of the theater, which is good because you can still see everything and Mary flies off to the right. The pipes obstructing the view are thin but annoying. They are easy to avoid, however, if you sit in the right part of the rear balcony. There are three pipes on each side-- one on each aisle side of the section and one smack in the middle. Sitting closer to the ends of the section without being on the end or in the middle is your best bet, because then the pipe won't be in the way at all. I was with a friend and also brought my mom, and we had 3 center-of-the-row seats. To be really exact, 18 was the worst, because the pipe was right there, but go over two seats left or right of it and it is fine.

As for my review of the show itself (without spoilers I think)… there were still a lot of sound problems, but I think all of the stunts went off without a hitch. For example regarding the sound, at one point someone was talking inside a dollhouse and it was very funny when the voice started tiny and suddenly became BOOMING when the mic went on. The kids (Kathryn Faughnan and Henry Hodges) are FANTASTIC, not missing a beat and still being loud enough when their mics alternately went out. Gavin Lee is terrific, definitely a standout, and has a great stage presence. Rebecca Luker is very good with what she has to work with, but that is unfortunately an alto part that doesn't show off her voice too much (as previously mentioned). Her presence is solid. The singer who stole the show for me musically is Ruth Gottschall as Miss Andrew. I thought she was great! The versatility of her voice was showed off maybe excessively (some of her high notes come out of nowhere!), but I still enjoyed it immensely. The maid (Jane Carr?) was entertaining, too.

The problem I found I had with the show is I found the first act to be very antiseptic. I didn't care about the characters at all until Temper, Temper, which is when the show finally started getting interesting for me. I like the movie a lot, it's a classic after all, and I was trying not to compare it too much, but it's hard to do that because of the number of movie songs in the show. I wasn't crazy about the costumes or colors and I didn't feel like the ensemble had enough connection with the audience. They were energetic and are all working their butts off, but I didn't find that energy intense or contageous. Ashley Brown does well, but Mary can sometimes be a thanklessly stiff part, and I felt that way about her most of the first act. Her singing was pretty but didn't stand out to me until the beginning of the second act. When she sings with Miss Andrew, Brown really shows she has a GREAT voice and good range that I didn't even realize until then.

I don't know if I didn't care for most of Act One because, after seeing many, many shows the last few years, I finally gave in and saw my first Disney show (Beauty and the Beast) only a couple weeks ago and still have to adjust to the shows being a little different to be more child-friendly. I really felt like Lee was setting the standard for the bright, energetic amiability that the rest of the cast (aside from the family because their parts are supposed to be less likeable in the beginning) should have been showing all through Act One and they just weren't keeping up, which made it seem a little uneven to me. But I enjoyed Act Two immensely, and the stunt Lee does during Step In Time is one of the most memorable ideas I've seen in musical theater! It was my favorite part of the show, but I hope nothing ever, ever goes wrong during it!

My mom liked the show well enough, but her main comments were that everyone's accents (besides Lee and Luker) kept going out and that it is definitely a Disney show. My other friend said he loved it, and was much more impressed with the ensemble numbers than I was. This show will definitely run for years, no doubt about it. The whole house was on their feet at the end and merchandising tables were swamped afterwards. Also want to give a quick shout out to the ushers there-- I think they were the nicest ushers I've encountered in quite a while, certainly in a Broadway theater!

[jess20882]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 6:41pm

i should hope gavin lee's accent didn't go out - he's british!

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 7:29pm

I saw the show last night (the 15th) and I was completely blown away! I got 20$ seats in Box 1 (The Buttercup Box). I couldn't see anyone go up the chimmeny or anyone sitting in the office, but I could see eveyone's expressions prefectly. I could also see all the offstage which was interesting, but it ruined a lot of the surprises. I absolutely loved it! This is definately the most impressive show Disney has produced IMO. The only part that I disagreed with was *spoliler * the huge umbrella onstage. The audience reaction was the loudest I think I've ever heard! I'll definately see it again, although I feel that it's better to get seats a little further back.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 10:25pm

I agree! Weren't the ushers such sweethearts?

Glad you enjoyed it! :)

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 11/16/06 at 10:38pm

The ushers were so nice! Very different than some can be *coughmamamiacough*. Especially in showing us to our seats, which was quite a walk. They were all pleasent which made the experience all the more enjoyable :)