MARY POPPINS on Today Show- Page 2

[EganFan2]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 2:12pm

If she was keyed up because she's in the role and was on national TV, then I can understand. I hope that's all it was. Otherwise...yikes.

Her wig looked kind of small.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 2:17pm

There are alot of things that could have determined why Brown was the way she was (among them being the excitement of performing on the Today show,) so I will reserve final judgement on her performance for when I see the show early in the summer.

As I alluded to before, Mary should be a dominating presence that is poised and confident, and I didn't get that at all. Ashley Brown's Mary (from what I saw today) came across as a bright and bouncy girl next door, and that is far from the mark of the nature of the character.

She needs to make her singing more pleasant, re-evaluate her acting choices, and decide on how she wants to do the accent and stick to it, as well as not make her diction and prununciation so profound. It's alot of work to be done, but this girl is one heck of a talent, and if she wants to, it's something I deffinetly think is within her reach.

This was probably just nerves and early morning hours etc., so as I said, I will wait to see how she does when I see the show. She was wonderful in both On The Record and Beauty and the Beast, so I'm sure she'll be fine.

Updated On: 11/3/06 at 02:17 PM

[EganFan2]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 2:20pm

This is really all I've seen of her. I thought this board would be awash in Ashley threads as it was with Kristin and Idina threads. Could it be that maybe she's not all she's cracked up to be in this role?

Her voice is pleasant--it's just that her acting was really off the mark to me.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 2:29pm

You're basing opinions on a TV show appearance at 8:20 in the morning, after a performance that ended 9 hours before. See the show first.

[Calvin]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 2:45pm

Um, yes. I didn't see the Today Show appearance, but these impressions are nothing like the one I had when I saw the actual show. She was no bouncy girl next door.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 2:53pm

And plus you're basing your opinions on a televised theaterical performance. Obviously, when you're sitting way up in the balcony, you'll appreciate the "over-acting" but when a camera is shoved down your throat, it does tend to look like over-acting. I thought she looked menacing actually. She a crude look to her face, which works. And I thought she had such a pure and beautiful voice, especially for 8:20am in the morning. People are so judgmental. Why don't you see it how it was meant to be seen before you judge? And not every Mary Poppins needs to be the same, maybe her interpretation works in the role?

[ThePinballWizard]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 3:21pm

I don't know what's wrong with people nowadays. They all jump on the same bandwagon...one person says one negative thing and everyone just tears apart everything like a pack of hungry wolves. It seems to me like nobody on this board really likes anything.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 3:25pm

Yeah. It'd be one thing to say "oh, I didn't like the way she played Poppins in the show" but to base it off a 3 min clip for a the show on an early morning news show? C'mon people. You're probably just jealous because you can't sing or dance like that. I don't care for Poppins - the only reason I want to go is to see the sets - but I'm not gonna bash the show. I mean Brown belted her t*ts off in Beauty singing "A Change In Me" - I have yet to hear it sung better.

[Calvin]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 3:29pm

Besides, shows never look too good on the talk show format, especially highly visual shows like Poppins.

Kind of like all bands sound like crap on Saturday Night Live.

[ThePinballWizard]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 3:30pm

Amen to that sister friend. All of us should hope to have a starring role like that on Broadway.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 3:36pm

Z-snap right back atcha.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 3:57pm

Ashley Brown disappointed me most when I saw Mary Poppins. The girl has an outstanding singing voice but can't act for squat.

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 4:05pm

i thought she was fantastic!

i mean, when you wake up for an 8:20am performance on the Early show and you just ended a show hours ago and have one later on in the day, i think i'd rather save my energy for the night's show instead of a 3 min. performance for the TV...

[bryan]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 4:07pm

the show looks great.

[ThePinballWizard]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 4:07pm

Well to each his own I guess. Point being. She has the role. We don't. The producers saw something in her they didn't see in anyone else. Good for her.

[rflpfl2]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 4:12pm

Ashley Brown does a fine job in the role. Her Today Show performance wasn't really that reflective of the work I saw.

I personally think the show is something of a "setsical"- where big set pieces- and anti-climactic flying, with REALLY BAD LIGHTING compensate for less than cohesive characters and script, but still she does a fine job in an uninspired role (again- in my opinion- the role of Mary Poppins is not written nearly as clearly and strongly as it is in the movie- which also applies to most of the script- which is particularly weak in Act 1).

[SpellRENT777]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 4:31pm

Didn't catch the performance but I was on the Today Show...pretty recently...october 31st...i won the costume contest...

[EganFan2]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 5:10pm

There are bound to be more clips on various talk shows, so we'll see how they compare.

...Laura Michelle Kelly had a rather different approach. Updated On: 11/3/06 at 05:10 PM

[zerodanny]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 6:52pm

The performance was fabulous and Ashley Brown is great in the role I do agree about the stern side of Mary Poppins that wasn't there, and the accent was a little weird at times, on the whole tho fabulous!!..Ashley made think of Scarlett Strallen at times(Mary Poppins in London at the moment), Laura Michelle Kelly was and always will be the true Mary appart from Julie Andrews!!

[americanboy99]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 7:01pm

RANDOM QUESTION:

Was Laura Benanti ever considered for this role?

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 7:04pm

I'm not sure americanboy, but as I said in a previous thread (aside from the worry of her absences,) I think she'd be absolutely perfect as Mary.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 7:17pm

Laura did audition and was called back.

But, as you see, she was not cast. Which is Cameron/Disney's problem.

There's no doubt in my mind that Laura would have owned the role.

[americanboy99]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 7:17pm

Me, too. I was just thinking about younger women who played "Maria" in SOUND OF MUSIC like JHulie Andrews, and Laura came to mind. She'd be great.

[EganFan2]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 7:22pm

Laura would've done a great job, I think.

[clarkstallings]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 8:05pm

While her accent needs work, Ashley's voice and acting are nearly perfect in the show. She's perfectly snappy and wonderful in the role overall. Her accent will come with time. It was already pretty damn good when I saw it. I'm just thrilled with the southern representation in the show (Brown being from northern Florida(ie culturally southern Florida) and Luker being an Alabamian.)