Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Shoshana BeanieBaby
Stand-by Joined: 11/4/04
#0Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 11:56am
I just got back from a two week trip to London where I saw many many shows. One of the shows I saw was Mary Poppins It was great fun. However when it comes to Broadway Marla Schaffel has to play Mary poppins she is so perfect for it. no disrespect for Laura Michelle Kelly who does a nice job but she isn't magical. It has to be Marla she is the right choice.
I mean come on here last two roles were the tours of My Fair Lady and Sound of Music. Poppins is the next logical step...
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#1re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 11:58amNo need to post it twice.
Thesbijean
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/9/04
#2re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:03pmI believe it is in Kelly's contract to do the role on Broadway...
#3re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:04pmI'm gonna have to vote no to that suggestion. I too saw Mary Poppins twice when I was in London for the last two week and personally feel Laura Michelle Kelly *IS* Mary Poppins. She was absolutley PERFECT for the role in every way possible. I will be disappointed if they don't do everything in their power (the producers ect..) to get Laura over here for the Broadway run!
#4re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:07pm
"I believe it is in Kelly's contract to do the role on Broadway... "
When I spoke to Kelly briefly after the show one night, I asked her if they were planning on bringing the show to Broadway and she said she had no idea. Unless she's playing 'dumb' than she really might not know whats going on behind the scenes.
Also a link so all can see Laura briefly in the role: http://82.112.125.43/home/index.htm
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#5re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:07pmI sincerely hope it's in her contract that she gets to open the show on Broadway. She'd be a fool if it weren't.
#6re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:12pm
It's not in her contract. I don't know where that rumor came from. Nobody has that kind of contract, because no producer has executive pull over the unions. I can offer you a lead in a Broadwy musical but I can't guarantee that British Equity will let you do it.
I think it's been assumed that because Kelly has appeared on Broadway before that she can automatically return at any time. Also not true. She appeared in FIDDLER as part of an exchange with AEA. She would have to be re-petitioned by the producers of MARY POPPINS for consideration.
I think Kelly will probably reprise her role on Broadway *unless the rumors of the show being pushed back to 2007 or 2008 are correct* but it's not a done deal.
apdarcey
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/10/04
#7re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:19pmwe should remember that cameron mackintosh is one of the producers and he has a history of bringing british performers to broadway with their shows (lea salonga, colm wilkinson, jonathan pryce, michael crawford, sarah brightman)... he'll probably fight for laura michelle...
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#8re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:23pmSince when was Lea Salonga British?
apdarcey
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/10/04
#9re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:24pmshe's not, but she was under a british contract when she originated her role in miss saigon in london. she had to get permission from aea to do the show here and cameron fought for her.
#10re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:25pm
If she wants to do it. She's on the short list for basically every new project in the West End, from WICKED to EVITA. She may have moved on to something else by the time it transfers.
And for the record, Kelly is delightful in POPPINS, but the character is almost secondary in this version. I truly believe Kelly's Olivier Award came because she has done a terrific body of work in London over the past several seasons and her only real competition was Maria Friedman who has won numerous times before, including last year for RAGTIME.
It's not a very demanding role, certainly not one that I'd want to play for two straight years.
Updated On: 7/1/05 at 12:25 PM
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#11re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:26pmNot a very demanding role? Are you on crack?
#12re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:26pmPerhaps demanding is not the right word. "Artistically stimulating" - how is that.
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#13re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:27pm
much better. 
broadway1564
Understudy Joined: 10/1/03
#14re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:35pm
In her contract?!?!
Wow ... never heard that one.
Looks like you are not in the 'know' Thesbijean.
#15re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 12:59pm
I think Lea Salonga is actually from the Phillipines...The Miss Saigon debacle is famous in Equity lore, because Cam Mac wanted to transfer the entire London cast over, and a biiiig fight ensued. If they want to bring Laura Michelle Kelly over, I'm sure it won't be a huge problem to arrange another trade--there are plenty of NY actors who would love the chance to star in an Equity production in London (because it has to be an equal trade).
I got excited when I saw the headline of this post because I thought it had been posted on one of the B'way news sites and I'd missed it. I haven't seen Kelly in the role, but if, for some reason, they don't bring her over, I'd love to see Marla Schaffel in the role: she's a vocal powerhouse and has a similar look to Kelly.
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#16re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:07pmDidn't the exact same thing happen with the cast of Oklahoma?
#17re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:11pm
Trevor Nunn wanted to bring over the British cast because he claimed he didn't have time to "redirect" the show for Broadway. Equity of course refused and it took several years for that production to come to New York, by which time most of the wind had flown from its sales.
I'm sure it would have been a much bigger hit had the British cast come over.
#18re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:14pm
Now that it's been brought up, I'd love to see Marla play Mary.
Or, the other much-discussed idea: taking the two leads of Chitty and plopping them down as Mary and Bert.
Erin would make a wonderful Mary.
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#19re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:20pmBut does Raul have the same stamina as Gavin Lee?
#20re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:46pmRaul can't dance like Gavin Lee, that's for sure.
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#21re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:48pmAnd Gavin only missed his first show this week.
#22re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 1:54pm
Well, perhaps Gavin is a better choice to carry over. Certainly a real Brit playing Bert would be great.
#23re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 2:02pmI think Marla would be divine as Mary Poppins.
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#24re: Marla Schaffel as Mary Poppins!!!!!!
Posted: 7/1/05 at 2:03pmYou're right bway. We STILL haven't forgiven Dick Van Dyke for his accent. And that was 40 years ago.
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