#1
Posted: 11/4/06 at 2:46pm
I've been meaning to write this for the last couple of days...
Anyway, just wanted to say that I absolutely loved this show! I was a little nervous going in because all I had been hearing was how much I would love it, and was worried my expectations were getting too high. But they weren't. The show definitely met my high expectations.
There were little flaws that bothered me here and there, but the rest of the show more than made up for that, I knew Sister Suffragists was cut, but without that number, the beginning of the show was really rushed. I don't know it was just...here's our house, Katie Nana left, dad came home, kids came home, kids make advertissement, Mary Poppins comes. Maybe that was the point--they wanted Mary to appear as soon as possible? Ah well.
The effect of the house was wonderful. I'm not quite sure what I was paying attention to, but I didn't catch the full effect until the next time. In fact, the set changes were often applauded.
The effect with the Carpet Bag was great. I kind of missed most of the rest of the scene because I was certain there was some sort of angled mirror, and kept staring at it to see if something would have proven me wrong. Michael puts his hand very close, and Mary's dress comes close, but they were never directly under the table. I've read other theories, and if this isn't how they do it, then they should have someone or something go under the table so they could prove to us that's not the case. I'd buy the fact that everything's collapsable except the mirror. Anyway, it was really fun to watch that.
The contrast between the cold real world and the Jolly Holiday world was great. And the "drawn" scenery was great! I liked the idea that they incorporated how dark and boring some aspects of Jane and Michael's world were. And they did great things with the number without the animated characters. Like many of the well-known numbers, it wasn't exactly like the movie, but was still magical to watch on the stage (and perhaps even enhanced by the fact that it was different--it was more than watching the movie on stage like some of the other Disney shows)
A spoonful of sugar was definitely one of my favorite scenes in the show. It looked very difficult to be able to choreograph everything so it seems like it happens as an effect, but their timing was impeccable. The way everything crashed and came back together was awesome.
I'll just stick with the songs from the movie before I move on to changes.
Feed the Birds...perhaps my favorite song, did not disappoint! I loved the integration of Mary and the Bird Woman singing (both with gorgeous voices), and the birds looked very realistic among the scenery, and the purple sky and clouds moving, and the lighting of the Cathedral...the scene was just beautiful.
Supercali was another one that I think they altered well for the stage. The letters were fun, and it was nice to see the REAL backwards pronunciation of it. It was cute how they allowed it to come into play and such. With this number, I realized how well the lighting and color worked. Many of the scenes had their own distinct coloredness.
I understand that Chim Chim Cheree was altered to fit in with this new story, but...I missed it's original part in the movie. Sorry.
I kind of missed Let's Go Fly A Kite as the finale, but the scene with the officer was cute.
Finally, Steppin Time was great! I couldn't help but wonder what I was watching was real and what was visually enhanced. Still, the number did not disappoint. When Gavin came back, the wire was evident, but it was still pretty amazing to watch him dance on the ceiling. Great choreography. This number was a real treat, and yay for them bringing all the sweeps into the house.
The only song from the movie that I knew was cut was Sister Suffragists. I guess I understand the cutting of Stay Awake...the entire theatre might have fallen asleep! But I really missed I Love To Laugh. I guess it might have become difficult and expensive to do, but I was imagining that on the stage, and...it would have been great. Ah well.
Okay, so...let's see, distinct changes. I'm not sure it was important to make Mrs. Banks an actress, but I think I liked what they turned into her problem--trying to be there for her husband, forcing him to let her in, etc. She comes across as a stronger, more intelligent character than in the movie. But I agree with most of those who said Rebecca Luker was wasted. She did show some power with Being Mrs. Banks reprise, but still...I couldn't help but wait for a huge soprano theme that never came. Ah well. She did wonderful in the limited role she had.
I think I kind of liked some of the changes in Mr. Banks. I missed some of his themes and the wonderful performance of David Tomlinson, but some of the changes they took with the character was interesting--particularly the part that he only gave the loan to the good man, not the bad one, egged on by the question of Michael, and how that caused his problem and his final victory. Makes him seem more human the whole time, and the change doesn't seem quite so sudden. It was just a nice twist. As did his past come to light with the introduction of Miss Andrew...
...on that subject, talk about scary! Ruth Gottschall did a fabulous job in this role, both being scary and the soprano singing. Her character was really the only part of the show that I felt made it darker, but man did it. And Mary's disposal of her was quite appropriate. Well-done.
Speaking of scary...well, Temper Temper was nothing to be scared of, but I understand they cut it down, as in shorten.. I kind of wished they hadn't. I would have been quite interested to see the number in its entirety...if they could have been more ballsy to include the number in its entirety. Still, the dollhouse effect was great. But also in the shortening, it felt quite rushed.
The bank scene was enhanced by the change in Mr. Banks, though of course I missed Dick Van Dyke's Dawes. But smart of the creators to realize that couldn't be recreated. Precision and order made a fine theme instead of "in the bank."
Mary leaving at the end of act 1 was interesting. But if you want to believe that a darker side of her was shown here, her scene with Bert showed more of her human side. I liked the idea of her letting things happen instead of controlling everything--making Jane and Michael see that they needed her.
Oh, that reminds me of another change I liked--Jane and Michael being a tad more stuck-up, especially thinking Bert was so dirty in the beginning, since they go on to have such a great relationship with him at the end. I like the idea that even they had a bit of changing to do in the scenario.
The scene between George and Bert was interesting. It wasn't so...powerful, but then again, George didn't have to make such a huge change in that night. Interesting.
Anything Can Happen was alright, and the effect of going to the heaven was wonderful, but like I said...I still missed Kite as the finale. The big umbrella was a great effect, though I kind of thought it was going to become a moon. Ah well.
And of course, the finale was a treat. I was in the rear orch, so I didn't get the best view, but it was still wonderful to see.
Now the actors. There's been a lot of debate on Ashley Brown since the Today show performance, but I too will say that performance does not do her justice. While I didn't go home thinking how she would be tough competition for the Tony, I still thought she did a really good job. And I of course am quite partial to Julie Andrews. Ashley had this perfect Poppins look--a sweet face with a bit of mystery on it, and very distinct. I thought her dark and lighter sides both came out, and of course she has a great voice. Mary's a hard role to perform, and I think Ashley did a fine job.
The one flaw my friend pointed out is that her dancing wasn't wonderful, but that didn't damper the rest of the performance.
I absolutely loved Gavin Lee! Again, DVD is hard shoes to live up to but Gavin did a great job. Bert has to be such a lovable character, and Gavin made it so. A real triple threat--acting, singing and dancing. I'm thrilled we got the treat of having him come here to perform the role.
Daniel Jenkins was adequate--conveyed the necessary aspects of the character. Not David, but with the changes in the character I suppose they didn't want a replica of David's performance.
Oh, Brill and Robertson--I kind of thought some of their scenes were unnecessary. It worked well for Spoonful, but...I mean it's not the fault of the actors, just...it didn't flow well with the rest of the show.
And major props to the hard-working ensemble! The different characters, the dancers, they did such a great job in their different roles, and their dancing and their energy.
The costumes were also great--when Ashley took off her jacket and there was Mary's costume...it was exciting.
Ooh...I missed sliding up the banister. The hand motion she made was funny at first, especially when she was imitated, but it did get a little old near the end. I don't know, she couldn't stop after a while, but...I don't know...too bad she can't go up the stairs less.
So all in all--a wonderfully fun night in theatre! Fans of the movie won't be disappointed. It is fun, has effects, and I think for the most part is a good show. Not the best, but whereas I love Tarzan and admit it isn't a good show, I do think Mary is a good show. I for one cannot wait to go back. I couldn't recommend this show enough.
Anyway, just wanted to say that I absolutely loved this show! I was a little nervous going in because all I had been hearing was how much I would love it, and was worried my expectations were getting too high. But they weren't. The show definitely met my high expectations.
There were little flaws that bothered me here and there, but the rest of the show more than made up for that, I knew Sister Suffragists was cut, but without that number, the beginning of the show was really rushed. I don't know it was just...here's our house, Katie Nana left, dad came home, kids came home, kids make advertissement, Mary Poppins comes. Maybe that was the point--they wanted Mary to appear as soon as possible? Ah well.
The effect of the house was wonderful. I'm not quite sure what I was paying attention to, but I didn't catch the full effect until the next time. In fact, the set changes were often applauded.
The effect with the Carpet Bag was great. I kind of missed most of the rest of the scene because I was certain there was some sort of angled mirror, and kept staring at it to see if something would have proven me wrong. Michael puts his hand very close, and Mary's dress comes close, but they were never directly under the table. I've read other theories, and if this isn't how they do it, then they should have someone or something go under the table so they could prove to us that's not the case. I'd buy the fact that everything's collapsable except the mirror. Anyway, it was really fun to watch that.
The contrast between the cold real world and the Jolly Holiday world was great. And the "drawn" scenery was great! I liked the idea that they incorporated how dark and boring some aspects of Jane and Michael's world were. And they did great things with the number without the animated characters. Like many of the well-known numbers, it wasn't exactly like the movie, but was still magical to watch on the stage (and perhaps even enhanced by the fact that it was different--it was more than watching the movie on stage like some of the other Disney shows)
A spoonful of sugar was definitely one of my favorite scenes in the show. It looked very difficult to be able to choreograph everything so it seems like it happens as an effect, but their timing was impeccable. The way everything crashed and came back together was awesome.
I'll just stick with the songs from the movie before I move on to changes.
Feed the Birds...perhaps my favorite song, did not disappoint! I loved the integration of Mary and the Bird Woman singing (both with gorgeous voices), and the birds looked very realistic among the scenery, and the purple sky and clouds moving, and the lighting of the Cathedral...the scene was just beautiful.
Supercali was another one that I think they altered well for the stage. The letters were fun, and it was nice to see the REAL backwards pronunciation of it. It was cute how they allowed it to come into play and such. With this number, I realized how well the lighting and color worked. Many of the scenes had their own distinct coloredness.
I understand that Chim Chim Cheree was altered to fit in with this new story, but...I missed it's original part in the movie. Sorry.
I kind of missed Let's Go Fly A Kite as the finale, but the scene with the officer was cute.
Finally, Steppin Time was great! I couldn't help but wonder what I was watching was real and what was visually enhanced. Still, the number did not disappoint. When Gavin came back, the wire was evident, but it was still pretty amazing to watch him dance on the ceiling. Great choreography. This number was a real treat, and yay for them bringing all the sweeps into the house.
The only song from the movie that I knew was cut was Sister Suffragists. I guess I understand the cutting of Stay Awake...the entire theatre might have fallen asleep! But I really missed I Love To Laugh. I guess it might have become difficult and expensive to do, but I was imagining that on the stage, and...it would have been great. Ah well.
Okay, so...let's see, distinct changes. I'm not sure it was important to make Mrs. Banks an actress, but I think I liked what they turned into her problem--trying to be there for her husband, forcing him to let her in, etc. She comes across as a stronger, more intelligent character than in the movie. But I agree with most of those who said Rebecca Luker was wasted. She did show some power with Being Mrs. Banks reprise, but still...I couldn't help but wait for a huge soprano theme that never came. Ah well. She did wonderful in the limited role she had.
I think I kind of liked some of the changes in Mr. Banks. I missed some of his themes and the wonderful performance of David Tomlinson, but some of the changes they took with the character was interesting--particularly the part that he only gave the loan to the good man, not the bad one, egged on by the question of Michael, and how that caused his problem and his final victory. Makes him seem more human the whole time, and the change doesn't seem quite so sudden. It was just a nice twist. As did his past come to light with the introduction of Miss Andrew...
...on that subject, talk about scary! Ruth Gottschall did a fabulous job in this role, both being scary and the soprano singing. Her character was really the only part of the show that I felt made it darker, but man did it. And Mary's disposal of her was quite appropriate. Well-done.
Speaking of scary...well, Temper Temper was nothing to be scared of, but I understand they cut it down, as in shorten.. I kind of wished they hadn't. I would have been quite interested to see the number in its entirety...if they could have been more ballsy to include the number in its entirety. Still, the dollhouse effect was great. But also in the shortening, it felt quite rushed.
The bank scene was enhanced by the change in Mr. Banks, though of course I missed Dick Van Dyke's Dawes. But smart of the creators to realize that couldn't be recreated. Precision and order made a fine theme instead of "in the bank."
Mary leaving at the end of act 1 was interesting. But if you want to believe that a darker side of her was shown here, her scene with Bert showed more of her human side. I liked the idea of her letting things happen instead of controlling everything--making Jane and Michael see that they needed her.
Oh, that reminds me of another change I liked--Jane and Michael being a tad more stuck-up, especially thinking Bert was so dirty in the beginning, since they go on to have such a great relationship with him at the end. I like the idea that even they had a bit of changing to do in the scenario.
The scene between George and Bert was interesting. It wasn't so...powerful, but then again, George didn't have to make such a huge change in that night. Interesting.
Anything Can Happen was alright, and the effect of going to the heaven was wonderful, but like I said...I still missed Kite as the finale. The big umbrella was a great effect, though I kind of thought it was going to become a moon. Ah well.
And of course, the finale was a treat. I was in the rear orch, so I didn't get the best view, but it was still wonderful to see.
Now the actors. There's been a lot of debate on Ashley Brown since the Today show performance, but I too will say that performance does not do her justice. While I didn't go home thinking how she would be tough competition for the Tony, I still thought she did a really good job. And I of course am quite partial to Julie Andrews. Ashley had this perfect Poppins look--a sweet face with a bit of mystery on it, and very distinct. I thought her dark and lighter sides both came out, and of course she has a great voice. Mary's a hard role to perform, and I think Ashley did a fine job.
The one flaw my friend pointed out is that her dancing wasn't wonderful, but that didn't damper the rest of the performance.
I absolutely loved Gavin Lee! Again, DVD is hard shoes to live up to but Gavin did a great job. Bert has to be such a lovable character, and Gavin made it so. A real triple threat--acting, singing and dancing. I'm thrilled we got the treat of having him come here to perform the role.
Daniel Jenkins was adequate--conveyed the necessary aspects of the character. Not David, but with the changes in the character I suppose they didn't want a replica of David's performance.
Oh, Brill and Robertson--I kind of thought some of their scenes were unnecessary. It worked well for Spoonful, but...I mean it's not the fault of the actors, just...it didn't flow well with the rest of the show.
And major props to the hard-working ensemble! The different characters, the dancers, they did such a great job in their different roles, and their dancing and their energy.
The costumes were also great--when Ashley took off her jacket and there was Mary's costume...it was exciting.
Ooh...I missed sliding up the banister. The hand motion she made was funny at first, especially when she was imitated, but it did get a little old near the end. I don't know, she couldn't stop after a while, but...I don't know...too bad she can't go up the stairs less.
So all in all--a wonderfully fun night in theatre! Fans of the movie won't be disappointed. It is fun, has effects, and I think for the most part is a good show. Not the best, but whereas I love Tarzan and admit it isn't a good show, I do think Mary is a good show. I for one cannot wait to go back. I couldn't recommend this show enough.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
Updated On: 1/10/07 at 02:46 PM
(I hate when you realize grammar actually is important) 
