#1
Posted: 10/17/09 at 10:47am
Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Laura Michelle Kelly in the role of Mary Poppins. One that I was looking forward to seeing her play three years ago when they announced that the show was coming to Broadway. However, regardless I am glad that she is doing the role period. She was in perfect voice and her glistening soprano showed through most of her numbers. Her dancing was amazing and while I could easily go on and on about how wonderful she is, I only think it best to sum up her performance in two words. And, those words are of course practically perfect.
With a great Mary came a pretty good Burt. PLayed by the first American to play the role on Broadway, Christian Borel. Borel does get down Burt's mannerisms down and is amazing with all the intense dancing that the role requirers. However, there was one moment in the encore of Supercal (the one right after the song not after the curtain call) where he physically looked tired. Now, I do know that it was unclear if that was acting, a way for his body to physically say in jest that the song is gong on for ever, or if he was actually tired from the dancing he did in act one. Either way if it is the second one I do think that he should work on his stamina.
Jenny Galloway was just marvelous as Mrs. Brill. Each line that she said got huge laughs from the audience and she played the role to a T. Of course, this is something that she should have been doing anyway due to the fact that she created the role for the stage. But, in any event she was worlds better then the other housekeeper who worked at 17 Cherry Tree Lane before her, Jane Carr.
As for playing the game, well, I'm not really sure where to start with this one. The song is in short a mess. Not only does it sound like something that they threw together at the zero hour to fill in for the far superior "Temper, Temper." But, as far as the plot of the show goes, it doesn't teach the kids the lesson that they need to learn at that time. I am sure we are quite familiar with the original act one ending, the one that has been going on for three years prior to the new song being put in. That is of course the Banks children get upset and loose their temper due to the fact that their mother is mean to them. Therefor, they take it out on their toys only to have them fight back and warn them that if your not nice to your toys they wouldn't want to play with you and that if you loose your temper your going down a long dark path.
With this number, it totally gets rid of the whole subplot of how loosing your temper is bad and it focuses on how you better be nice to your toys otherwise they wouldn't want to play with you. Yes, both numbers involve the toys coming to life, all the same toy characters. Heck, it even starts out with Valentine coming out of the dollhouse. But, I must say, that the effect of that happening is lost when the intent isn't to scare. The doll popping out of the dollhouse like that does work when it was intended to be mean. Not so much when it is intended to be in a stern but friendly song.
What bothered me the most about the new song was how they had to change some of the things in the book to go with it. For example, at the very end of act 1 when the kids are talking about how Mary left, one of them says a line mentioning how all their toys are gone and when they are setting up the room after Mary's return. She gives one of them back the Valentine doll.
Despite the boring new song there were three very good reasons to return to The New Amsterdam tonight. I must say that the performances I saw were amazing and I do plan to return there again to see Kelly in the role she was born to play.
With a great Mary came a pretty good Burt. PLayed by the first American to play the role on Broadway, Christian Borel. Borel does get down Burt's mannerisms down and is amazing with all the intense dancing that the role requirers. However, there was one moment in the encore of Supercal (the one right after the song not after the curtain call) where he physically looked tired. Now, I do know that it was unclear if that was acting, a way for his body to physically say in jest that the song is gong on for ever, or if he was actually tired from the dancing he did in act one. Either way if it is the second one I do think that he should work on his stamina.
Jenny Galloway was just marvelous as Mrs. Brill. Each line that she said got huge laughs from the audience and she played the role to a T. Of course, this is something that she should have been doing anyway due to the fact that she created the role for the stage. But, in any event she was worlds better then the other housekeeper who worked at 17 Cherry Tree Lane before her, Jane Carr.
As for playing the game, well, I'm not really sure where to start with this one. The song is in short a mess. Not only does it sound like something that they threw together at the zero hour to fill in for the far superior "Temper, Temper." But, as far as the plot of the show goes, it doesn't teach the kids the lesson that they need to learn at that time. I am sure we are quite familiar with the original act one ending, the one that has been going on for three years prior to the new song being put in. That is of course the Banks children get upset and loose their temper due to the fact that their mother is mean to them. Therefor, they take it out on their toys only to have them fight back and warn them that if your not nice to your toys they wouldn't want to play with you and that if you loose your temper your going down a long dark path.
With this number, it totally gets rid of the whole subplot of how loosing your temper is bad and it focuses on how you better be nice to your toys otherwise they wouldn't want to play with you. Yes, both numbers involve the toys coming to life, all the same toy characters. Heck, it even starts out with Valentine coming out of the dollhouse. But, I must say, that the effect of that happening is lost when the intent isn't to scare. The doll popping out of the dollhouse like that does work when it was intended to be mean. Not so much when it is intended to be in a stern but friendly song.
What bothered me the most about the new song was how they had to change some of the things in the book to go with it. For example, at the very end of act 1 when the kids are talking about how Mary left, one of them says a line mentioning how all their toys are gone and when they are setting up the room after Mary's return. She gives one of them back the Valentine doll.
Despite the boring new song there were three very good reasons to return to The New Amsterdam tonight. I must say that the performances I saw were amazing and I do plan to return there again to see Kelly in the role she was born to play.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
