My thoughts on the new cast of "Poppins" and "Playing The Game"

[winston89]

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.

[broadwayjoe476]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 11:07am

Im prolly gonna get torn apart for asking this, but is she better than Ashley? (seriously)
Updated On: 10/17/09 at 11:07 AM

[winston89]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 11:40am

Considering the fact that Kelly won an Olivier award for her work as Poppins I would say so.

[winston89]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 11:40am

Sorry double post.

Updated On: 10/17/09 at 11:40 AM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 11:53am

Scarlett Strallen was better than Ashley.

[wdwfreak]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 2:41pm

Who's Christian Borel?

[jagfkb]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 8:44pm

Here's an idea: Why not put Temper Temper back in, but add Mary Poppins to the number? Many on this board have mentioned (including myself) that the scariest thing about Temper Temper is that Mary isn't there to control anything. By adding Mary in, the number still maintains most of it's scare factor, but by adding Mary, we get the feeling that nothing will truly go wrong with her there. Mary could easily be the judge for the trial, rather than the freaky clown thing... Infact the lyrics would make sense with her being the judge. What do you think? It's temper temper, but a little less scary, but miles better than whatever the new song is. Also, apparently on tour they feature large puppets or something during the song? Is the same thing on Broadway.

[angelxschunard]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 9:23pm

Borle is a smoker, so that could be why he looked tired. He was exhausted after the Peter in the Starcatchers show I saw him do and all he did was shout at people and run around a little bit, so it's obvious that all the dancing he's doing in this show might be taking a big toll on him.

I'm happy to know that all the new cast members are doing well, though.

Updated On: 10/17/09 at 09:23 PM

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 9:33pm

I saw "Mary Poppins" a few weeks ago in Dallas. My sister saw the show in London and while she liked the cast, she didn't like the show. She felt it was kind of dark and I knew part of it was because of "Temper, Temper." I was glad to see that the touring production wasn't very dark, but I wasn't crazy about the song "Playing the Game." It wasn't terrible, but the song just didn't make much sense. My aunt and my friend probably wouldn't have liked "Temper, Temper" though.
Updated On: 12/9/10 at 09:33 PM

[gypsy4]

Posted: 10/17/09 at 9:49pm

I'm so glad I caught MP why the song was still intact but bummed I didn't see LMK. but why the heck did they cast Ashley Brown the role respectively belongs to strallen and kelly.

[jigblob]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 5:30pm

I thought Ashley Brown had an absolutely gorgeous voice, and quite frankly she and Gavin Creel were the only things I liked about the show when I saw it...

[winston89]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 7:26pm

jagfkb, I don't know if it would work to have Poppins in Temper Temper because I think that she would still not do anything different due to the fact that she is trying to teach them a lesson. And, keep in mind, that when things get really bad in that scene, such as the toys being just about to take them away, she does return and everything goes back to the way it was. I just don't see any way that it wouldn't be different.

gypsy4 , they cast Brown in the role because they had to find a new Mary for the original Broadway run due to the fact that Kelly was unable to open the show when it came to Broadway.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 7:54pm

I thought Ashley Brown had an absolutely gorgeous voice, and quite frankly she and Gavin Creel were the only things I liked about the show when I saw it...

I think you mean Gavin Lee. Creel did play Bert, but on the West End.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 10/18/09 at 10:55pm

"I thought Ashley Brown had an absolutely gorgeous voice."

I agree she was wonderful when I saw her.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 10/19/09 at 12:12am

The only thing Brown's performance has going for it is her AMAZING voice. Her interpretation of the role, makes zero sense. She is a CARTOON, and thus very uninteresting.

The beauty of Kelly and Strallen cannot be denied. Their performances are thrilling to watch, and one feels a sense of humanity within their magical powers.

[jigblob]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 2:57am

haha yeah my bad, it was Gavin Lee

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 3:14am

"Considering the fact that Kelly won an Olivier award for her work as Poppins I would say so."

I haven't see Laura Michelle Kelly in the role (and I am not saying one is better than the other), but how can you say one is better than the other simply because of the award?

What about your personal preference?

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/21/09 at 3:17am

"I saw "Mary Poppins" a few weeks ago in Dallas. My sister saw the show in London and while she liked the cast, she didn't liek the show. She felt it was kind of dark and I knew part of it was because of "Temper, Temper." I was glad to see that the touring production wasn't very dark, but I wasn't crazy about the song "Playing the Game." It wasn't terrible, but the song just didn't make much sense. My aunt and my friend probably wouldn't have liked "Temper, Temper" though."

It's tough to look at something from a new, more honest angle without rose colored glasses, isn't it?