Rob McClure does it again

[BroadwayBen]

Posted: 7/29/13 at 6:05pm

Looks like he's killing it in "Mary Poppins" at The Muny. I loved him in "Chaplin."

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2013-07-25/culture/mary-poppins-review-muny-2013/

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/4/13 at 2:09pm

he's brilliance personified.

[loliveve]

Posted: 8/4/13 at 2:30pm

What a rave review for him!

"Regardless of whether he is balancing on one foot atop a rooftop chimney or entering the Banks home through the fireplace, McClure is clearly having a blast. And when at the end of "Supercali..." (you know the rest) he slides across the Muny proscenium as if he's stealing second base, McClure is not merely skidding across the stage; he's skidding into our hearts. The effect is euphoric."

[playbill-love]

Posted: 8/4/13 at 3:07pm

Saw him in Poppins last week. He was absolutely BRILLIANT, and I'm sad I missed Chaplin when it was still open in New York.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 8/4/13 at 11:26pm

I wasn't able to make it down to any Muny shows, but I am a huge Rob McClure fan!! His performance in Chaplin was brilliant, and I'm so happy that he was tony-nominated for his portrayal. It was so well-deserved. I'm sure he was a wonderful Bert and Lord Farquaad earlier this season. Can't wait to see him in Honeymoon in Vegas at Paper Mill this fall!!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/4/13 at 11:32pm

He def. deserved his TONY that year.

The show wasn't as terrible as people had suspected. It just was uneventful.

He'll be back on the boards with Honeymoon.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/4/13 at 11:51pm

And he's cute to boot.
Bert is a poorly underwritten role (stage version),
glad he's making the most of it.

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 8/5/13 at 12:04am

Why do you think Bert is poorly underwritten? It seems to me the Banks family gets the details, Bert is our charming narrator, and Mary is a mystery. The latter 2 seem purposefully underwritten. If you fill in more for Bert, you kinda have do it for Mary as well. For me, neither needs more shading so long as both performers are charismatic, with him having good limbs and her having good pipes.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/5/13 at 12:49am

As you state: the Banks get the good stuff, which is weird. Mary gets no storyline at all (IMO, and why Ashley didn't get a TONY nod).
I think if they had done it close to the Movie, the show would still be running, that's what people wanted to see. Making it "darker" was a dumb idea.
At least in the movie Mary and Bert seem like a couple and are the main focus. There was a lot of talk of Bert coming off as Mary's Gay Friend in the stage version.
Mary needs at least one big solo number, Mrs. Bates gets it and the balance is thrown off.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/5/13 at 12:56am

It's been mentioned before but the estate of P.L. Travers had a lot of say in what could and could not be included from the movie, as she had rather famously hated what Disney had done to her characters. That's a big part of the reason why there seems to be such a huge tonal shift from the film to the stage musical.

[beagle]

Posted: 8/5/13 at 1:03am

I thought it was a good production. I for one (mostly) like the changes. They work well for the stage version. If I want to see the movie, I'll watch the movie, but when a movie is put on stage I like it to be different enough to stand on its own. I think Mr. and (especially) Mrs. Banks are blander in the stage version, but the rest of the show is enjoyable (although I do prefer the film), and in the Muny production, Rob McClure was definitely the stand-out performer.

I wrote a review for my blog here:
Precision and Order, Chaos and Magic

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/5/13 at 1:16am

I do understand there were Traver's Estate issues, too bad.
I'm anxious to see the new movie about the making of the movie and then the new musical about the making of the musical.
The Banks are less comical in the stage version but certainly not 'blander", they are practically the leads.

[nsguy45]

Posted: 8/5/13 at 1:40am

Rob McClure was superb and heartbreaking in Chaplin.

[beagle]

Posted: 8/5/13 at 1:57am

They may be leads, but I find especially Mrs. Banks to be an underwritten and somewhat boring character on stage, no matter who plays her. Both characters were quirkier in the film and, I think, more interesting.