Sister Suffragette

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 9/20/09 at 7:28pm

So I've avoided Mary Poppins on stage because the film is so special to me but I just finally listened to teh OLCR. I had no idea this song, my favorite in the score, was cut. Is the whole Mrs. Banks lobbying for women's votes storyline gone?
Updated On: 9/20/09 at 07:28 PM

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 9/20/09 at 7:29pm

Unfortunately yes. Though, I do like the "Being Mrs. Banks (Reprise)" and both Hateley and Luker sounded FAB on it.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/20/09 at 7:32pm

If the film is special to you, I'd recommend avoiding the show altogether.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 9/20/09 at 7:33pm

I plan to. I've had the CD for ages and thought I'd give it a listen finally. It was quickly removed and now the movie is on.

[kec]

Posted: 9/20/09 at 7:39pm

Mary Poppins was the very first film I ever saw -- I was about five or six. Absolutely loved it, and I strongly believe that film is why I love muscals so much. So I think it safe to say this film is special to me. When I heard about it becoming a stage musical I wondered how it would translate to the stage. When I saw it the first time in London, I absolutely loved it. It made me laugh and cry (for some reason Feed the Birds just chokes me up when I see it on stage). Sure I was a bit disappointed that there was no tea party on the ceiling, and I was a bit surprised at the changing of Mrs. Banks character -- but overall I thought it was excellent.

[zepka102]

Posted: 9/20/09 at 8:21pm

Love the movie, love the show. The changes made to Mrs. Banks make her look more troubled. She doesn't seem to know where she belongs in life. I really like it, and Rebecca Luker is such an excellent actress.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 9/20/09 at 8:47pm

By the way, Rebecca Luker isn't on the OLCR.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 9/20/09 at 11:24pm

They decided to change the character to a former actress who is struggling with where she belongs in society...I originally thought I would hate the change but Rebecca Luker does a wonderful job with the role and the new songs written for Mrs. Banks.

[winston89]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 5:41am

I remember hearing about a story that was in the Disney Adventure Magazine about a woman who claimed to be the biggest Poppins fan out there. She had everything one could possibly own from the movie and then some. So, when the show came to Broadway at the very beginning of its run, they gave her a trip to New York to see the show. Not only that, but they also gave her tons of stuff from the show as well to add to her collection. Needless to say, she walked out hating the musical.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 10:31am

I kinda missed Sister Suffragette, but as far as the story was concerned, it was a throwaway. It was just written for Johns to convince her to do the film.

The real sin was cutting "The Life I Lead," which is essential to Mr. Banks' character and sets up the reprise, "A Man Has Dreams..." at the end WHICH THEY KEPT! And they basically replaced it with the by-comparison-mediocre "Precision and Order."

I like the show, mostly, but that really left me scratching my head.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 11:36am

BobbyBubby---Blaxx is right. You would HATE the stage show. I was so very disappointed in it myself.

Mrs. Banks was such a wonderful character in the film! And Scarywharhol, Sister Suffragette was ANYTHING but a throwaway. It showed the wonderful dichotomy of sentiments in her character. She was the dutiful wife, loving mother, sensitive and subservient in the house. Meanwhile, she's as rebellious as a hippie in the '60s, throwing rotten eggs at the prime minister's wife, handing out banners, marching for women's rights.

So sad they missed all the color and charm of a very unique character.

THAT's the "throwaway."

They threw Mrs. Banks away and put up a 2-dimensional cardboard cutout instead.

[madbrian]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 1:47pm

For me, the show failed because it tried to be faithful to both the movie and the books. I would have preferred a show based on just the books. I liked the darker parts of the show, and felt the parts that tried to echo the movie fell flat.

[candydog2]

Posted: 9/21/09 at 4:14pm

A bit of trivia actually - the tune for "sister suffragette" was written for the song "practically perfect". It was written for Mary to sing when she met the children for the first time. When Disney contacted Glynis Johns about being in the movie she thought she was being offered the title role and both she and Disney were slightly embarassed upon meeting to discuss it. To convince her to take the role of Mrs Banks, Disney called the Sherman Brothers, telling Johns of a wonderful song they'd just written for her.

The brothers reworked the "practically perfect" song into the sister suffragette song we know in the movie.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/22/09 at 2:18pm

"Mrs. Banks was such a wonderful character in the film! And Scarywharhol, Sister Suffragette was ANYTHING but a throwaway. It showed the wonderful dichotomy of sentiments in her character. She was the dutiful wife, loving mother, sensitive and subservient in the house. Meanwhile, she's as rebellious as a hippie in the '60s, throwing rotten eggs at the prime minister's wife, handing out banners, marching for women's rights. "

All of which was pretty much dropped after the first ten minutes of the movie and added virtually nothing to the larger whole. Does anyone walk out of "Mary Poppins" thinking of "Sister Suffragette"? It's a charming little scene, but if they were going to make any cuts for the show, it makes sense for it to be among the first.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 9/22/09 at 9:02pm

The character in the stage show goes on a journey...Mrs. Banks in the film does not.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/23/09 at 8:59am

The character in the stage show goes on a generically boring, every-mother, supporting character journey "wanting more." It's paint-by-numbers, common, and uninteresting.

Mrs. Banks in the movie was a highly unique character.

They ruined it in adapting the role for the stage.