Why was Laura Michelle Kelly not offered Mary Poppins... — Page 2

"If I remember rightly Gavin Lee has a US passport so there are no Equity issues."

Unless he is a U.S. citizen, he cannot have a U.S. Passport. He needs a work visa, which these days aren't easy to get, so Equity isn't going to let him just come over and take the role away from an American without some type of exchange in place.

doesn't he have an American wife, i thought he got married to her some months ago now.

Original MARY POPPINS Reviews from London Critics
(excerpts on Laura Michelle Kelly)

Quentin Letts of The Daily Mail:

"Two things one never expected: Laura Michelle Kelly, in the lead role, is an entire category better than the great Julie Andrews; second, this stage version has much much more punch than the adored old film version."

------------------------------------------------------

The Independent:

"As for Laura Michelle Kelly in the title role, she's superbly tantalizing and enigmatic."

-----------------------------------------------------

Nicholas de Jongh of The Evening Standard:

"Miss Kelly's passionately sung Mary cuts such an enigmatic, elegant and emotionally detached figure that she rivets attention as she faces up to Haig's highly comic model of ill-tempered, anxiety-laden pomposity, whether at home or at the bank."

______________________________________________________

And, the American critic's review....

Ben Brantley, The New York Times:

"Will it strike anyone else that the young and pretty Ms. Kelly has been made up to look a bit like the late-career Joan Crawford - she of the hard, suffering smile and febrile eyes? I kept vaguely expecting the children in this super-nanny's care to exclaim, "Oh, please, no, nanny dearest!" ...

A more idiosyncratic star than Ms. Kelly might reconcile the disparity in tone ... this self-possessed actress (recently seen on Broadway in "Fiddler on the Roof") projects more assumed attitude than organic personality."

Reviews

---

Updated On: 9/4/06 at 07:32 AM

I saw Laura in both Fiddler on broadway and in Mary Poppins here and enjoyed her in both, she certainly has a beautiful voice and personally I was glued to her performances !

why do you care so much? ashley brown is going to be fantastic and that's that.

Those reviews are interesting. It seems like the American audiences want a more "warm" and approachable Mary, when in reality that's not what the character is like, in the book or movie. That's what I always loved about her charcter and Julie Andrews performance, that she was very emotionally detached and mysterious and held propriety above all else, but was still endearing in a way.
That's why I just hope Disney doesn't turn her into Maria von Trapp, because Mary's whole allure is that she is the opposite of that.

Brantley can be nice when he wants to be (think John Lloyd Young, Sutton in DROWSY, Michael Cerveris, Patti LuPone).

---

I can answer that question cause I know her.
Despite rumours she and cameron are friends. She was dissapointed when she didn't get to come to the US with the show but I know shes very happy for Ashley.

I hope that clears a few things up .

Brantley can be nice when he wants to be

think melanie griffith's rave!