how does Bway "Mary Poppins" differ from London "Mary Poppins"?

I thought they incorperated the New York changes into the London production... did they not?

Are you talking about when she flys into the audience, because if you are then that does happen in London, she flys right to the top and above the upper circle.

It's a different Gavin playing Bert. While it may sound silly to mention it (of COURSE the casts will be different!), Gavin Creel is just so wonderful that I couldn't resist mentioning it. And I have seen both. :3

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Yeah, that umbrella was kind of freaky. Crazy and freaky. Almost creepy, in fact.

I think the umbrella is wonderful.

The umbrella is added. The song "Jolly Holiday" is also much more colorful in NYC.

NEWS FLASH: Almost all the New York changes are NOW in the London production.

COMPARING TO THE ORIGINAL VERSION IN LONDON:

Jolly Holiday has been reworked lyrically and set wise. When Mary and Bert come out after Neleus moves for the first time, the set changes to color and the people walking in the park change from black attire to colorful.

Some transition scenes have been shortened, for example before Supercal, Mary and Jane no longer talk at length about "it's not how the person sounds, it what they say that matters."

Feed the Birds has a new set that is farther downstage.

Temper, Temper is a little shorter. The repeated "Temper, temper, temper, temper..." is cut out...they just jump right in.

Anything Can Happen is shorter now, too. For example, Mrs. Corry doesn't have her little solo thing. And that giant umbrella now appears (some cast members have said they think while onstage..."Um...okay?")

There are some other changes, but those are the biggest.

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The show in London impressed me the first time around. I honestly think it was the cast. Laura Michelle Kelly was quite terriffic as Poppins, Gavin Lee was superb as Bert and the couple playing the parents were outstanding. For some reason, after I saw it again (minus the original cast) and ove here, I began to loathe it. I think the changes are too soapy and the current casts are too bland (with the exception of Mr. Lee who still marvels).
So what changed? The cast. That's what ruined the show.

Updated On: 5/3/07 at 07:16 PM

Gypsy...I could somewhat agree...it sort of gave you the feeling the children were always being watched over.

jv92...a good thing about your current loathing for the show is that it can be easily changed with different casts...

ETA:

Although I very much enjoy the current Jolly Holiday, there is something about the original version that made it more...magical. Not necessarily lyrically, but physically. The bland surroundings made the statue's life-like movements seem more fantastic because it was magic amidst normalcy.

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Updated On: 5/3/07 at 07:42 PM

I like the first one too. The women are wearing more clothes and there's more naked guys...

Apparently, the London version was good.

I saw it in New York and found very little magic, and I was soo looking fowards to it.

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Me too. I think it's fabulous, despite my few minor quibs (but we have them for most shows anyway).

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Same here. I'm now biased with Lisa, London's best Mary. She has completely grown on me and I'll pick her anytime over LMK. I'm so sad she'll be leaving in a couple of days.
I find Broadway's Mary too wooden and trying really hard on the accent.