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musikal_geek

Anyone seen it?

Comments? I haven't seen it, but I would like to know about it.
stlgurl702

It doesn't open till fall...
what_the_heck013

stlgurl702 wrote:
It doesn't open till fall...


But it's been playing in London for awhile. From what I hear, it's very different from the movie.
broadwaybaby124

Not yet. I want to though. I know someone who tried out for Michael Banks and another who tried out for Michael's sister. Neither of them made it though.
London_Mungojerrie

It is nothing like the film at all! It is really good, theatrically probably the best show on West End at the moment. Well it was until crappy Scarlette Strallen ruined it. She is crap! Not a touch on Laura Michelle Kelly. Laura Michelle Kelly IS THE BEST Mary Poppins EVER! Smile
MademoiselleMusicals

^ I agree. Although I'm not very keen on MP, LMK was amazing - when I saw her on TV, she was so perfect as MP. Brilliant casting. Very Happy
bean_C4U

This show is amazing. I saw it in it's pre-West End stint in Bristol. What a piece of theatre! I hoope it's as good in America as it was over here!
mtgirl118

I am seeing it on November 9th at the 8:00pm show with my theater group. Then we are going to take a class with Broadway pros. How cool is that? I can't wait!

Ellen Marie
London_Mungojerrie

bean_C4U wrote:
This show is amazing. I saw it in it's pre-West End stint in Bristol. What a piece of theatre! I hoope it's as good in America as it was over here!


I just hope they keep the English and Cockney accents! Very Happy They would ruin the whole show if they did it with American accents Evil or Very Mad
Jordan

I saw it in previews in London with Laura Michelle Kelly and thought it was great. I enjoyed it more than Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Some of the songs are great fun and I'm not too worried about the cut songs.

Everyone applauds when Mary flies. Bert does a great trick, too.
Guest

I was in it a few years ago

and it's just WONDERFUL
bean_C4U

I havn't seen Chitty, but this appealed to me miuch more as a movie-to-stage adaption.

It is way better that the film. I used to love the film, then I read the books, and then thought "what the hell did theydo to the character!??!?" Then for the show, they made it basically a new adaption of the books, adding the best songs from the film, and writing amazing new ones.

Don't go if you want to see a mirror image of the film. It's much darker and scarier, MAry has a "dark side"
BwayJuvinile

It is too dark, well at least from the londing setting. It was ok, but everything felt closed in.
BroadwayBud

What is darker about the stage show? And what is Mary's "dark side"?

You have successfully peaked my curiosity!
Fantine

She's a lot darker in the novel too. Or so I heard.
MsDivaKate

London_Mungojerrie wrote:
bean_C4U wrote:
This show is amazing. I saw it in it's pre-West End stint in Bristol. What a piece of theatre! I hoope it's as good in America as it was over here!


I just hope they keep the English and Cockney accents! Very Happy They would ruin the whole show if they did it with American accents Evil or Very Mad


I hope they stay true to the accents as well. Though even if they don't, I'm still quite excited to see it.
BroadwayBud

[quote="BroadwayBud"]What is darker about the stage show? And what is Mary's "dark side"?

You have successfully peaked my curiosity![/quote]

I'm still curious...
star2ballie

I'm going in October!!! A friend of mine is in the ensemble, as well as understudying Mary. I am so excited because she is one of those truly nice people, who truly deserves it. I doubt we're going to see her perform Mary, because it will be so soon after opening, but you never know! So, regardless of the show itself, I am excited for my friend and that kind of overshadows everything...Laughing
BroadwayBud

Will YOU tell me the darker side of Mary and the show? (lol) I would be eternaly grateful! Very Happy
star2ballie

I don't know, I haven't seen it yet! I can let you know in a few weeks, though. Smile
BroadwayBud

Oh, I know. I meant to say after you saw the show! Razz
star2ballie

Gooootcha. Wink
convict24601

Any news if there are plans for a tour and or Toronto production? I'd love to see this show - I grew up with the movie.
virsolo

Hello everyone.

If anyone has seen/is seeing the show this week or even next week can you please just let me know who was on as Mary? As Rebecca Lock was on for the last two weeks because Scarlett was ill so just wondering if she's back!

Thanks in advance Mr. Green
WestEndChild

BroadwayBud wrote:
Will YOU tell me the darker side of Mary and the show? (lol) I would be eternaly grateful! Very Happy


I'll change the text to white so as to not spoil it for others, but here are Marys more sinister characteristics;

During one scene with the replacement nanny, she poisons her, before sending her to hell and blowing her up. There is also a part where (I feel this is set up by Mary) the children argue with their parents and are plauged with their bedroom toys climbing out from everywhere to attack them. This scene in particular is very creepy and unnerving.

And hey, first post on here, I signed up to answer your question, but may as well hang around and give my views and things too now!
BroadwayBud

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Laughing
elleb~is~spiffy

Thanks and welcome, WestEndChild
Savoyard

London_Mungojerrie wrote:
I just hope they keep the English and Cockney accents! Very Happy They would ruin the whole show if they did it with American accents Evil or Very Mad


Broadway seems to have appalling accent work these days. Especially when doing cast recordings. The I downloaded "Please Hello" from remake of Pacific Overtures and I don't think I've ever heard such terrible accent work. I wasn't too impressed with the Italian on The Light in the Piazza. We can only hope they don't butcher Mary Poppins, but the way things are these days, I somehow suspect they're going to be even worse than Dick van Dyke.
alyssaaaaaaa

I actually saw it two summers ago in London with the entire original cast and I thought it was amazing. It was way better than the movie, but I wouldn't exactly say that the show was a lot "darker",

Mary didn't actually poison the other nanny, she had a "singing battle" in a way with her and ended up singing her into a bird cage and blowing her up, it had nothing to do with poison.

A lot of the songs are different, but it is definitely the best show that I have seen on the West End. I'm excited to go see it in New York this coming summer, just to see if it matches up to the London version. Applause
jazzygirlsings

The Broadway version has gotten pretty mixed reviews here, which is disappointing after how wonderful I heard the London version is!
Salome

I still refuse to see it. they cut all the best songs. and redistributed a few others.
jazzygirlsings

I heard across the board that Ashley Brown is pretty wooden in the role. Just a big smile plastered on her face...

AND that the set is a lot brighter and this production lacks the darkness that the London one had...
broadwaybelle22

I just saw the show in New York last night and I thought it was amazing. Ashley Brown was awsome, and not a bit wooden. I hated the movie of mary poppins, but I surpisingly loved the show! I guess it's just because I hate Julie Andrews....Anyway, Gavin Lee was so comfortable up there and he really stole the show. He was my favorite actor that night. The little boy who played Michael was adorable and I found myself laughing whenever he said anything! The colors were astounding, and the dances were crazy! Everything was just so perfect, down to their bows!
emilyjoc

I have to be completely honest, I saw it in October in New York and it utterly disappointed me. It was actually the first time i've seen Mary Poppins (i know, apparently my parents are isane for not letting me watch it, although they claim i really did watch it as a child??) BUT to me it felt like when a great cast, musically wise, as well as visually, get's placed in a poorly written show. I was really impressed though with a few scene's particularly "Step In Time" and the sets were really fabulous, but overall i wouldn't reccomend it to anyone.
panda

I liked it

I saw the stage version last year in london and I thought it was great. the set was really impressive the way the roof would come down to represent the jane and michels room.

I really liked the dancing stautes in the "a jolly hoiday"

i think that it was nice how they did a lot from the books seemed more origonal than just a disney version on stage. I really liked the temper bit quite a scary bit but it was very clever the way they come out of small boxes I found this really effective.

if it gose to broadway i hope they keep the british element in it and dont amricaniz it
musikal_geek

Re: I liked it

panda wrote:
if it gose to broadway i hope they keep the british element in it and dont amricaniz it


It's already on Broadway. It's been there for a while now.
Thom

I saw the Broadway producion in January....

I had purchased the London Cast Recording before and I feel that LMK did a superior job over Ashley Brown. Ashely's voice is amazing, but I feel that it is TOO much for the role of Mary Poppins.

Also, I didn't like how they changed a lot of the music arrangements for the Broadway production. I don't know how the London show is now, but some of the songs have changed DRASTICALLY in comparison.

"Jolly Holiday" had some parts cut (such as Neilus' {spelling?} verses and some of the children's parts)

"Spoonfull of Sugar" cut the "A robin feathering his nest......" verse. Also cut the butlers "and hense.... they find.... their task is not a crime."

"Anything Can Happen" had different people singing parts of it. Bert and Mary sang the verse about "Turn it on it's head ....." insted of the butler and the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious lady.

There were a few other cuts...

A friend of mine saw the production in London and we talked about the show and she seemed to feel that the Broadway production went more towards the movie than the books while the London show went more towards the books. I can see where that comes from as not many people in America have read the books (such a travesty in my opionion. the books are so much fun) but i would have preferred to have seen the London Cast and production.

Gavin Lee was AMAZING and I loved his little gimmic during "step in time"

Rebecca Luker was a superior Mrs. Banks, but I did not love Mr. Banks. He was rather bland in my opinion.

The cut songs from the movie were not missed in my opinion. I LOVED "Feed The Birds" it was visually and vocally beautiful.

The scenes at the bank were boring, but the sets were gorgeous!

One more thing (i know i have written a lot):
I thought "Anything Can Happen" should be the finale. To me it LOOKED like a finale. With the giant umbrella and such (which was just too much) but then the show continued and seemed to drag. While watching I was like "what a fun finale. A big spectacle number with random sets and costumes that don't really fit the rest of the show" I was expecting the bows right after, but then there were scenes and dialog which brought you down and made you wonder why that previous song was even there!

I enjoyed the show a lot, but would not go to see it twice. There are a great deal of effects in the show and you won't hate it. I just was expecting the London show and got an Americanized version which can hold it's own, but the London show is far superior!

That is my blurb. Sorry to ramble on so much.

~Thom
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