Let me start by saying that I really thought that I was going to like MARY POPPINS. I received a copy of the London cast album nearly a year and a half ago and I've enjoyed listening to about a third of its content, mostly the songs originally from the film. I've watched the film countless times growing up. And, not to mention the fact that it got very decent reviews in London.
Well...unfortunately...that was not the case for me. And, it looks like I'm probably going to be in a "cheese stands alone" kind of corner in terms of my mixed-to-negative review (audio clip here). It's rather reminiscent of how I felt about last year's revival of THE PAJAMA GAME. Still, before I become trademarked as a grinch, let's remember that I was one of fewer print critics who gave A CHORUS LINE an unadaltered rave review.
It seems fair to assume that MARY POPPINS will be a hit, but one must not forget how quickly CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG flopped, another recent musical based on a 60s musical about some form of flying and with Dick Van Dyke. But even for what I perceived to be its flaws, MARY POPPINS is a far better show than CHITTY.
In other news, I attended Jackie Mason at Feinstein's at the Regency earlier this week, where he announced that he will return to Broadway early next year and open in February. He didn't mention a theater, but it's fair to assume he'll be at the Helen Hayes, where he appeared last time and where JAY JOHNSON: THE TWO AND ONLY is currently selling fewer tickets than a fair number of Off-Off-Broadway shows.