The hills are alive...

(just a funny note: I originally typed, "the Hills are alive..." This made me laugh!)

Michael and I went to see Mary Poppins last month on Broadway Across America. Frankly, I was disappointed. There were only 2 complete original songs. A couple more were original but changed in some way and several new songs. It is not that I mind different theatre renditions from the movies, but... They changed the plot so much so that it was hardly recognizable. They took out the most amusing scenes and substituted them for rather menacing ones (I probably would not take a young child). They even added a character! The backdrops and props were wonderful, however, and the "magic" of Mary Poppins was very well done! They had Mary floating up to the balcony, Bert dancing up one side of the stage and upside down across and then back down the other side, coatracks and trees popped out of Mary's carpet bag (and I am still a bit perplexed about this one), tables broke and fixed themselves. All in all, parts were rather clever but on the whole disappointing.

Not so with the Sound of Music!!! It was very well performed and mostly accurate to the movie. (and the few changes were well done, although I am rather puzzled as to why they were made in the first place) I did have a hard time getting over a brunette, little bit plump Julie Andrews, but she had a wonderful voice and again the props were well done. There were even a few highly entertaining scenes where they used unexpected props. I was so enthralled that I forgot for a few minutes that I was not the actual audience for them in Salzburg at their music festival. If you are in Houston (or a place where they tour) and you get the chance to go, I highly recommend it!