It's Showtime! September 2023 Exercise Challenge

[Oneanne]

Welcome back! So glad to hear your trip went well! What was your favorite part of the trip? Did you have a good time at the Halloween party?

I think my favorite part was how easy it all was. Crowd levels were pretty light and it was easy to move around and make last minutes choices, like I bought LL for Guardians three times while I was walking over to the attraction, because it had immediate availability. I did a lot of shows and always got good seats, I was so close at Beauty and the Beast that I could actually see their facial expressions for the first time. CMs were plentiful and engaging, quite a difference from prior post-covid trips. I did enjoy the party, for the entertainment (both the Cadaver Dan's and the Pirate band were excellent fun) and just walking around looking at the costumes people came up with.

 

[Oneanne]

+30 minutes... quite a drop off. I have a business trip next week that is going to keep me on my feet, so I really do need to keep the steps up this week so I retain my Disney "conditioning".

720/1350... 53%

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

+50 minutes for me. 20 minutes of indoor walking last night and 30 minutes of outdoor walking today. It was only in the 80s, so that qualifies as cool weather. LOL

175/475

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

45 minute run

930/2500

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Congrats to livih99 for reaching Ovation Orange and to the TEAM for reaching Playbill Purple!!!


Next up is Mary Poppins which opened on Broadway November 16, 2006, at the New Amsterdam Theatre. It closed on Broadway March 3, 2013, after 2619 performances.



Before Broadway, though, Mary Poppins the New Musical had already enjoyed quite a long life. In 1993, Cameron Mackintosh (Les Miserables, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, etc.) met with PL Travers (author of Mary Poppins books) and acquired the rights to a stage adaption of Mary Poppins. Travers had two stipulations - the creators all had to be English and no one who had worked on the Disney film version could be involved.

Travers died in 1996.

In 2001, Cameron Mackintosh met with the head of Disney Theatrical Productions, Thomas Schumacher, to open discussions about collaborating on the stage production so the film version's original songs by the Sherman brothers could be used in the stage adaptation. The talks were successful, and Mary Poppins opened first on London's West End on December 15, 2004, following a few months' try out period in Bristol. This makes Mary Poppins the only Disney musical to premier in the UK.

Besides appearing on the West End and Broadway, Mary Poppins has also enjoyed numerous touring and international productions over the years.

You can find the cast list and see the numerous award nominations for Mary Poppins here.

And here are a couple of trailers:

Did you ever see Mary Poppins the musical? It's definitely one I'd love to see one day.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

I think my favorite part was how easy it all was. Crowd levels were pretty light and it was easy to move around and make last minutes choices, like I bought LL for Guardians three times while I was walking over to the attraction, because it had immediate availability. I did a lot of shows and always got good seats, I was so close at Beauty and the Beast that I could actually see their facial expressions for the first time. CMs were plentiful and engaging, quite a difference from prior post-covid trips. I did enjoy the party, for the entertainment (both the Cadaver Dan's and the Pirate band were excellent fun) and just walking around looking at the costumes people came up with.

That all sounds wonderful! I hope the crowds are this light in January!!!

 

[CarolineBowmanFan37]

2930/2000 from the past two days.

 

[PollyannaMom]

...then life got in the way for a few days.

I spoke too soon. It was one thing after another, and turned into a lot more than a few days. But hopefully...

Anyway, would you please adjust my goal to 300 minutes, and add 20 for today.

110/300

Did you ever see Mary Poppins the musical? It's definitely one I'd love to see one day.

I haven't, but I would love to! It's one of my favorite Disney movies, and I even read the books as a kid.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

130 minutes - 2 mile run and horses

1060/2500

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Let's hear it for PollyannaMom who turned Ovation Orange!!!

I'll post the next show later, but I wanted to hurry and get this color change in while I had a chance.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

I spoke too soon. It was one thing after another, and turned into a lot more than a few days. But hopefully...

Anyway, would you please adjust my goal to 300 minutes, and add 20 for today.

110/300


I haven't, but I would love to! It's one of my favorite Disney movies, and I even read the books as a kid.

Hoping you are busy due to fun stuff and not stressful stuff!

I, too, love the movies and the books!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Hoping you are busy due to fun stuff and not stressful stuff!

Unfortunately, it was stressful stuff, but one problem is a lot better, another will hopefully be resolved tomorrow, and the other one is manageable without the first two. It will all be OK.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

The Little Mermaid had a pre-Broadway trial run in Denver, CO at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts from July to September 2007 before beginning previews at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway November 3, 2007. During the Denver run every seat for every performance sold out. During the Broadway preview period, the show temporarily shut down for 19 days due to a Broadway stage hand strike. The previews resumed the day after the strike ended. The show's official Broadway opening night was January 10, 2008. After 50 previews and 685 performances, Broadway's The Little Mermaid closed on August 30, 2009. International tours of The Little Mermaid began in 2010 in Israel and domestic tours in 2011.



Fun Facts:

• Jodi Benson and Pat Carroll who both starred in the 1989 film as Ariel and Ursula respectively, attended the Opening Night ceremony.
• Before the musical closed Sierra Boggess (original Ariel) left the show to work on other things. She still came to visit her former costars and remains friends with them to this day. She was there as a guest for the final performance.
• Cody Hanford and J.J. Singleton were the original Flounder, but had to leave the show shortly after opening because they had grown taller than Sierra Boggess. Trevor Braun and Brian D'Addario replaced them. D'Addario was the vocalist on the original cast recording and performed on the opening night.
• Cody Hanford (Flounder - see above) is from my area, and my daughter and I worked with various members of the Hanford family in local community theatre productions, including working with his brother on a production while Cody was in The Little Mermaid. There is a ridiculous amount of talent in that family. Cody's older brother is also a Broadway performer.
• If you've seen The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix, then you've seen Tituss Burgess (original Sebastian) as Titus Andromedon, an aspiring actor who wants desperately to make it on Broadway.
• To make room for the musical, Disney closed "Beauty and the Beast" on July 29, 2007, due to fears that the audience and tourists would fight over them.
• In the Japanese version, Ariel is 18 years old.
• To assist the performers in achieving the effect of underwater movement on stage, the actors wear wheel-heeled footwear. To depict the fantasy underwater kingdom, according to the director, the set is "very translucent, takes light beautifully and [is] architectural and sculptural to suggest an underwater world without actually being in real water."
• Heidi Blickenstaff (ensemble and replacement Ursula) performed in Epoct's Festival of the Arts Disney on Broadway Concert Series a few years ago. We were lucky enough to see one of those performances. Robert Creighton (ensemble and Gull) was her partner in the concert. You'll see Heidi mentioned again in another Disney musical later on.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Unfortunately, it was stressful stuff, but one problem is a lot better, another will hopefully be resolved tomorrow, and the other one is manageable without the first two. It will all be OK.

Glad to hear things are working out! Sending you .

 

[sophy1996]

I was waiting for The Little Mermaid! We were at the DCPA for the pre-Broadway show. Denver is actually a big theater town and was so proud to be the site for the out-of-town trials. Impossible to believe that could be 2007, though! Doesn’t seem nearly that long ago.

+95

580/1500

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

I was waiting for The Little Mermaid! We were at the DCPA for the pre-Broadway show. Denver is actually a big theater town and was so proud to be the site for the out-of-town trials. Impossible to believe that could be 2007, though! Doesn’t seem nearly that long ago.

+95

580/1500

I love this so much! I was excited to see the Denver connection and wondered if it would be meaningful to you. What a fantastic memory!!!!

 

[sophy1996]

I love this so much! I was excited to see the Denver connection and wondered if it would be meaningful to you. What a fantastic memory!!!!

Sierra Bogness (Ariel) is from Denver and that made it even more interesting.

 

[ShannyMcB]

Took a long (for me) walk on Thursday night and was able to squeeze a couple quick burn youtube workouts in
182/300

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

+45 minutes since my last update.

220/475

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

334 minutes - horses and a 9 mile run

1394/2500