Nanny McFab

Audiences were more than kind to the first long-term tenant at the New Amsterdam Theatre after its opening in 1997, with "The Lion King"doing healthy business until its recent move to the Minskoff. I'm predicting a similar shelf life for its second tenant, the long-awaited "Mary Poppins."

The film was always one of my childhood favorites, and the stage version was able to appease my nostalgia while offering a few nice surprises. There are a few variations from the movie plot that make it a little darker, such as the appearance of the ghastly former nanny of Mr. Banks in the second act. Overall, however, it's a fitting complement to the Oscar-winning Disney favorite.

Ashley Brown is a delight as the title character, even in the more than practically perfect shadow of Julie Andrews. With enough surprise entrances to make Penn Jillette jealous, Brown is a radiant presences as she prissily struts the stage with a constant warm smile. The standout, however, is London import Gavin Lee, reprising his role as Burt from the original London production. The word triple threat is thrown around a bit too casually nowadays, and this isn't exactly the show to show off his best acting chops, but his ability to tap dance upside down on the ceiling -- as seen in the frenetic "Step In Time" number -- gives him enough bonus points to earn the designation for now. Plus, it's nice to hear a Burt with an actual Cockney accent. I think even Dick Van Dyke himself has admitted how awful his accent was in the movie.

Rebecca Luker makes a welcome return to Broadway as Mrs. Banks, a character who has been altered slightly from the movie. No longer is Mrs. Banks Glynis Johns' determined suffragette. This Mrs. Banks is a former actress who now doesn't quite know what to do with herself, stuck throwing tea parties for people she doesn't even know. The fleshed-out role gives the proper moments to Luker's soprano. Daniel Jenkins ably plays the two sides of the stuffy Mr. Banks.

Ruth Gottschall, as AntiPoppins Miss Andrew, leaves the strongest impression among the supporting cast.The rest fare well. The adorable Mark Price gets to reprise his clumsy Lefou schtick as servant Roberston Ay, although the slapstick seems a little out of place.

Although there are no giraffes walking down the aisle, there are plenty of great effects and stage tricks to dazzle the kiddies. Mary's anticipated flight at the end doesn't disappoint, but there also are some great visual tricks during the "Practically Perfect" number with a seemingly bottomless bag, and Burt's upside-down tap dance was almost a show-stopper.

One scene that receiving a lot of pre-show buzz is the "Temper, Temper" number near the end of Act I, when the toys in the Banks children's nursery rise up against their naughty owners. Some contend that it's too frightening for children. Nonsense. If they could survive the creepy Childcatcher in last season's "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," this should be no problem.

I don't know what the critics will say about this show. My love of the movie might be coloring my opinion, but at the same time, it's nice to see a show that successfully married the family-friendly formula and quality. Chitty was just too soulless, and while I haven't seen "Tarzan," I think I know enough to deem it an overall mess. Mary Poppins, however, is a spoonful of sugar that happily did not leave me with diabetes.