Mary Poppins (musical)

Mary Poppins
The Original London Poster.
Music	Robert B. Sherman Richard M. Sherman George Stiles
Lyrics	Robert B. Sherman Richard M. Sherman Anthony Drewe
Book	Julian Fellowes
Basis	Book series by P.L. Travers Mary Poppins and 1964 Walt Disney Film
Productions	2004 West End 2006 Broadway 2008 UK Tour 2008 Göteborg 2009 US Tour 2009 Helsinki 2009 Budapest 2010 Copenhagen 2010 The Hague 2010 Melbourne

Mary Poppins is a Walt Disney Theatrical musical based on the similarly-titled series of children's books by P. L. Travers and the Disney 1964 film. The West End production opened in December 2004 and received two Olivier Awards, one for Best Actress in a Musical and the other for Best Theatre Choreography. The musical features the film's music and lyrics by the Academy Award winning Sherman Brothers, along with additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The book was written by Julian Fellowes. The musical was directed by Richard Eyre and co-directed by Matthew Bourne, who also acted as co-choreographer with Stephen Mear. A Broadway production with a near-identical creative team opened in November 2006, with only minor changes from the West End version. It received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, winning for Tony Award for Best Scenic Design.

The stage musical is a fusion of various elements from the film and the books. Some elements from the Mary Poppins series of children's books that had been omitted from the film were restored, such as the walking statue and the ladders rising to the stars. Others were removed, such as the scene in which Uncle Albert gets caught on the ceiling, laughing.

Development

In 1993, theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh met Pamela Travers and acquired the rights to develop a stage play adaptation of her Mary Poppins books. In 2001, Mackintosh and the head of Disney Theatrical Thomas Schumacher opened talks on a possible collaboration, so that the stage play would be able to use the songs from the Disney film. With both sides committed, a preliminary outline of the show was written in 2002.

Around this time songwriters George Stiles and Anthony Drewe heard about the project, and independently wrote a demo version of a new introductory song for the character of Mary, titled "Practically Perfect". They submitted the song to Mackintosh, and due to his positive response, were officially brought on to the creative team. Julian Fellowes was brought on to write the show’s script because of his "clear understanding of the social niceties of the English class system that prevailed in the Edwardian era".

A workshop of the show was held at the end of 2003 at the rehearsal room at London’s Old Vic Theatre, using the cast of My Fair Lady, which had just closed in the West End. After four weeks of rehearsals at Sadler's Wells, the production moved to Bristol, where an out-of-town tryout opened at the Bristol Hippodrome on September 15, 2004.

Productions

London

Main article: List of Mary Poppins (musical) cast members

Cameron Mackintosh's stage adaptation of Mary Poppins had its world premiere at the Bristol Hippodrome starting with previews from September 15, 2004, before officially opening on September 18 for a limited engagement until November 6. The production then moved to the Prince Edward Theatre on December 15, 2004. The role of Mary was played by Laura Michelle Kelly, who subsequently won the 2005 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the role, and the role of Bert was played by Gavin Lee. Notable replacements have included Scarlett Strallen and Lisa O'Hare as Mary Poppins and Gavin Creel as Bert.

Prince Edward Theatre 2005

The show sparked mild controversy not long after its debut when producers Cameron MacKintosh and Thomas Schumacher banned children below 3 years old from entering the theatre, deeming the show too scary for young children. The ban remained throughout the show's entire run, during which the theatre staff were to prevent patrons with children below 3 to enter. The show was officially tagged as being "for children seven years and up".

On March 17, 2005, Julie Andrews, who played Mary Poppins in the film, visited the show as a guest. She appeared onstage during the curtain calls, where she gave a speech recalling her own memories from making the film and praising the cast for their new interpretation.

A studio recording featuring the original London cast was released in April 2005. The album contains most of the songs from the stage show, but omits a few, including Precision and Order, Cherry Tree Lane Part 3 and many of the Chim Chim Cher-ee interludes.

The production closed on January 12, 2008, after a run of more than three years.

Broadway

New Amsterdam Theatre showing Mary Poppins, 2007

Following the success of the West End production, a Broadway production debuted on November 16, 2006 at the New Amsterdam Theatre after previews from October 14. Broadway performer Ashley Brown was brought on board to play the title role, and Gavin Lee, who had originated the role of Bert in the West End production, reprised his role in the Broadway production. The rest of the original cast included Daniel H. Jenkins as George Banks, Rebecca Luker as Winifred Banks, Katherine Doherty, Kathryn Fraughnan, and Delaney Moro as Jane Banks, and Matthew Gumley, Alexander Scheitinger, and Henry Hodges as Michael Banks. Starting on 9 October 2008, the role of Mary was played by Scarlett Strallen and Bert was played by Adam Fiorentino. Laura Michelle Kelly, who originated the role of Mary in London, officially took over the role on Broadway on October 12, 2009. Tony Award nominee Christian Borle joined the cast the same day as Bert.

The Broadway production differed from the London production in that the "Jolly Holiday" sequence was staged in full technicolour instead of the gray tones of the London show, and in "Anything Can Happen" the stairs to the heavens were replaced by a large version of Mary Poppins' umbrella entering from the stage floor. These changes were later transferred back to the West End production.

The Broadway version received mixed reviews ranging from enthusiastic to mediocre. Many critics praised the show for its technical merits. Despite the mixed reviews, the show has been regularly performing well at the box office since its opening. After running for 52 weeks, the show recouped all its original investment.

Other productions

UK National Tour

A U.K. Tour of the London production commenced on June 4, 2008 and ended on April 18, 2009, with stops at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, Birmingham Hippodrome, Edinburgh Playhouse, Palace Theatre, Manchester, and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff . The original cast featured Caroline Sheen as Mary Poppins, Daniel Crossley as Bert, Martin Ball as George Banks and Louise Bowden as Winifred Banks. Caroline Sheen performed the role of Mary Poppins from June 4 to October 25, 2008 in Plymouth, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Lisa O'Hare took over the role of Mary Poppins on October 27, 2008 and performed in Edinburgh, Manchester & Cardiff where the Tour concluded.

US National Tour

A U.S. tour began previews on March 11, 2009 with opening night on March 25, featuring Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee reprising their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert respectively. The tour started at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, and is scheduled to play at the State Theatre at Playhouse Square Center in Cleveland, the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas, and the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Nov. 15, 2009 during opening night in Los Angeles Dick Van Dyke (who played Bert in the film) appeared during the encore onstage and praised Lee’s performance in the role. On Jan. 22, 2010 to raise funds for a local charity and as part of a D23 event, Van Dyke did a cameo of his other role from the original film of Mr. Dawes Sr. With new added stops, the tour is scheduled to run through August 2010. The song "Temper, Temper" was cut from this production and replaced with a new musical number called "Playing the Game." The song also replaced "Temper, Temper" in the Broadway production beginning October 12, 2009. Caroline Sheen took over the role of Mary from Brown in February 2010 in Tempe, Arizona and will play the role until February 2011.

Sweden

The first foreign-language production opened on October 18, 2008 in Göteborg, Sweden at the Göteborgs Operan. This production is externally licensed by Disney Theatrical to Josef Weinberger Limited, and performed entirely in Swedish, with the book translated by Magnus Lindman. The musical director was Björn Dobbelaere, with actors Linda Olsson as Mary and Magnus Borén as Bert. This production closed on March 14, 2009.

Netherlands

Another foreign-language production will open in the Fortis Circus Theater in The Hague (Scheveningen), in April 2010, presented by Disney Theatrical directly. Noortje Herlaar is Mary Poppins and William Spaaij is Bert. The actress who plays the role of Mary Poppins was found in a tv-show: Op zoek naar Mary Poppins (Searching for Mary Poppins)

Finland

The Finnish production opened at the Helsinki City Theatre on August 11, 2009 and will run until May 8, 2010.

Denmark

The Danish production opened in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Det Ny Teater on February 18, 2010.The role of Mary is played by Charlotte Guldberg and the role of Bert is played by Kristian Studsgaard.

Hungary

A Hungarian production opened in Budapest, Hungary in September 2009.

Australia

The Australian premiere will be held in Melbourne at Her Majesty's Theatre in July 2010. The full cast will be announced in early 2010, however it has been confirmed that it will star Australian theatre icons Marina Prior (Mrs Banks), Debra Byrne (the bird woman), Philip Quast (Mr Banks), Judi Connelli (Miss Andrew), and Matt Lee (Bert). Verity Hunt-Ballard will be playing the title character, Mary Poppins.

Synopsis

Act I

Bert, a man of many professions, introduces the audience to Cherry Tree Lane ("Chim Chim Cher-ee/Cherry Tree Lane- Part 1"). Number 17 is where the Banks family lives: George and Winifred Banks, their two naughty children Jane and Michael, their cook, Mrs. Brill and their odd-job man, Robertson Ay. Things are not going well, for Jane and Michael are out of control and as the show starts, their latest nanny, Katie Nanna, storms out. After that, Mrs. Brill and Robertson Ay complain about living in a "madhouse." The children decide to write the advertisement for a new nanny ("The Perfect Nanny"), but George Banks has a very different idea of what constitutes the perfect nanny and he tears up the piece of paper and throws it in the fireplace. Within moments Mary Poppins arrives and takes charge of the Banks children, having every confidence in her own qualifications and merits ("Practically Perfect").

On the children's first outing to the park, they meet Bert and, despite their reservations about his ragged clothes and dirty face, Mary teaches them that they must learn to look past appearances. To illustrate the point, Mary brings the park statues, including a mythological figure named Neleus, to life ("Jolly Holiday").

While Mary manages the children, other problems lie with their parents. Winifred Banks is aware that she is somehow disappointing both her children and her husband ("Being Mrs Banks"). George Banks, on the other hand, can't understand why she finds the role of wife and mother so difficult ("Cherry Tree Lane (reprise)"). In an effort to please her husband, Winifred sends out invitations for a smart tea party. Mrs. Brill makes the preparations, while telling an eager Robertson Ay to keep his hands off. The children inadvertently sabotage the kitchen preparations, but Mary Poppins sorts it out with a lesson ("A Spoonful of Sugar"). However, it is then revealed that none of the invitees are coming.

Mary takes the children to visit their father at the bank where he works ("Precision and Order"). There George is busy dealing with possible investment clients: first an ambitious man named Von Hussler who has an elaborate money-making scheme, and then a middle-class man named Northbrook who has a simple factory project. George is furious when Mary turns up with the children, but an innocent question asked by Jane (Whats more important, a good man or a good idea?) makes him realise how much his values have changed ("A Man Has Dreams") since he was an idealistic young man. He then decides to accept Northbrook's project, and rejects Von Hussler's, but unfortunately things take a turn for the worse afterwards.

Outside St. Paul's Cathedral, Mary introduces the children to the Bird Woman ("Feed the Birds"). Jane is suspicious of her, but Michael responds to the Bird Woman and throws crumbs for the birds. On the trip home, the children meet the enigmatic Mrs. Corry who runs a magic sweet shop that also sells words ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious").

The children return home in high spirits, unaware that things have gone wrong for their father. Unknown to them, George's decision to reject Von Hussler has cost the bank dearly, and he is suspended without pay. George explodes with rage at the children and they are sent to the nursery.

Reacting to her father's outburst, Jane flies into a fury, ignoring Mary Poppins' words of warning about controlling her temper. The frightening consequence of her anger becomes apparent as Jane and Michael's toys take on a life of their own and teach the naughty children a lesson with a pretend trial. With plenty of witnesses, including a Jack-in-the-box as the "surprise witness," the children are found guilty and the apparitions collapse as Mary Poppins returns ("Temper Temper").

• Beginning in 2009, a new song called "Playing the Game" replaced "Temper, Temper" in all of the productions. In this song the toys also come to life, but Mary does not leave the room and the children are instead taught how to take better care of their toys after fighting over them.

Realising that Jane and Michael still have a lot to learn, Mary decides to leave Cherry Tree Lane ("Chim Chim Cher-ee - Rooftop Duet"), to bring them to their senses. Her distraught charges find a note saying that perhaps they will see Mary Poppins again eventually.

Act II

Unfortunately, in a misguided attempt to please her husband, Mrs Banks arranges for his childhood nanny, Miss Andrew, to take over from the suddenly departed Mary ("Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise)"). At the very sight of her, a terrified Mr. Banks flees, exclaiming "the Holy Terror!" To everyone's shock and dismay, Miss Andrew is a brutal and cruel tyrant, rejecting any notion of a "spoonful of sugar" in favor of her own terrible elixir ("Brimstone and Treacle Part 1").

Terrified of their new nanny, the children escape to the park and find their good friend Bert, who cheers them up and helps Michael fulfill his dream of flying a kite ("Let's Go Fly a Kite"). This marks the return of Mary Poppins. Jane and Michael are thrilled to be reunited with her, and quickly tell her of the changes that have gone on at Number 17.

File:MaryPoppinsLondon.jpg

Mary (Laura Michelle Kelly) and Bert (Gavin Lee) during "Step in Time".

Also hiding in the park is George, who is depressed over his supposed lack of achievements ("Good For Nothing"). Searching for him is Winifred, who at last understands her husband and the damage that was done to him by Miss Andrew ("Being Mrs Banks (Reprise)").

When the children return to Number 17, Mary sets Caruso, Miss Andrew's lark, free from his cage. This leads to confrontation between the two nannies, ending with Miss Andrew having a taste of her own medicine as she is put in a large birdcage and vanishes down below ("Brimstone and Treacle Part 2"). Winifred and then George return at this point, surprised but pleased that Miss Andrew has "left".

On their next adventure, Bert introduces the children to his friends the chimney sweeps ("Step in Time"). The sweeps' dance eventually enters the house, causing chaos. As the sweeps quickly exit, George receives a telegram from the bank requesting his presence there. George assumes that it is to seal his fate, and decides it's time to sell the family heirloom. However, the vase is shattered accidentally by Mrs. Brill, who goes into a despairing shock since she had been cleaning it from the top of the shelf. When she is being led away for comfort, George goes to clean the broken pile himself, to find it reveal a collection of gingerbread stars from his childhood. This leads to a brief moment of reflection for George ("A Man Has Dreams/ A Spoonful of Sugar (Reprise)"). After shaking hands with Bert, George leaves to meet the Chairman of the Bank.

At the children's encouragement, Winifred decides to follow her heart and be at George's side at the bank ("Anything Can Happen"). Unseen to anyone else, Mary takes Jane and Michael to follow, where they watch the unfolding events.

At the bank, George is shocked to learn the truth about his choice: far from ruining the bank, he has made a fortune. They ask for the word that made them so successful, which George admits to be Mary Poppins' word, ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Reprise)"). Winifred, arriving to defend her husband, finds instead he is the hero of the hour. After she mentions Miss Andrew's name to the Bank Manager, the old man too exclaims "the Holy Terror," which hints that he too might have suffered under the wicked nanny. George apologizes for underestimating her, and together they return to the house ("Anything Can Happen (Reprise)").

Mary realizes that with the family reunited and happy, her task is done. With regret she says goodbye to Bert with a kiss, and sets off ("A Spoonful of Sugar (Farewell Reprise)"). Jane and Michael accept that Mary has left again, knowing that they no longer need her. The two children watch as their parents waltz happily together and Mary flies high above the audience, disappearing in a flash.

Differences from the film

The stage musical is not a direct adaptation of the Disney film, but features elements of both the film and the original books. The dancing penguins in the "Jolly Holiday" sequence and the tea party on the ceiling at Uncle Albert's from the film have been removed altogether (although a sharp-eyed audience member may catch a quick cameo appearance). In their place are dancing statues and a visit to Mrs Corry's shop, both taken from the books.

The musical places more emphasis on Jane and Michael being naughty and their parents being dysfunctional. Jane and Michael are constantly answering back and fighting, necessitating a sequence where Mary (it is implied) causes the toys in their nursery to come to life and berate them via the song "Temper Temper". George Banks has been expanded from the film: in the musical it is revealed that he had a difficult childhood in which he was ignored by his parents (Jane and Michael's paternal grandparents) and was placed under the care of a fearsome nanny named Ms. Andrew. This nanny, Ms. Andrew, makes an appearance in the musical as the polar opposite of Mary Poppins, advocating "brimstone and treacle" instead of "a spoonful of sugar". Winifred Banks is no longer the suffragette of the film, but a former actress who is struggling to fulfil her husband's expectations of her. The run on the bank caused by Michael is cut, and George Banks is not fired from his job.

A number of musical sequences have been modified from their purpose in the film. These are:

• "A Spoonful of Sugar" - Originally sung when Mary first arrives at the Banks home; has been moved to a completely new sequence later in the show where the children destroy the Banks kitchen and Mary helps them fix it. It is also referred to in "Brimstone and Treacle Part 2" and featured briefly as a reprise at the finale.
• "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" - Originally sung during the park outing; has been moved to Mrs. Corry's sweet shop outing. It is also sung when George goes to his workplace (during the Anything Can Happen sequence) and during the curtain call. The song itself is also distinctly different, as the word is spelled, both vocally and physically.
• "Feed the Birds" - Originally sung by Mary before the Banks children visit their father's workplace; has been moved to after the visit and is now sung as a duet between Mary and the Birdwoman.
• "Let's Go Fly a Kite" - Originally sung as the finale by the Banks family at the end of the film; has been moved to near the beginning of Act 2, where it is sung by Bert and the Banks children.

Songs

Act I

• Chim Chim Cher-ee (Opening)
• Cherry Tree Lane Part 1
• The Perfect Nanny
• Cherry Tree Lane Part 2
• Practically Perfect
• Chim Chim Cher-ee (Park Reprise)*
• Jolly Holiday
• Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise) / Being Mrs Banks / Jolly Holiday (Reprise)
• A Spoonful of Sugar
• Precision and Order*
• A Man Has Dreams*
• Feed the Birds
• Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
• Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Encore)*
• Chim Chim Cher-ee (Ups and Downs Reprise)*
• Temper, Temper (Playing the Game)^
• Chim Chim Cher-ee (Rooftop Duet)

Act II

• Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise)
• Brimstone and Treacle Part 1
• Let's Go Fly a Kite
• Good for Nothing
• Being Mrs Banks (Reprise)
• Brimstone and Treacle Part 2
• Practically Perfect (Reprise)*
• Chim Chim Cher-ee (Rooftop Reprise)*
• Step in Time
• Step in Time (Encore)*
• A Man Has Dreams / A Spoonful of Sugar
• Anything Can Happen
• A Spoonful of Sugar (Farewell Reprise) / A Shooting Star

ORIGINAL LONDON CAST - "JANES & MICHAELS". Left to right (FRONT): Poppy Lee Friar, Jack Montgomery, Perry Millward, Harry Stott, Ben Watton, Jake Catterall, Nicola Bowman. Left to right (BACK): Charlotte Spencer, Faye Spittlehouse, Carrie Fletcher, with songwriter Robert B. Sherman. (Photo Date: 19 July 2004)

*Not included in the Original London Cast recording. ^"Playing the Game" replaced "Temper, Temper" in 2009.

Deleted Songs (from the film)

Songs that were in the original movie but omitted from the musical are:

• Sister Suffragette
• The Life I Lead
• Stay Awake
• I Love To Laugh
• A British Bank
• Fidelity Fiduciary Bank

A deleted song for Mrs. Banks was called "What I Can Do," according to an interview with George Stiles and Richard Sherman. It was thought to be a sort of 1920s-style number, so they later wrote "Being Mrs. Banks" instead..

Awards and nominations

2005 Laurence Olivier Awards nominations

• Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical - Laura Michelle Kelly (WINNER)
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Gavin Lee
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical - David Haig
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director - Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear (WINNER)
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design - Howard Harrison
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Set Design - Bob Crowley
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Costume Design - Bob Crowley

2005 Evening Standard Theatre Awards nominations

• Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical
• Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Designer - Bob Crowley (WINNER)
• Sydney Edwards Award for Best Director - Richard Eyre

2005 Theatregoer's Choice Awards nominations

• Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best New Musical - Nominated
• London Calling - Best Director - Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne
• Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical - Laura Michelle Kelly
• Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical -Gavin Lee
• Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical - Linzi Hateley
• Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical - Rosemary Ashe
• Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical - David Haig
• Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best Designer - Bob Crowley (WINNER)
• Theatregoer's Choice Award for Best Choreographer - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear

2007 Theatregoer's Choice Awards nomination

• Best Takeover Role - Scarlett Strallen

2007 Tony Award nominations

• Tony Award for Best Musical
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical - Gavin Lee
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical - Rebecca Luker
• Tony Award for Best Choreography - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear
• Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical - Bob Crowley (WINNER)
• Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical - Bob Crowley
• Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical - Howard Harrison

2007 Outer Critics Circle Award nominations

• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Score
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Choreography - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical - Gavin Lee
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical - Ashley Brown
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Daniel Jenkins
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical - Rebecca Luker
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Set Design - Bob Crowley
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Costume Design - Bob Crowley
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lighting Design - Howard Harrison

2007 Drama League Award nominations

• Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical
• Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance - Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee

2007 Drama Desk Award nominations

• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical - Ashley Brown
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Gavin Lee (WINNER)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical - Julian Fellowes
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Musical - Bob Crowley (WINNER)

External links

• ​Mary Poppins​ at the Internet Broadway Database
• Mary Poppins - London production website
• Mary Poppins - Broadway production website
• Mary Poppins - Broadway.com profile
• Mary Poppins - A fan website
• Mary Poppins Song Lyrics - Lyrics to the songs