Mary Poppins (song)
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"Mary Poppins" is a song from the 2015 stage musical Love Birds with music and lyrics by Robert J. Sherman. It is sung by "The Original Quack Pack", a penguin barbershop quartet who resemble the penguins from the 1964 Walt Disney motion picture, Mary Poppins. In dialogue leading up to the song, the penguins explain that while they did know the same nanny, (Mary Poppins) they are not the same penguins as in the movie. The song expresses their longing for the magical nanny of literary fame.
The original quartet of penguins included George Knapper (as "Puck"), Ryan Willis (as "Pewcey"), Jonny Purchase (as "Presley") and Rafe Watts (as "Parker"). They are also featured on the Original Edinburgh Cast Recording. "Mary Poppins" is the second track of that recording.
Background
The songwriter's father and uncle, Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman (known collectively as the "Sherman Brothers") wrote the original song score from the 1964 movie of the same name. However the Sherman Brothers never wrote a song entitled, "Mary Poppins".
Response
The song as well as the show, were very well received by both members of the audience and critics.[1][2] Glasgow Theatre Blog commented: "Despite its setting and its 20’s-evocative feel, there are some interesting and fresh-sounding tunes here: ‘Mary Poppins’ is arguably the best of the bunch and has the penguins lament their abandonment at the hands of the most famous nanny in the world, it’s a barber-shop, doo woop number that could easily sit beside Sherman’s illustrious forebears classic output."[3]