-
Lets begin the post with a bit of a confession: I've loved Mary Poppins since I first saw it when I was ten. I loved the movie, loved the music and especially loved it because it was one of the few things I remember sharing so fully with my Mom. I've managed to see the movie every time it's been re-released in theaters and bought it as soon as it came out on DVD. Once Disney started converting movies into stage musicals I knew it was only a matter of time before Mary Poppins got the Beauty and the Beast treatment. And, honestly, I was looking forward to the show with equal anticipation and trepidation.
-
Those looking to see Mary Poppins translated almost directly from screen to stage are sadly doomed to disappointment: there's simply no way the scenes can be replicated outside of a movie studio. Most of the songs (Stay Awake and I Love To Laugh being the notable exceptions) and a few bits from the movie make the transition but most of the story is new (hence my trepidation). The writers chose to go back to the P. L. Travers books for inspiration and those who know them find lots of recognizable characters and scenes. This "next gen" Mary Poppins is somewhat darker in tone than the movie and the personal drama is ratcheted up to new levels. The kids are brattier, George Banks is even more of a tyrant and the household help are played for slapstick. There's also the introduction of Miss Andrew--who out wickeds the Wicked Witch of The West.
-
Sadly, the new musical numbers don't live up to the songs from the film: I found myself forgetting them even as I was listening--no matter how many times I heard the songs (and, believe me, I heard them a LOT!) Almost every song gets at least one reprise--several get FOUR--and I was heartily tired of all of them by the end of the show. At least the singers and musicians were top-notch. The six-person orchestra produced a surprisingly full sound and they played with energy and verve throughout the whole show. The costumes were beautifully done but I took a bit of an issue with some of the lighting choices, sparse stage sets in many scenes and special effects that were none too special.
-
Steffanie Leigh (as Mary Poppins) was practically perfect in every way. She doesn't try to imitate Julie Andrews' take on the role but instead gives it her own spin and flare. Likewise Nicholas Dromard doesn't try to copy Dick Van Dyke's Bert but brings his own qualities to the part (and gets one of the few truly "magical" moments). The children (I don't know which ones were playing the role at the show I saw so I won't give credit) had one acting note--shrill--but they sang prettily and danced quite well. Special credit needs to be given to Q. Smith who played the role of Miss Andrew: she had a powerful voice and deliciously chewed the scenery in her part. The rest of the cast was adequate to their parts and everyone sang and danced well. Still, I kept hoping for that spark of "Disney Magic" but I never got it until nearly the end of the show--and then it was just a spark. What exactly is that magic? You'll have to see the show for yourself but, rest assured, it's pretty darned awesome.
-
Honestly, I think I might have enjoyed the show had we not had seats next to the rudest people in the world. (One group chose to arrive 20 minutes late and made a massive production of getting to their seats while another group texted and chatted throughout the whole show.) I listened in to snippets of conversations from quite a number of audience members as I made my way out and they all seemed to enjoy it thoroughly (so I guess I'm just a surly old critic). Mary Poppins is the kind of show the whole family can go to see and is a great introduction to live theater for those who don't attend. Tickets aren't cheap but the price is worth it.
-
FINAL GRADE: B (for surly old critics)
FINAL GRADE: A (everyone else)
No comments:
Post a Comment