Home > Travels > Practically Perfect- My Review of "Mary Poppins" Practically Perfect- My Review of "Mary Poppins" Date Created: Sep 29, 2005, 08:55 PM Mary Poppins - a musical based upon the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film One of the highlights of our trip to London was being able to catch a few of the big West End hit shows. The highlight was indubitably, "Mary Poppins", the first musical to be produced under the collaborative umbrella of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh (the producer of such long running hits such as Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera). This a big, no, stupendous stage presentation, which incorporates not only the best elements of the movie, but also conjurs up new material from the PL Travers book that inspired the film to create a big, brash hit. By no means just a staging of the movie, "Mary Poppins" is almost a complete reimagination of the classic Disney tale, something which might catch some people by surprise. Unlike Disney's previous smash hit adaptations of its animated hits "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King", "Mary Poppins" uses the characters and situations of the movie as a basis, then takes us on an almost completely different, yet familiar journey of the Banks family and the nanny that changed their life. As the curtain opens to the famous rooftop of London scene, (looking very much the way it was immortalized in the Great Movie Ride at MGM studios), chimney sweeper Bert, who is quasi- narrating this tale, sings a verse from "Chim Chim Cheree" which reminds us that "...all that will happen, has happened before"). With that, we are whisked away majestically into the Banks household, which rises from the stagefloor and opens up into a large doll-house that enables all sorts of rooms to be visible at once. This stunning effect immediately prepares you for the sort of magic that will be in store for the evening. Purists might be put off by the fact that this is where the changes begin. Instead of relying entirely on "Mary Poppin's" well-known, classic film score, the producers decided to update things a bit with several new songs that were not written by the original Disney Tunesmiths (the famous Sherman Brothers), but by a new team of talented writers who skillfully found ways of blending in their new songs with the ones we all know and love. New lyrics to some standard favorites might also catch you by surprise, but believe me, once you understand that this is not exactly a literal translation of the film, but more something unique of it's own, you can't help but get caught up in the world, just the same way the Banks family is caught up in Mary's whirlwind. How can you resist a giggle when Bert sings, (To the tune of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"), "Check your breath before you speak, in case it's halitosus". Hysterical. The first new song is for the household ("the Perfect Nanny") and for the introduction of Mr. Banks himself . Instead of the pomposity of "The Life I lead", the film song which always seemed patterned upon the patter songs developed for "My Fair Lady", Banks sings a variation on it that is brief and to the point ("Precision and Order", he proclaims). He is a very busy man who has no time for nonsense in his life, his wife, or his kids. Mrs. Bank's song from the movie, about being a Suffragette, has also been cut. In the stage version, she is a former actress, who is growing accustomed to life at home as the wife of a banker, having giving up her dreams of stardom. The story then proceeds as we know it, with the Banks children causing all sorts of mischief until the day the winds blow Mary Poppins - who appears magically,I must add - into the Banks home. Mary's comings and goings and tricks and treats are so mystical, that one can only assume she was some sort of witch,rather than a magical nanny, a point that comes across clearer later, when an old hag appears to take over as nanny (!) . Instead of "A Spoonful of Sugar", which is used in the movie to introduce Mary's magical powers, Mary sings the humorous "Practically Perfect", in which she touts her ability to be exactly what people expect her to be. "...Sugar" is sung later on in the show. The moment in the play that really draws home the fact that you are not watching the movie, is the "Jolly Holiday" sequence, which in the film takes place about halfway through and features animated penguins, animals, and a lark in the park. On stage, the sequence takes place during the first half-hour, and is used to introduce the children to Mary's magical world, as she takes them into a park in which the statues ingeniusly come to life and sing "It's a Jolly Holiday with Mary", dancing and engaging the audience to a rousing cheer, wrapping them up in the new world being presented before them. Another spectactular moment is the staging of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". Again, instead of the familiar placing and pacing of the number, the song is used later in the show, during another outing in which Mary introduces the children to more outlandish creatures in a magical land ( a scene not in the movie). The number culminates in an hypnotic spelling out of the superflous word that will stay with you days later. Less successful, but well sung and performed, was "Spoonful of Sugar", which is used to restore order to the kitchen after a clutzy servant demolishes it. See what I mean about familiarity. The songs are there, but this is not your old "Mary Poppins". This is something new, exciting, innovative, and interesting. Don't fret too much, though, familiar moments such as "Step in Time", "Fly a Kite" and "Chim Chim Cheree" remain almost the way you remember them, only most spectacularly presented live. Unlike in the film, the story takes a slightly dark turn from then on. The Banks children continue to act spoiled during the first act, losing their tempers,causing Mary to magically 'torment' them by making the rag dolls and toys in their room come to life and warn them about losing their temper ("Temper, Temper", another new song). I was watching the reaction of some 7 year old kids who happened to be seated near us, and wondered if the message would hit home. They seemed to enjoy every minute. Despite the fact that so many changes were made, they do all make sense and invigorate the story, creating a unique experience that melds the well-known with the new. At the end of Act One, Mary, feeling that the children and the house will not benefit from her presence, flies away, leaving you, as well as the rest of the cast, longing for her to return... and wondering if she will in the second act. (I mean, surely she'll come back! There's more songs left for her to sing!) I won't spoil much more of it for any of you who will make plans to see it, but rest assured that other than the odd placement of the familiar songs, and getting used to the new story, the show does not disappoint at all. Like every other Disney Theatrical or Cameron Mackintosh production I've seen, you get your money's worth! I was lucky enough to catch the original cast, who also perform on the CD. The performers, especially Laura Michele Kelly as Mary, Gavin Lee as Bert, and David Haig Mr. Banks are outstanding. The children are great and the maids get extra funny moments and personality. Believable, talented, and evocative of their filmic predecessors, it's unknown which of these great folks will make the trip along with the show to Broadway, where it's expected to open next year, but I'm sure their replacements will be just as good. If you are a purist who hates when things are completely changed, then you may have a problem with this show. While Beauty and the Beastand The Lion King also had new sequences added when they came to the stage, they basically stuck to the known storyline, something I felt dragged The Lion King down for me when I first saw it. Why pay all that money to see something you could see at home? I'm glad that Mary Poppins was handled slightly differently by providing good new content along with the old. Though some of the new songs hedge on the corny side for me (I'm famous for saying I'm not into a show unless it's got a guitar in it!0 for the production values alone, Mary Poppins is a must see, soaring high and above many of the shows I've seen here on our own shores. It was,as they say in the show, "practically perfect in every way". To see photos from the production, and hear clips, as well as a quick video peek, check out the official site: Mary Poppins - Official Site PS: Disney's next theatrical venture is an adaptation of it's TARZAN feature, which is due on Broadway next Spring! I can hardly wait to see what magic they can do with a live presentation of that one! Mary Poppins is currently playing at the Prince Edward Theatre, London, England, with an eye toward arriving in the US by 2007. Copyright © Tony Gonzalez. All rights reserved.