MARY POPPINS
MARY POPPINS, Capitol Theatre to Christmas, 2011. Booking well ahead.>/p>
WITHIN MINUTES OF the show’s opening there’s a new, hummable song sung by the heroine that announces she’s “Practically Perfect” – and you know resistance is futile. Mary Poppins IS practically perfect and there’s an end to it.
Cameron Mackintosh’s latest production has been “much anticipated” and “long awaited” and all those other tense feelings that precede a major show which opened its Australian campaign in Melbourne. Word has long been drifting up from the south suggesting Poppins is a winner and Sydney audiences have been quick to grab her umbrella.
Mackintosh doesn’t leave much to chance and the pre-publicity, fluttering banners along the streets and a series of well-attended previews caused the Capitol box office to take more $$$ the day before the official opening night than ever before in its history. What does that tell you? That the word-of-mouth – or word of social media mouth – has clearly been amazing. And it’s easy to see why. As an evening of musical theatre entertainment, Mary Poppins is up there with the best (and we’re talking the great classic popular shows of Rodgers and Hart and Hammerstein, or Lerner and Loewe.)
There are those who were brought up on, and adored, the Julie Andrews/Dick Van Dyke-and-cartoon extravaganza of 1964, either first time around or through re-release, video and DVD. And there are those who didn’t like it one bit because it was simpery and just too, too old-style Disney for words. Among the latter camp was PL Travers, creator of Mary Poppins who apparently wasn’t much impressed, not even by its 13 Oscar nominations and truckloads of other accolades.
The changes to the stage version lie in the songs, as much as the sharpening of the story and characters. While the show opens with “Chim Chim Cheree” – the 1964 Oscar winner – which is sweetly delivered by chirpy Matt Lee as Mary’s pal Bert, it’s the new “Practically Perfect”, coming in as Mary’s introduction and her theme song, that is the first of many showstoppers. It’s saucy, funny, full of character and it gives the narrative flow an almighty boost in the right direction.
The Australian cast is the tops. As the world’s most famous nanny, Verity Hunt Ballard has repaid in spades the much-publicised “hunt for Australia’s Poppins”. She is Mary – spiky, lovable, indefinably otherworldly and not an imitation Julie Andrews – and that, along with her magical umbrella, helps the show fly from the start. As Mr Banks the banker, Philip Quast is brusque and pompous before falling under Mary’s spell, while Marina Prior as Mrs Banks, is ditzy and warm-hearted; and of course, both sing like angels.
The quality casting goes right through: the cameo role of Bird Woman is heart-rending as played by Debra Byrne. The Banks’ crabby cook-general is deliciously brought to life by Sally-Anne Upton. And the injection of a brilliantly vivid Caribbean element to what used to be an archaically white-bread world is a chance for Leah Howard to shine as Mrs Corry – a kind of lolly-dispensing obeah woman. There’s a team of kids sharing the roles of the Banks children and the opening night pair were terrific. Sadly, the wondrous Judi Connelli was unwell for the Sydney opening so her Nazi nanny Miss Andrew – reported from Melbourne to be a show-stealing performance – was well understudied but frankly, Connelli is irreplaceable and her absence is enough to crack the piggy bank for another visit to the show.
The creative team behind MPoppins is as dazzling as what happens on stage. Led by director Richard Eyre, who is a theatre star in his own right, the show is powered from its foundations: he brilliantly orchestrates the company and crew (more backstage than on it because of the frequent quick costume and scene changes). And with set piece dance sequences that range from statues coming to balletic life in the park, to massed tap dancing chimney sweeps, the class and in-depth abilities of the company are spectacularly utilised by co director and choreographer Matthew Bourne. The sets and costumes (Bob Crowley) and lighting (Howard Harrison) are a total delight: the Banks family home is a Victorian dolls’ house that opens up to rapturous applause, while the London streets, park and rooftops are as richly evoked.
The book, by famously acerbic actor-screenwriter Julian Fellowes, does all the right things by the Travers stories. It’s also spookily apposite, post-GFC, with its picture of the worst excesses of the banking world: where nothing but money is made and nothing kind or nice happens..
The supporting cast members are as colourful and in-depth talented and the same can be said of the orchestra. Mary Poppins sits well in the Capitol Theatre and will be there for the rest of the year. It’s the family show that’s as sophisticated and magical as anyone could hope for.
Fact is, I adored it and despite that, you may have noticed I've managed to avoid making a punning comment about Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
