MUSIC THEATRE
Original music & songs Richard M Sherman ad Robert B Sherman
New songs and music by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, Book by Julian Fellowes
Based on PL Travers’ stories
Produced by Disney & Cameron Mackintosh with Michael Cassel Group
At Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne from February 3, 2023
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ****1/2
This review was published only on this blog. I'll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on 25 Feb 2023.
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| Stefanie Jones (Mary Poppins) with the Banks children- credit Daniel Boud |
Mary Poppins needed her peacock-headed umbrella on a drizzly opening night in Melbourne, but even the rain could not dampen the spirits of the vivacious super-nanny, her vibrant supporting cast or her enthralled audience of children and adults alike.
Stefanie Jones is “Practically Perfect in every way” as the prim, proper, composed, effortlessly authoritative, acerbic, immaculately dressed, impeccably mannered, almost balletic and always magical Mary Poppins.
As Mary, Jones is “a triple threat” (sings, dances, acts) and matches the quality of her much-lauded predecessor, Verity Hunt-Ballard, who performed the role in Australia in 2010. Jones has a crystal-clear soprano, her character is a sublime blend of mischievous, pert, conceited and bossy, her comic timing is flawless, and she maintains Mary’s poise and wit while performing elaborate dance routines.
New songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe fit seamlessly among, and match the quality and singability of the beloved, unforgettable classics by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman written for the 1964 movie: Chim Chim Cher-ee, A Spoonful of Sugar, Let’s Go Fly A Kite, Jolly Holiday and more.
Julian Fellowes’ book for the stage production is witty, fast-moving and sensitively and entertainingly develops the storyline of the Banks family in crisis. Director, Richard Eyre, with co-director, Matthew Bourne, creates a cohesive, rollicking whole that incorporates startling stage illusion and spectacular choreography by Bourne and Stephen Mear.
Bob Crowley’s transformational set transports us from the Banks’ staid home in Cherry Tree Lane, into a technicolour park with dancing statues, onto the rooftops with the chimney sweeps, and into Mrs Corry’s Talking Shop.
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| Stefanie Jones & cast - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious_credit-Daniel Boud |
The highlights are many, including inspired ensemble routines such as Supercalifagilisticexpialidocius in which Mary Poppins leads a bevy of eccentric characters in boldly colourful costumes in an almost miraculous dancing, singing, tongue-twisting and body-contorting rendition of the song.
As Bert, Jack Chambers astounds and charms the audience with his exceptional dance skills. Tom Wren is dignified and stitched up as Mr Banks, the banker, Lucy Maunder embodies the barely restrained free spirit of his wife, Winifred, while Harriet Sadler and Sebastian Sero are suitably precocious as the Banks children, Jane and Michael.
Marina Prior plays the wistful Bird Woman and, in total contrast, doubles as the redoubtable nanny, Miss Andrew, who, with her strict discipline, intimidating manner and ghastly medicine, terrorises everyone – except Mary Poppins.
Several confounding circus-like feats leave the crowd gaping: Chambers walks up walls and dances upside down on the ceiling and Mary flies across the stage and then disappears above the audience.
Choose your seats carefully because, if you are seated in the back third of the theatre, you will miss some of these remarkable feats that take place very high up on the stage or over the heads of the audience because your sight lines are restricted. Perhaps, if I’d been seated further forward in the theatre, this would again have been a 5-star review.
Mary Poppins is a remarkable musical for all ages and it is practically perfect in every way.
by Kate Herbert
Cast
Stefanie Jones- Mary Poppins
Jack Chambers -Bert
Marina Prior- Bird Woman/Miss Andrew
Tom Wren- George Banks
Lucy Maunder Winifred Banks
Robert Grubb – Admiral Boom/Chairman of Bank
Harriet Sadler -Jane Banks
Sebastian Sero- Michael Banks
Hannah Waterman – Mrs Brill
Gareth Isaac – Robertson Ay
Creative Team
Richard Eyre, Director
Matthew Bourne – Co-director & choreographer
Stephen Mear – Co-choreographer
Bob Crowley – Scenic and Costume Designer
Hugh Vanstone & Natasha Katz – Lighting Designer
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| Jack Chambers (Bert) performing Step In Time, credit Daniel Boud |
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| Marina Prior as Bird Woman_credit-Daniel-Boud |
Songs
Act 1
Chim-Chim Cher-ee
Cherry Tree Lane Pt 1
The Perfect Nanny
Cherry Tree Lane Pt 2
Practically Perfect
Jolly Holiday
Let’s Hope She Will Stay
A Spoonful of Sugar
Precision and Order
A Man Has Dreams
Feed The Birds
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Playing The Game
Chim-Chim Cher-ee (reprise)
Act 2
Cherry Tree Lane(reprise)
Brimstone and Treacle Pt 1
Let’s Go Fly A Kite
Good For Nothing
Being Mrs Banks
Brimstone and Treacle Pt 2
Practically Perfect (reprise)
Chim-Chim Cher-ee (reprise)
Step in Time
A Man Dreams / A Spoonful of Sugar (reprise)
Anything Can Happen
A Spoonful of Sugar (reprise)
Finale (Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious / Step in Time
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