Review: A Spoonful of…amazing stage craft, heart and warmth make “Mary Poppins” very easy to swallow.

Review: Mary Poppins, a musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and The Walt Disney film. Original music & lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. Book by Julian Fellowes. New songs and additional music & lyrics by George Styles and Anthony Drewe. Original co-direction & choreography by Matthew Bourne. Original direction by Richard Eyre. Direction adapted by James Powell. Choreography adapted by Geoffrey Garratt. Tour directed by Antony Lyn. With Steffanie Leigh, Nicolas Dromard, Laird Mackintosh, Blythe Wilson. Now through May 29 at The Paramount.

(L to R) Steffanie Leigh as ‘Mary Poppins,’ Katie Balen as ‘Jane Banks,’ Bryce Baldwin as ‘Michael Banks,’ Nicolas Dromard as ‘Bert,’ and the National Tour Company of MARY POPPINS perform “Step In Time.” ©Disney/CML. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Yes, it’s a “kiddy” show, and yes, it’s Disney, and yes, it’s a known product and not very new and fresh, and yes, it’s “family entertainment” and for all those reasons many of our readers are rolling their eyes, even the theater junkies, and thinking “WHY would I want to spend money to see Walt Disney and Cameron Macintosh’s live stage version of the classic Disney film Mary Poppins? And, why would I want to see a family show with an audience full of kids, based on a film/book I experienced when I was eight years old? SupercalifragilisticPHOOEY!

And, the answer is: because Mary Poppins is a gorgeous, charming, brilliantly executed piece of pure entertainment with classic songs by the Sherman Brothers, (and new classics by George Styles and Anthony Drewe); a charming book by Oscar winner Julian Fellowes based on the delightful original film and books by P.L. Travers; the most amazing stagecraft you’ve seen on one stage with breathtaking sets, costumes and special effects; and a timeless, classic story centering on one of the most beloved figures in children’s literature. Mary Poppins, at The Paramount through May 29, is the most entertaining touring musical I’ve seen on a Seattle stage in two years; it has more heart, soul and joy than all the other touring shows put together. At times, the stagecraft on stage will leave you dumbfounded. It’s a “kiddy” show but for the inner “kiddy” in all of us. It’s not a perfect musical; the story gets a little muddy at times as the creators have patched together plot elements from the original film as well as incidents from other “Poppins” books, and like all modern musicals, they try a little too hard to sell some of the numbers, but that can be overlooked. The sheer joy of Mary Poppins overwhelms any weaker moments in plot or over enthusiasm, and most importantly: it’s a helluva lot of fun.

And, the success of “Poppins” boils down to three things: the beloved songs/moments from the original; the characters, especially Ms Poppins herself; and the multi-million dollar stage design and craft spent on this production. Audiences naturally eagerly await the recreations of all those classic moments: “Spoonful of Sugar” and “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “Jolly Holiday” and “Step in Time” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (the last time I’m typing THAT) and the adaptors of Poppins: the stage musical have managed to stay faithful to the intent of the original film, while subtly tweaking them for the stage. We don’t miss the animated penguins and moments in “Jolly Holiday” because the song is still the same great song, and the eye popping designs and staging of the number leave you breathless and craving more; frankly, the stage number of “Jolly Holiday” is MORE fun than the film version…and, it comes with sexy dancers in skin tight leotards portraying statues come to life, so it’s FAAAAR more homoerotic than any Disney film!

Secondly, “Poppins” has great characters and a strong basic plot: The Banks family is falling apart because father works all the time; mother is ineffectual and has no self-confidence; and the two Banks children are out of control. But, “Poppins” is of course beloved because of the title character, Mary herself. Who IS Mary Poppins? WHAT is Mary Poppins? Where does she come from? Is she mortal? a fairy? a pixie? a genie? The mysteries of Mary Poppins are part of her charm, but then there’s also the fact that the character is a bit of a tyrant: she’s always right and she always gets her way. Walking home from Mary Poppins on Friday night, I realized that Mary Poppins has been my role model for the last 40 years. Miss P doesn’t take crap from anyone…she’s my HERO!

Finally, you have to acknowledge the designers, crafts people and production team behind the show. Disney has lavished millions of dollars and hired the best in the business to design the sets and props and costumes, and utilize the latest technology in lighting and projections, and whip up stunts and effects that leave you gasping for air. I don’t want to ruin the show for anyone, but Mary Poppins makes you believe that you CAN walk on walls and nannies can fly with the aid of only an umbrella. I would doff my hat to Steffanie Leigh as Mary and Nicolas Dromard as Bert the Chimney Sweep for their fearlessness alone in performing these stunts every night (twice on Saturday!) on stage, but they also earn our respect for their excellent performances. And, while readers and audiences have adored the character of Mary Poppins for decades, she could also be seen as a tough and/or a boring role to play. Mary is ALWAYS right, never really expresses any strong emotions and doesn’t get big moments on stage that let her just let it all out; she’s a very restrained character. But, Ms Leigh does an excellent job of playing the small moments when Mary seems the most human and real; her affection for the children and her obviously wistful and unrequited feelings for Bert. Was Mary bewitched at some point to spend an eternity “fixing” broken families but forbidden to experience any personal love and emotions? Perhaps…P.L. Travers claims she didn’t know the origins of Mary but that theory does shed some light on the character of Mary Poppins and the performance of the actress who plays her.

Nicolas Dromard gives a fine, star making performance as Bert, always holding our interest and defining what is meant by the term “crowd-pleasing”. (Also, fearless…the actor performs a stunt that few would attempt.) The audience loves Bert and Mr. Dromard’s charming performance of the character. Blythe Wilson also shines as Mrs. Banks, who reverts to her role in the books as a former actress coping with her new life as a proper wife and mother as opposed to the suffragette character played in the film by the delightful Glynis Johns. Ms Wilson’s performance was warmly earnest without being cloying and the actress’s excellent singing voice was oddly reminiscent of original Poppins portrayer, Julie Andrews. And, Ms Wilson and Ms Leigh could easily swap roles; both are suited to play either role. Laird Mackintosh as Mr. Banks, Rachel Izen as the cook Mrs. Brill and Q. Smith as Mr. Banks former nasty nanny, Miss Andrews provide very strong support, and both child actors portraying the Banks children, (two young actors rotate in each role, as Michael and Jane) take center stage throughout the show and give mature, professional if not a tiny bit shrill at times, performances. All in all, the entire company of actors and dancers are uniformly excellent.

Who’s this for? Uh, anyone who wants to be entertained in the purest sense of the word. Mary Poppins is not edgy, or controversial, or layered with much meaning, but it doesn’t claim to be. Simpy put, Mary Poppins is a dazzling treat…glorious candy for both the ears and the eyes. For pure entertainment value, it’s the best deal in Seattle right now.