Mary Poppins
"Practically perfect in every way" goes one of the new songs in Mary Poppins, the new musical from Disney and Cameron Mackintosh (Les Miserables) that arrives at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles for a 3 month run. "Practically" is the key word here, as "perfect" it’s not. Not that there isn’t plenty to like.
Taking its cue from the movie musical and supplementing it with nods to the books and the addition of new songs, the musical feels like the Mary Poppins we know and love, but there is something frenetic and random about it, too.
Academy Award winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes wrote the book, while new tunes by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe round out the musical beats originally supplied by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.
The story of Mary Poppins is well known and hardly bears repeating, but for those who may be uninitiated, the plot revolves around the Banks family; George works at a--well--bank; his wife stays home doing charity work, leaving their children Jane and Michael in the hands of a nanny. But being the spoiled children they are, they swiftly run off every nanny they hire. Enter Mary Poppins. She magically arrives before an ad is even placed in the newspaper, fitting their needs like a glove. Over the course of the story, she will teach the children respect, inner magic, how to speak up for themselves, and how to let go of those they love. And she will also instigate the parents’ desire to be close to their children.
All of this is bookended by the character Bert (played by the original, Gavin Lee), a chimney sweep/artist with a thing for Mary, and a penchant for winningly bringing magic wherever he goes. Together, he and Mary make a colorful team, and their obvious interest in each other adds to that.
The catchy and familiar music of the original film is the glue that holds this piece together, and it’s when we hear the chorus of "Supercalifragilistic" and "A Spoonful of Sugar" that the magic truly comes alive.
Taking a film and making it sing on stage can be a tricky endeavor, and Disney knows all the right beats to hit. The problem with the stage version of Mary Poppins is that it tends to feel episodic, moving from one set piece to another, with a meandering feel as a result. The characters mug effortlessly, but sometimes the "theatrical" energy of the proceedings can be a distraction. For some of the time it seems everyone is just yelling at each other, which can be numbing. Sometimes it’s okay to let the audience breathe.
The set design by Bob Crowley is mostly excellent, with a few lesser choices as regards some transitional pieces, but overall it’s a visual treat.
Ashley Brown is a joy as Mary Poppins, keeping her sweet but adding a big dose of cockiness and assuredness that was hinted at in the film; here, that attitude takes center stage. The new song "Practically Perfect" showcases this new angle, with Mary singing of her many wonderful attributes.
Gavin Lee is spritely and vibrant as Bert in what amounts to an underwritten role, never achieving the full embodied character that we saw in the one created by Dick Van Dyke in the film. This isn’t the fault of Lee, however; it’s a fault of the book that uses him to further the story, rather than give him anything meaty to do. When he takes center stage in the classic number "Step in Time," however, he truly sparkles, making his way up the frame of the stage and tap-dancing his way upside down on top of it. It’s an inventive bit of staging that makes the play come alive.
The same can be said for the "Supercalifragilistic" number, which adds a slightly modern touch by having the characters use their arms and bodies to swiftly spell out the word. As the song gets faster and faster, so do the movements, reminding us of a fun camp game we might have played as children. This is by far the standout number, and could have ended Act One on a high. Instead, the act continues with George Banks getting laid off and Mary bringing the children’s toys to life for a really creepy musical number called "Playing the Game" about the kids’ mistreatment of them.
While most of the new songs are borderline forgettable, the addition of an evil new nanny named Miss Andrew is a deliciously dark element that not only adds a great new character into the mix, but occasions a pitch-perfect new song ("Brimstone and Treacle"), along with the perfect actress, Ellen Harvey, to play Miss Andrew. Her incredible voice and characterization momentarily overshadows Ashley Brown’s Mary Poppins and brings the house down.
All in all it’s a mixed bag of a show. It’s certainly not a waste of time, and has some great and ingenious moments. (The statues coming to life are quite fun.) If only the choreography by the amazing Matthew Bourne didn’t seem like crowd control, and the book was a little more streamlined, we would have had a classic piece of musical theatre. Instead, it seems like another visual jar of eye-candy put together quickly by the Disney machine to reap a profit. In that, they certainly have succeeded.
Mary Poppins runs through February 7th, 2010. For more information and for tickets go to www.CenterTheatreGroup.org
