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For this highly anticipated theatrical event, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh have teamed up to produce Mary Poppins , bringing to life Pamela Travers' fantastic stories filled with eccentric and perceptive characters whose adventures have delighted every generation since they first appeared in the 1930's.
Mary Poppins is the central character in a series of children's books written by P. L. Travers and illustrated by Mary Shepard, which were subsequently adapted for film and for the stage. The first book, Mary Poppins, published in 1934, introduced the mysterious anti-heroine, a vain, acerbic magical English nanny blown by a windstorm to Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, London and into the Banks' household to care for the Banks' children; Jane (the eldest), Michael, and twin babies John and Barbara. Encounters with chimney sweeps, pavement artists, shopkeepers, and various adventures follow until Mary Poppins abruptly leaves. Her sudden return in Mary Poppins Comes Back heralds more of the same, as does Mary Poppins Opens the Door. The other books in the sequence, P.L. Travers explains in her introduction to Mary Poppins in the Park, describe incidents which happened during any of these three visits, for 'Mary could not forever arrive and depart.'
In December 2004, Mary Poppins: The Musical opened at the Prince Edward Theatre, London. It received critical acclaim and was nominated for nine 2005 Olivier Awards. It won two awards, Best Actress in a Musical, for Laura Michelle Kelly, and Best Theatre Choreography, for Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear.
The musical has original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, book by Julian Fellowes, and new songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
Characters
Mary Poppins enters the book when Mrs. Banks calls for a nanny after Katie Nanna quits. Mary Poppins comes from the easterly wind with an umbrella and a carpet bag. She watches the Bank children much better than Katie Nanna, and is abrasive at times. Mary Poppins has also been known to argue with the two main children, Jane and Michael'. She is very different from her Disney version (Julie Andrews, 1964), who is loving and motherly. The most important line in the book is when Mary Poppins says she will "leave when the wind changes". Later, she does leave when the westerly wind comes.
Mrs. Banks Mrs. Banks is the wife of George Banks and mother of Jane and Michael. She is more fully developed in the film than in the books, appearing as a valiant and fervent suffragette and feminist. She also appears in the stage musical.
Mr. Banks George Banks is Mary Poppins' employer. He works at the Bank in the City of London, and lives at 17 Cherry Tree Lane with his wife and their children. He is a very cross man who hates the women's suffrage movement but later on in the movie his attitude changes. Viewed from a contemporary perspective, the plot elements of the 1964 film actually tell the story of his stepping off the "Edwardian Rat Race" to become a laughing, kite-flying, bird-feeding father, connected with his children. "Feed The Birds", while much less popular than the signature dance numbers "Supercalafragelistic.." and "Step in Time", is reputed to have been Walt Disney's favorite song. Melodic fragments that occur later in the score punctuate the childrens' need for their father's attention, possibly reflecting Disney's desire to have spent more time with his own children.
According to the Special Edition Soundtrack Bonus Disc, Mary Poppins was George's own nanny when he was a child. Travers intended to have the script hint this strongly in a few places, but it was largely left out of the movie, except for the following words in Bert's opening song, "Can't put me finger on what lies in store... But I feel what's to 'appen, all 'appened before...!".
The Banks' children Jane, Michael, John and Barbara. The last two are baby twins, who only appear in the books. Annabel is a younger child, born in a later book, who also does not make a movie appearance.
Herbert Alfred Bert, for short, is Mary Poppins friend who knows about Mary Poppins's magic. He is Herbert Alfred for Sundays, according to the first Mary Poppins book.
Miss Andrew Miss Andrew is Mr Banks' old governess, who appears in two of the books. She is a despicably, foul-minded old broad, and is the only person who Mary Poppins is reasonably polite to, though, of course, Mary doesn't let her get away with many of her actions. Although not in the film, Miss Andrew appears in the new stage version, and the role was created by Rosemary Ashe. She has a lark called Caruso.
Brief characters: Ellen, the maid The bird woman Mrs. Brill, the cook Admiral Boom, who is proud of his house shaped like a ship Katie Nanna, the disgruntled nanny who quit the Banks family. Mrs. Corry, who sells gingerbread at a mysterious spot that no one has seen "Miss Fannie and Annie, Mrs. Corry's very fat daughters The constable Uncle Albert, Mary Poppins's uncle who is filled with laughing gas on his birthdays that he floats up to the ceiling. Mr. Dawes, Sr., the head banker Mr. Dawes, Jr., another banker The Red Cow The Dancing Bear Miss Lark, a wealthy and dramatic lady who wears much jewelry Andrew, Miss Lark's dog who is very pampered, but soon gets tired of it and invites a dog to live with him
In conclusion some of the theatre's finest creative talents have been brought together to realise Mary Poppins on the stage. Richard Eyre, Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear will bring to life the most famous, timeless and practically perfect nanny in an extraordinary and visually magical world created by Bob Crowley - a world where anything can happen if you let it!
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Sound of Music. Vs. Wicked. The competition for the leading london musicals production is hotting up with Sound of Music rival, Wicked, setting a new all-time theatre tickets record for a single week's musicals gross in the West End - for the week 26th-30th December 2006, the show sold a record-breaking £873,020 worths of london theatre tickets for the Apollo Victoria London Theatre. Over a quarter of a million people have now seen Wicked since the theatre production opened on September 7.
West End Tickets
Andrew Lloyd Webber has reclaimed the top spot in The London theatre Stage 100 - our annual list of the 100 most influential people in theatre. However, he has been forced to share first place with last year's winner David Ian, who co-produced Wicked west end rival, The Sound of Music with Lloyd Webber and appeared alongside him on reality TV series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? Next year, the pair will go their separate ways and star in rival London theatre TV shows on BBC and ITV. Lloyd Webber will be involved with the BBC's Any Dream Will Do - to find a star forJoseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat - while Ian will feature on ITV show You're the One That I Want! to find the leads for a theatre production of Grease.
If the sound of music is anything to go by, we could be looking at record breaking london theatre tickets sales this time next year as both musicals hit the west end. The West End theatres saw a number of musicals of which the finest was probably Michael Grandage's revival of Rice and Lloyd Webber's very best workWest End Listings Evita, starring Argentinian sensation Elena Roger. Subjectively very close behind is The Sound of Music in which lead Connie Fisher got all of the public attention thanks to her unusual selection - by a TV audience rather than Just Lloyd-Webber - but this should take nothing away from Charming Lesley Garrett and all those sweet little von-trapp children.
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Grease Tickets, Sound Of Music Tickets, Dirty Dancing Tickets, Wicked Tickets - all now available
