‘Mary Poppins’: A practically perfect musical

by Tony Hobday in Reviews | 0 comments

Broadway in Utah’s 2011-12 season opener is, which usually I don’t divulge in the first line of a review, a heart-warming, thrilling, magical extravaganza for children and adults alike. The sanguine, esoteric nanny that any child would adore and any parent would admire, Disney’s Mary Poppins, pops with style and brilliance, and will take your breath away.

Based on the 1964 film, the original Broadway production garnered an astounding 13 Tony nominations in 2007, including Best Set Design (which it won) and Best Costume Design, both by Bob Crowley. If QSaltLake‘s Fabby Awards were being handed out today, Bob Crowley would be taking two home to display proudly on the mantle. In this production, Crowley’s sets are magnificent and rub gently against every nook and cranny of the Capitol Theatre stage. The Banks’ manor is especially enchanting as it forms and folds like a pop-up book. Crowley’s costumes fit the style of Victorian London and many are quite exquisite. Kudos to Crowley’s associates, as well: Christine Rowland, Rosalind Coombes and Matt Kinley.

Stefanie Leigh, in the title role, is downright motherly and her voice is delightfully jovial. (Hopefully Julie Andrews isn’t as brutish as Bette Midler.) Mary Poppins’ chimney-sweep buddy Bert (Nicolas Dromard) is absolutely adorable especially when he’s being flirty. These two made their jobs look and sound so easy, though they had the most acrobatic of parts.

Now, the Banks family is something different. This is where the drama unfolds. George Banks (Laird Mackintosh) is an uptight, burdened banker and his wife, Winifred (Blythe Wilson), is a has-been actress (new to the story) who’s having difficulty coping as a socialite wife. Mackintosh is finely stoic in his performance and Wilson’s transition from woman-on-his-arm to head-of-household has real gumption behind it. Their holy-terror children Jane and Michael (for this performance, Marissa Smoker and Tyler Merna) are unruly as they seek daddy’s love and approval. Of course if I couldn’t get my dad to give me a kite, either, I’d probably ask for emancipation. Smoker and Merna are cute and pretty well-rounded child actors and, if memory serves, have much more stage time than originally written, so kudos to their hard work and dedication to their roles; although Merna’s whole “cod” thing was a bit distracting.

Choreographers Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear step it up with some amazing routines. The ensemble cast spelling out supercalifragilisticexpialidocius with their arms and doing some fancy footwork, whoa! They were on the hot tamale train that night. (Hopefully the Village People aren’t as brutish as Bette Midler.)

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting as much as I received, and I’m extremely happy I had the chance to see this spectacle … the good kind. Broadway in Utah’s production of Mary Poppins is a magical memory that will last a lifetime.

The production runs through Sept. 25, Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South. Tickets available at arttix.com or 801-355-ARTS.