| Mary Poppins | |
|---|---|
 London promotional poster | |
| Music | |
| Lyrics |
|
| Book | Julian Fellowes |
| Basis | Mary Poppins byP. L. Travers Mary Poppins byBill Walsh Don DaGradi |
| Productions | |
Mary Poppins is a musical with music and lyrics byRichard M. Sherman andRobert B. Sherman (theSherman Brothers) and additional music and lyrics byGeorge Stiles andAnthony Drewe, and a book byJulian Fellowes. The musical is based on the similarly titledMary Poppins children's books byP. L. Travers and the 1964Disney film, and is a fusion of various elements from the two, including songs from the film.
Produced byCameron Mackintosh andDisney Theatrical Productions and directed byRichard Eyre with co-direction fromMatthew Bourne who also acted as co-choreographer withStephen Mear, the originalWest End production opened in December 2004 and won twoOlivier Awards, one forBest Actress in a Musical and the other forBest Theatre Choreographer. A Broadway production with a near-identical creative team opened in November 2006, with only minor changes from the West End version. It received sevenTony nominations, includingBest Musical, and won forBest Scenic Design in a Musical. The original Broadway production closed in March 2013, after 2,619 performances. Touring and international productions followed.
The musical has become a popular choice for schools and community theatres to produce.[1]
In 1993, theatrical producerCameron Mackintosh metP. L. Travers and acquired the rights to develop a stage play adaptation of herMary Poppins books. She only agreed to a stage production as long as the creators were all English, and no one who had worked on theDisney film adaptation was involved with the stage production. In 2001, Mackintosh andThomas Schumacher, head ofDisney Theatrical Productions, opened talks on a possible collaboration, so that the stage play would be able to use the songs from the Disney film. With both sides committed, a preliminary outline of the show was written in 2002.[2]
Around this time, songwriters George Stiles and Anthony Drewe heard about the project, and independently wrote a demo version of a new introductory song for the character of Mary, titled "Practically Perfect". They submitted the song to Mackintosh, and due to his positive response, were officially brought on to the creative team. Julian Fellowes was brought on to write the show's script because of his "clear understanding of the social niceties of the English class system that prevailed in theEdwardian era".[2]
An experienced production team was assembled, includingSir Richard Eyre, multi award-winning director of film, theatre and opera; andBob Crowley, a theatre designer who has worked with theRoyal Shakespeare Company, theNational Theatre, theRoyal Ballet and theRoyal Opera. Crowley also has sixTony Awards for variousBroadway productions.
A workshop of the show was held at the end of 2003 at the rehearsal room at London'sOld Vic Theatre, using the cast ofMy Fair Lady, which had just closed in theWest End.[2] After four weeks of rehearsals atSadler's Wells, the production moved toBristol, where an out-of-town tryout opened at theBristol Hippodrome on September 15, 2004.
Cameron Mackintosh's stage adaptation ofMary Poppins had its world premiere at theBristol Hippodrome starting with previews from September 15, 2004, before officially opening on September 18 for a limited engagement until November 6. The production then moved to thePrince Edward Theatre on December 15, 2004, making it the only Disney musical to have premiered in the UK. The role of Mary was played byLaura Michelle Kelly, who subsequently won the 2005Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the role, and the role of Bert was played byGavin Lee. Notable replacements includedScarlett Strallen,Lisa O'Hare andCaroline Sheen as Mary Poppins andGavin Creel as Bert (from July 2006).[3] Creel had auditioned for the role for the then upcoming Broadway production, but was dropped in favour of Lee, making the West End production his West End debut.
The show sparked mild controversy not long after its debut when producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher banned children below three years old from entering the theatre, deeming the show too scary for young children.[4] The ban remained throughout the show's entire run, during which the theatre staff were to prevent patrons with children below three to enter. The show was officially tagged as being "for children seven years and up".
On March 17, 2005,Julie Andrews, who playedMary Poppins in thefilm, visited the show as a guest. She appeared onstage during the curtain calls, where she gave a speech recalling her own memories from making the film and praising the cast for their new interpretation.[5] The production closed on January 12, 2008, after a run of more than three years.[6]
Following the success of the West End production, aBroadway production debuted on November 16, 2006, at theNew Amsterdam Theatre after previews from October 14.[7]Ashley Brown played the title role, andGavin Lee, who had originated the role of Bert in theWest End production, reprised his role on Broadway.Daniel Jenkins played George Banks,Rebecca Luker was Winifred, andMatthew Gumley andHenry Hodges played Michael. Starting October 9, 2008, the role of Mary was played byScarlett Strallen (reprising her role from the West End production) and Bert was played by Adam Fiorentino.Laura Michelle Kelly, who originated the role of Mary in London, took over the role on Broadway on October 12, 2009.Christian Borle joined the cast the same day as Bert.[8]Nicolas Dromard played Bert from July 16 to August 22, 2010.[9] Lee returned to the role of Bert on August 24, 2010, and was reunited with former London co-star, Kelly.[10] Brown returned to the title role from March 8 to July 17, 2011, while Kelly was away filming a movie, reuniting her with Lee, and Kelly returned to role on July 19, 2011.[11]
The Broadway production differed from the London production in that the "Jolly Holiday" sequence was staged in full technicolor instead of the gray tones of the London show, and in "Anything Can Happen" the stairs to the heavens were replaced by a giant version of Mary's umbrella entering from the stage floor. These changes were later transferred back to the West End production. Most recently, a new song has been added to the score, titled "Playing the Game". This replaces the already new "Temper, Temper" in the first act. This change has been added to all current and future productions of the show.[citation needed]
The Broadway production received generally positive reviews, ranging from enthusiastic[12] to lukewarm.[13] Many critics praised the show for its technical merits.[14] After running 52 weeks, the show recouped its original investment.[15]
The production closed on March 3, 2013, after more than six years and 2,619 performances on Broadway, to make way for Disney'sAladdin.[16] The closing cast included Steffanie Leigh as Mary and Dromard as Bert.[17] As of January 2025, it remains Broadway's twenty-fifth longest-running show.[18]
For the touring productions of the show, designerBob Crowley changed the sets, making the Banks' Household smaller in size, and deleting numerous intermediate scenes, so that smaller theatres could accommodate the large-scale demands of the production.
A UK tour of the London production commenced on June 4, 2008, and ended on April 18, 2009, with stops at venues including theTheatre Royal, Plymouth,Edinburgh Playhouse, and theWales Millennium Centre inCardiff.[19] Its cast featuredCaroline Sheen as Mary Poppins, Daniel Crossley as Bert,Martin Ball as George Banks and Louise Bowden as Winifred Banks.[20]Lisa O'Hare took over the role of Mary on October 27, 2008. The UK Tour became the last production to include "Temper, Temper" before it was cut from future productions.
A United States tour began previews on March 11, 2009, with the opening night on March 25, featuring Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee reprising their roles as Mary and Bert, respectively.[21][22] The tour began at theCadillac Palace Theatre inChicago, and played in many U.S. cities. On November 15, 2009, during the opening night in Los Angeles,Dick Van Dyke (who played Bert in the film) appeared onstage during the encore.[23] On January 22, 2010, to raise funds for a local charity and as part of aD23 event, Van Dyke did a cameo of his other role from the original film ofMr. Dawes Sr.[24] In 2009, the song "Temper, Temper" was cut and replaced by a new musical number, titled "Playing the Game."[25] Sheen took over the role of Mary from Brown in February 2010 in Tempe, Arizona and played the role until February 2011. Nicolas Dromard, who previously understudied the role of Bert on Broadway, took over the role from September 2010 until September 2011.[9] Steffanie Leigh joined the cast as Mary Poppins on February 8, 2011[citation needed] and was replaced on December 6, 2011, by Megan Osterhaus who had played Winifred Banks on Broadway and later returned to Broadway as Winifred.[26] The U.S. National tour played its last performance on June 2, 2013, inAnchorage, Alaska.[citation needed]
A new UK tour directed byRichard Eyre began a run at theCurve Theatre, Leicester from October 13 until October 25, 2015 starring Zizi Strallen as Mary Poppins and Matt Lee reprising his original role in the Australian production as Bert.[27] The tour then visitedBristol (October 29 - November 28, 2015),Dublin (December 3, 2015 - January 9, 2016),Manchester (January 20 - March 5, 2016),Birmingham (March 9 - April 23, 2016),Edinburgh (April 27 - May 21, 2016) andSouthampton (May 25 - June 19, 2016).[28] In November 2015, more dates were added includingNorwich (June 29 - July 30, 2016),Plymouth (August 3 - September 3, 2016),Newcastle (September 8 - October 29, 2016),Bradford (November 2 - December 10, 2016) and finishing inCardiff (December 14, 2016 - January 14, 2017).[29]
On March 7, 2024 a new UK tour was announced, opening at theBristol Hippodrome on 4 November, before heading to Dublin, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Manchester, Bradford, Birmingham, Southampton, Sunderland, Milton Keynes, Cardiff and Liverpool. The opening of the new tour in Bristol marked 20 years since the show started out-of-town previews before transferring to the West End. The show is co-directed by Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne and co-choreographed by Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear. It has a reimagined set and costume design by Bob Crowley, and again is co-produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Disney Theatrical Productions. Casting includes Stefaine Jones as Mary and Jack Chambers as Bert, reprising their roles from the Sydney 2022 production.[30][31]
A West End revival began previews on October 23, 2019 at the Prince Edward Theatre and officially opened on November 13. The cast includedZizi Strallen as Mary Poppins (reprising her role from the 2015-16 UK Tour),Charlie Stemp as Bert, Joseph Millson as George Banks, Amy Griffiths as Winifred Banks,Petula Clark as the Bird Woman,Claire Moore as Miss Andrew, and Paul F. Monaghan as Admiral Boom (Barry James was originally due to play this part but he left before the first preview for unknown reasons).[32][33] The show was forced to close temporarily from March 16, 2020 as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on August 7, 2021 at the Prince Edward Theatre with most of the same cast returning.[34] On June 22, 2022Louis Gaunt temporarily took over from Charlie Stemp whilst he performed in the revival ofCrazy For You at theChichester Festival Theatre.[35] The show played its final West End performance on January 8, 2023.[36]
Mary Poppins has been played inAustralia,Austria,Canada,Czech Republic,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,Germany,Hungary,Iceland,Ireland,Italy,Japan,Mexico,Netherlands,New Zealand,Norway,Sweden,Switzerland,United Arab Emirates,United Kingdom, andUnited States, and has been translated into thirteen languages (Swedish, Finnish, Hungarian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Estonian, Spanish, Icelandic, German, Norwegian, Italian, and Japanese). Over eleven million people have seen the show worldwide.
The first foreign-language production opened on October 18, 2008 at theGothenburg opera house, where it ran until March 14, 2009.[37] This production was externally licensed by Disney Theatrical and performed entirely in Swedish, with the book translated by Magnus Lindman. The musical director was Björn Dobbelaere, with actors Linda Olsson as Mary and Magnus Borén as Bert.
Other European productions include:
The Australian production began previews atHer Majesty's Theatre inMelbourne on 14 July 2010, officially on 29 July. The cast includedMatt Lee as Bert,Philip Quast as Mr. Banks,Marina Prior as Winifred Banks,Debra Byrne as The Bird Woman, andJudi Connelli as Miss Andrew.Verity Hunt-Ballard was awarded the role of Mary Poppins late in the casting stage, after a long search.[47] She was temporarily replaced towards the end of the Sydney run by Scarlett Strallen, who had starred in the role in both the West End and Broadway productions. An Australian Cast Recording was released on February 18, 2011.[48] The Melbourne season closed on April 1, 2011.[49] The musical played inSydney at theCapitol Theatre from April 2011[50] to mid December 2011.[51] The musical then went on an Australian tour, playing at the Lyric Theatre inBrisbane until March 2012 and theBurswood Theatre,Perth until June 2012. After a four-month break, the production opened at theCivic Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand, from 18 October[52] until 30 December 2012. In May 2021, it was announced the show would return to Australia in May 2022 at the Sydney Lyric Theatre with a nation-wide search to find a new Mary Poppins.[citation needed]
From November 14, 2012 to August 11, 2013, the firstSpanish-language version of the show ran at the Centro Cultural inMexico City, produced byOcesa Teatro and starringBianca Marroquin as Mary and Mauricio Salas as Bert.[53]
In April 2015 Brazilian entertainment company Time for Fun opened auditions for the Portuguese-language premiere inSão Paulo, but eventually the production was cancelled.[54]
The firstJapanese language production opened on March 25, 2018 inTokyo before moving toOsaka in May 2018.[55]
| Character | West End | Broadway | First UK Tour | US National Tour | Melbourne | Second UK Tour | First West End Revival | Sydney | Third UK Tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2022 | 2024 | |
| Mary Poppins | Laura Michelle Kelly | Ashley Brown | Caroline Sheen | Ashley Brown | Verity Hunt-Ballard | Zizi Strallen | Stefanie Jones | ||
| Bert | Gavin Lee | Daniel Crossley | Gavin Lee | Matt Lee | Charlie Stemp | Jack Chambers | |||
| George Banks | David Haig | Daniel Jenkins | Martin Ball | Karl Kenzler | Philip Quast | Milo Twomey | Joseph Millson | Tom Wren | Michael D. Xavier |
| Winifred Banks | Linzi Hateley | Rebecca Luker | Louise Bowden | Megan Osterhaus | Marina Prior | Rebecca Lock | Amy Griffiths | Lucy Maunder | Lucie-Mae Sumner |
| Jane Banks | Nicola Bowman Carrie Hope Fletcher Poppy Lee Friar Charlotte Spencer Holly Pennington | Katherine Doherty Delaney Moro Kathryn Faughnan | Maddy Allison Liberty Cheesman Niamh Coombes Chloe Jones Molly Phillips Isabella Sedgwick | Abigail Droeger Aida Neitenbach Kirrilee Berger | Victoria Borcsok Hayley Edwards Zoe Gousmett Scout Hook Sara Reed | Felicity Biggs Verity Biggs Violet Tucker Maia West Lottie Sicilia | Adelaide Barham Imogen Bourn Charlotte Breen Ellie Kit Jones Nuala Peberdy | Harriet Alder Chloe Delle-Vedove Mia Honeysett Siena Kann Amara Kavaliku | Katie Ryden Matilda O'Sullivan Olaya Martinez Cambon Olivia Ainsworth Florence Swann |
| Michael Banks | Jake Catterall Perry Millward Jack Montgomery Harry Stott Ben Watton | Matthew Gumley Henry Hodges Alexander Scheitinger | Charlie Callaghan Tyler Fagan Thomas Goodall Max Griesbach William Pearce George Spittle-McGuire | Justin Hall Christopher Flaim Bryce Baldwin | Mark Balas Callum Hawthorne Trent Heath Kade Hughes Kurtis Papadinis | Diego Sanna Louis Fernee Finley Miller Cameron Lant Regan Garcia | Joseph Duffy Samuel Newby Gabriel Payne Edward Walton Fred Wilcox | Xavier Daher Ben Stabile William Steiner Finn Walsham Saxon Weaver | William Stafford Jude Martin-Thomas Oscar McCulloch Joshua Miles Charlie Donald |
| Miss Andrew | Rosemary Ashe | Ruth Gottschall | Deryn Edwards | Ellen Harvey | Judi Connelli | Penelope Woodman | Claire Moore | Chelsea Plumley | Wendy Ferguson |
| Bird Woman | Julia Sutton | Cass Morgan | Valda Aviks | Mary Van Arsdel | Debra Byrne | Grainne Renihan | Petula Clark | Nancye Hayes | Patti Boulaye Lyn Paul |
| Mrs. Brill | Jenny Galloway | Jane Carr | Shirley Jameson | Valerie Boyle | Sally Anne Upton | Wendy Ferguson | Claire Machin | Hannah Waterman | Rosemary Ashe |
| Robertson Ay | Gerard Carey | Mark Price | Mark Anderson | Andrew Keenan-Bolger | Christopher Rickerby | Blair Anderson | Jack North | Gareth Isaac | Ruairidh McDonald |
| Mrs. Corry | Melanie La Barrie | Janelle Anne Robinson | Tania Mathurin | Q. Smith | Leah Howard | Wreh-Asha Walton | Malinda Parris | Cherine Peck | Sharon Wattis |
| Admiral Boom | Ian Murford | Michael McCarty | Ronald Markham | Mike O'Carroll | David Henry | Graham Hoadly | Paul F. Monaghan | Robert Grubb | David Burrows |
Bert, a man of many professions, introduces the audience to Cherry Tree Lane ("Prologue/Chim Chim Cher-ee/Cherry Tree Lane – Part 1") in Edwardian London. Number 17 is where the Banks family lives: George and Winifred Banks, their two naughty children Jane and Michael, their cook/maid, Mrs. Brill and their house boy, Robertson Ay. Things are not going well for Jane and Michael. They are out of control and, as the show starts, their latest nanny, Katie Nanna, storms out. After that, Mrs. Brill and Robertson Ay complain about living in a "madhouse." The children decide to write the advertisement for a new nanny ("The Perfect Nanny"), but George, having a very different idea of what constitutes the perfect nanny, tears up the piece of paper and throws it in the fireplace. The family all reflect on if they will ever find the perfect nanny ("Cherry Tree Lane - Part 2"). Within moments, Mary Poppins arrives, restored advertisement in hand, and takes charge of the Banks children, having every confidence in her own qualifications and merits ("Practically Perfect").
On the children's first outing to the park, they meet Bert and, despite their reservations, Mary teaches them that they must learn to look past appearances. To illustrate the point, Mary brings the park statues, including a mythological figure named Neleus, to life ("Jolly Holiday"). A storm starts to brew and the children quickly hurry home, but not before Neleus mentions how much he misses his father.
While Mary manages the children, other problems lie with their parents. Winifred is aware that she is somehow disappointing both her children and her husband. George, on the other hand, can't understand why she finds the role of wife and mother so difficult. In an effort to please her husband, Winifred sends out invitations for a smart tea party ("Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise) / Being Mrs. Banks / Jolly Holiday (Reprise)"). Mrs. Brill makes the preparations, while telling an eager Robertson Ay to keep his hands off. The children inadvertently sabotage the kitchen preparations, but Mary sorts it out with a lesson ("A Spoonful of Sugar"). However, it is then revealed that none of the invitees are coming and Winifred reflects on her failure at pleasing George ("A Spoonful Of Sugar (Reprise)").
Mary takes the children to visit their father at the bank where he works ("Precision and Order"). There, George is busy dealing with possible investment clients: firstly, an ambitious man named Herr Von Hussler with an elaborate money-making scheme, and then a middle-class man named John Northbrook with a simple factory project. George is furious when Mary turns up with the children, but an innocent question asked by Jane (What's more important, a good man or a good idea?) makes him realise how much his values have changed ("A Man Has Dreams") since he was an idealistic young man. He then decides to accept Northbrook's project and rejects Von Hussler's, even though he knows the bank disapproves.
Outside St. Paul's Cathedral, Mary introduces the children to the Bird Woman ("Feed the Birds"). Jane is suspicious of her, but Michael responds to the Bird Woman and throws crumbs for the birds. On the trip home, the children meet the enigmatic Mrs. Corry who runs a magic sweet shop that also sells words ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious").
The children return home in high spirits, unaware that things have gone wrong for their father. Unknown to them, George's decision to reject Von Hussler has cost the bank dearly, and he is suspended without pay. George explodes with rage at the children and they are sent to the nursery. Reacting to their father's outburst, Mary briefly points out that other members of the family are rarely there to take care of the parents, before Jane and Michael get into a fight over Jane's doll Valentine, prompting a displeased Mary to order them to bed and enchant them to sleep. The frightening consequence of Jane's anger becomes apparent moments afterwards, as Valentine and the rest of Jane and Michael's disgruntled toys come to life and join Mary in teaching them a lesson in how to take better care of their belongings and toys (formerly "Temper, Temper", now "Playing the Game").
Believing that Jane and Michael need personal growth, Mary decides to leave Cherry Tree Lane to bring them to their senses, and speaks with Bert about her decision ("Chim Chim Cher-ee – Rooftop Duet"). She then flies away using her magical parrot headedumbrella. Jane and Michael wake up to find Mary Poppins and their toys gone, leaving only a note on the floor that reads, "Dear Jane and Michael, keep playing the game. Au Revoir, Mary Poppins." Mrs. Brill sees them awake, and when asked about what "Au Revoir" means, she tells them that it means "Till we meet again" before sending them in for bed.
In a misguided attempt to please her husband, Winifred arranges for his childhood nanny, Miss Andrew, to take over from the suddenly departed Mary ("Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise)"). At the sight of her, a terrified George flees, exclaiming "the Holy Terror!" To everyone's shock and dismay, he is right. Miss Andrew is a brutal and crueltyrant, quick to administer her own terrible elixir ("Brimstone and Treacle Part 1") and discipline by threatening to split Jane and Michael up by taking charge of Jane and sending Michael to boarding school. After Miss Andrew goes to her room, Jane and Michael decide that running away is the only solution.
The children find their good friend Bert, who cheers them up and helps Michael fulfill his dream of flying a kite ("Let's Go Fly a Kite"). Mary Poppins flies in on the kite from the sky and reunites with the children. They update her on Miss Andrew and she takes them home, planning to "surprise" Andrew. Also hiding in the park is George, who is depressed over his supposed lack of achievements ("Good For Nothing"). Searching for him is Winifred, who at last understands her husband and the damage that was done to him by Miss Andrew ("Being Mrs Banks (Reprise)").
When the children return to Number 17, Mary sets Caruso, Miss Andrew's lark, free from his cage. This leads to a confrontation between the two nannies, ending with Miss Andrew having a taste of herown medicine as she is trapped in a large birdcage and vanishesdown below ("Brimstone and Treacle Part 2"). Winifred and then George return at this point, surprised but pleased that Miss Andrew has "left".
The group ascends to the rooftops, where Bert introduces the children to his friends the chimney sweeps ("Step in Time"). The sweeps' dance eventually enters the house, causing chaos. As the sweeps quickly exit, George receives a telegram from the bank requesting his presence there. George assumes that he has been fired and decides it's time to sell the family heirloom. However, the vase is shattered accidentally by Mrs. Brill, who goes into a despairing shock since she had been cleaning it from the top of the shelf. When she is being led away for comfort, George goes to clean the broken pile himself, to find it reveal a collection of gingerbread stars from his childhood. This leads to a brief moment of reflection for George ("A Man Has Dreams (Reprise) / A Spoonful Of Sugar (Reprise)"). After shaking hands with Bert, George leaves to meet the Chairman of the Bank.
At the children's encouragement, Winifred decides to follow her heart and be at George's side at the bank ("Anything Can Happen (Part 1)"). Unseen to anyone else, Mary takes Jane and Michael into the sky to follow, where they watch the unfolding events. On his way to the bank, George encounters the bird woman and gives her tuppence to feed the birds ("Feed The Birds (Reprise)")
At the bank ("Precision And Order (Reprise)"), George is surprised to learn the consequence of his choice: far from ruining the bank, he has made a fortune by both rejecting Von Hussler and approving Mr. Northbrook's loan. They ask for the word that made them so successful, which George admits to be Mary's word, ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Reprise)"). Winifred, arriving to defend her husband, finds instead he is the hero of the hour. After she mentions Miss Andrew's name to the Bank Manager, the old man, too, relates his experience under "the Holy Terror". Winifred convinces the manager to quadruple George's salary. George apologizes for underestimating her, and together they return to the house. Mary and Bert take the children across the skies and they see everyone they met along their journey including Mrs. Correy, Neleus, and even Miss Andrew, who kindly shakes hands with Michael ("Anything Can Happen (Part 2)").
Mary realises that with the family reunited and happy, her task is done. With regret, she says goodbye to Bert with a kiss on the cheek and sets off ("A Spoonful Of Sugar (A Task Is Done)"). Jane and Michael accept that Mary is leaving them and tell her that they'll never forget her. The two children watch as their parents waltz happily together and Mary flies high above the audience using her magical parrot headed umbrella.
The stage musical is not a direct adaptation of theDisney film, but features elements of the film and theoriginal books, plus original updated elements. The dancing penguins in the "Jolly Holiday" sequence and the tea party on the ceiling at Uncle Albert's (likely due to the inability to make things float on stage) from the film have been removed, although some community theatres dress their chorus as penguins for "Jolly Holiday". The character of Neleus from the books comes to life in the musical, but was not seen in the film. Mrs. Corry and her daughters have a cameo in the film, and are in the musical and books. There are many elements from the books that do not appear in the film or musical, such as Nellie Rubina and the Balloon Woman.
The musical places more emphasis on Jane and Michael being naughty and their parents being dysfunctional to heighten the drama. Jane and Michael are constantly answering back and fighting, necessitating a new sequence where Mary brings Jane's doll Valentine and the other toys to life to berate them in the song "Playing the Game". This sequence, originally titled "Temper Temper," was inspired from a chapter in the books titledBad Wednesday. George Banks has been expanded from the film: in the musical it is revealed that he had a difficult childhood in which he was ignored by his parents, Jane and Michael's paternal grandparents, and was placed under the care of a fearsome nanny. This nanny, Miss Andrew, a character from the books, makes an appearance in the musical as the polar opposite of Mary Poppins, advocating "brimstone and treacle" instead of "a spoonful of sugar". Winifred Banks is no longer the suffragette of the film, but a former actress who is struggling to fulfill her husband's expectations of her. The character of Ellen the maid, played byHermione Baddeley in the film, was cut entirely. A new character, Miss Smythe, was created to introduce the bank chairman. Admiral Boom does not blow his cannon making the house shake like he does in the film.
The bank chairman's father does not make an appearance like in the film, nor does Mr. Binnacle, Admiral Boom's assistant. New characters were developed to create a new conflict at the bank, the nice John Northbrook and scheming Herr Von Hussler. Another character from the books that is in the musical is Robertson Ay, the houseboy, who did not appear in the film.
A number of musical sequences have been modified from their purpose in the film. These are:
The following is the song list of the original London production. Subsequent productions have different songs or rearranged their order.
|
|
*Not included in the Original London Cast recording.
†"Playing the Game" replaced "Temper, Temper" in 2009.
Songs that were in the original movie but omitted from the musical are:
A deleted song for Mrs. Banks was called "What I Can Do", according to an interview withGeorge Stiles andRichard Sherman. It was thought to be a sort of 1920s-style number, so they later wrote "Being Mrs. Banks" instead.[56]
The original London cast recording of the show was released shortly after its West End premiere. It features most of the major musical numbers from the show's score. When the Broadway production opened, a recording was released featuring several songs with the original American cast, including an edited version of "Feed the Birds" for Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins in the original American cast) on the song. On 18 February 2011, the Australian cast recording was released; the first recording to include the changes made to the show's score since its first London production.
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[57] | 13 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[58] | 2 |
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Gavin Lee | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Laura Michelle Kelly | Won | ||
| Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | David Haig | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Richard Eyre andMatthew Bourne | Nominated | ||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Matthew Bourne andStephen Mear | Won | ||
| Best Set Design | Bob Crowley | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Nominated | |||
| Best Lighting Design | Howard Harrison | Nominated | ||
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Tony Award | Best Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Gavin Lee | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Rebecca Luker | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Matthew Bourne andStephen Mear | Nominated | ||
| Best Scenic Design | Bob Crowley | Won | ||
| Best Costume Design | Nominated | |||
| Best Lighting Design | Howard Harrison | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Book of a Musical | Julian Fellowes | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Ashley Brown | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Gavin Lee | Won | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Matthew Bourne andStephen Mear | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Set Design | Bob Crowley | Won | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Laurence Olivier Award[59] | Best Musical Revival | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Charlie Stemp | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Zizi Strallen | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Petula Clark | Nominated | ||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Matthew Bourne andStephen Mear | Won | ||
| Best Set Design | Bob Crowley | Won | ||
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