Up through the atmosphere up where the air is clear...
As a child, it was never Mary Poppins the film I was interested in. I didn't much care for the spoilt children, their uptight father or their egotistical nanny. The only reason I watched it was for the songs, the fact that it revered in the power of imagination, and for the amusing, charming Bert (Dick van Dyke).
So it wasn't with an inflated sense of childhood nostalgia that I went to see Mary Poppins at the Capitol Theatre on Thursday night, it was purely to enjoy some musical theatre.
Let me dispel the notion that this a stage version based solely on the film or books - it takes inspiration from both. While it's essentially the same story, there are various characters, arcs and songs which were added or omitted, making for quite a different story.
The musical opens with Bert (played by dancer/choreographer/former SYTYCD Australia host/musical veteran Matt Lee) singing about the storm blowing in, as Michael and Jane Banks as they chase away yet another nanny - forcing their parents (George and Winifred) to find a new one in Mary Poppins.
While their new nanny is a novelty at first (she flies in on an umbrella, takes them on adventures and seems to use magic to make light of the dullest chores), the children soon grow bored and Mary Poppins leaves at the end of Act I to serve as a lesson not to take things for granted. Meanwhile, their father is on suspension from his job at the bank with growing fears of losing his job all together.
Act II sees Winifred try to please her husband by hiring his tyrant of a former nanny (Miss Andrew) as a replacement. It ends in the children running away, only to be brought home by Mary Poppins, who takes back her role. By the time the second half comes to a close, George Banks has been fully reinstated with a larger salary and an allowance for time with his wife and children. Now that the family is mended, Mary Poppins can leave for good.
The props and the set design are exemplary. They not only allowed Ms. Poppins the chance to slide up the banister, as well as extract a hat stand and tall plant from her modest carpet bag, but also aided in the 'magic' when cleaning the nursery and kitchen - as well as replacing a toy with a life-size human in the dollhouse!
In their first outing to the park with Mary, the once dull and dreary park springs to life with moving screens, backdrops and flower-beds in Jolly Holiday. While the song and stage is bursting with colour and excitement, nothing can surpass the beauty of the statues coming to life.
I've always hated 'Feed the Birds', but I did appreciate that the Bird Woman's presence during the musical was a lot more symbolic than in the film.
While their visit to the conversation shop seemed a little left-field, my favourite supporting character was definitely the eccentric Mrs. Corry. Her accent, personality and peculiar choice of words were wonderfully delivered by the vivacious Leah Rose.
I was surprised by the two songs I enjoyed most - neither of which I had any strong feelings for in the film. Supercalifragilisiticexpialidocious is just a constant roller-coaster of ridiculous fun energy, culminating in the cast using their bodies to spell out the word at double speed.
While I'd heard wonderful things about Step in Time, seeing a twenty or so chimney-sweeps tap dance their way across the stage was another thing all together. And that's before Bert tap-dances his away up one side of the stage, across the ceiling, and then down the other side; absolutely awe-inspiring!
Matt Lee stole the show as the narrator and jack-of-all-trades, Bert. Singing, dancing and leading the audience down Cherry Tree Lane with humour, charisma and a cockney accent, it wasn't surprising to learn he'd won the Helpmann for Best Male Actor in a Musical earlier this year.
I would have liked to have seen an ensemble performance of Fly A Kite, because it's one of my favourite songs and it seems to have far more grandeur when used as a finale in the film. Though the musical finale - which features Mary Poppins literally flying out over the audience before ascending into the rafters (umbrella in hand overhead) - is pretty damn spectacular.
While it may not be the best musical I've seen this year, it's definitely worth watching - no spoonful of sugar required!
So it wasn't with an inflated sense of childhood nostalgia that I went to see Mary Poppins at the Capitol Theatre on Thursday night, it was purely to enjoy some musical theatre.
Let me dispel the notion that this a stage version based solely on the film or books - it takes inspiration from both. While it's essentially the same story, there are various characters, arcs and songs which were added or omitted, making for quite a different story.
The musical opens with Bert (played by dancer/choreographer/former SYTYCD Australia host/musical veteran Matt Lee) singing about the storm blowing in, as Michael and Jane Banks as they chase away yet another nanny - forcing their parents (George and Winifred) to find a new one in Mary Poppins.
While their new nanny is a novelty at first (she flies in on an umbrella, takes them on adventures and seems to use magic to make light of the dullest chores), the children soon grow bored and Mary Poppins leaves at the end of Act I to serve as a lesson not to take things for granted. Meanwhile, their father is on suspension from his job at the bank with growing fears of losing his job all together.
Act II sees Winifred try to please her husband by hiring his tyrant of a former nanny (Miss Andrew) as a replacement. It ends in the children running away, only to be brought home by Mary Poppins, who takes back her role. By the time the second half comes to a close, George Banks has been fully reinstated with a larger salary and an allowance for time with his wife and children. Now that the family is mended, Mary Poppins can leave for good.
The props and the set design are exemplary. They not only allowed Ms. Poppins the chance to slide up the banister, as well as extract a hat stand and tall plant from her modest carpet bag, but also aided in the 'magic' when cleaning the nursery and kitchen - as well as replacing a toy with a life-size human in the dollhouse!
In their first outing to the park with Mary, the once dull and dreary park springs to life with moving screens, backdrops and flower-beds in Jolly Holiday. While the song and stage is bursting with colour and excitement, nothing can surpass the beauty of the statues coming to life.
I've always hated 'Feed the Birds', but I did appreciate that the Bird Woman's presence during the musical was a lot more symbolic than in the film.
While their visit to the conversation shop seemed a little left-field, my favourite supporting character was definitely the eccentric Mrs. Corry. Her accent, personality and peculiar choice of words were wonderfully delivered by the vivacious Leah Rose.
I was surprised by the two songs I enjoyed most - neither of which I had any strong feelings for in the film. Supercalifragilisiticexpialidocious is just a constant roller-coaster of ridiculous fun energy, culminating in the cast using their bodies to spell out the word at double speed.
While I'd heard wonderful things about Step in Time, seeing a twenty or so chimney-sweeps tap dance their way across the stage was another thing all together. And that's before Bert tap-dances his away up one side of the stage, across the ceiling, and then down the other side; absolutely awe-inspiring!
Matt Lee stole the show as the narrator and jack-of-all-trades, Bert. Singing, dancing and leading the audience down Cherry Tree Lane with humour, charisma and a cockney accent, it wasn't surprising to learn he'd won the Helpmann for Best Male Actor in a Musical earlier this year.
I would have liked to have seen an ensemble performance of Fly A Kite, because it's one of my favourite songs and it seems to have far more grandeur when used as a finale in the film. Though the musical finale - which features Mary Poppins literally flying out over the audience before ascending into the rafters (umbrella in hand overhead) - is pretty damn spectacular.
While it may not be the best musical I've seen this year, it's definitely worth watching - no spoonful of sugar required!
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