|
 Official Press Release (12 November 2009)
 INTRODUCTION
Pamela Lyndon Travers (1899-1996), Australian journalist and novelist, wrote the six books of Mary Poppins' stories between 1934 and 1944. Travers used only her initials, P L, hiding her gender to avoid being dismissed as an archetypal female author of children's books. Partly autobiographical, the books told the story of the Banks family of Cherry Tree Lane, a household in disarray until an enigmatic nanny arrives. In 1964 Disney turned the books into a film musical starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.
Years later, Disney Theatrical Group’s President Thomas Schumacher partnered with Producer Cameron Mackintosh to create a stage version of Mary Poppins. Drawing from the classic movie for inspiration, they assembled a dynamic creative team to combine the original film score with new songs as well as additional stories from Travers’s other Poppins tales. British composers George Stiles and Anthony Drewe were brought in to work with the Sherman Brothers to merge new tunes with the existing movie score. The stage musical version, which premiered on London's West End in 2004 and on Broadway in 2006, has already been seen by 4.2 million theatregoers in Europe and North America and grossed $333 million.
The Australian production is going to be the fifth English-speaking production of the show (after the original London production, the Broadway production, the UK national tour and the US national tour) and the eighth worldwide - after the Swedish, Finnish and Dutch productions. Other international versions of Mary Poppins are planned over the next couple of years.
Photo by Jay Town. Source: Sunday Herald Sun, 18 July 2010
 In 2005 the London Production of Mary Poppins received two Olivier Awards for "Best Theatre Choreography" (Matthew Bourne & Stephen Mear) and "Leading Actress in a Musical" (Laura Michelle Kelly), a Variety Club Award for Best Musical, an Evening Standard Award for Best Design (Bob Crowley) and a Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Set Design (Bob Crowley).
In 2007 the Broadway Production was nominated for seven Tony Awards, winning "Best Scenic Design For A Musical".
|
SYNOPSIS
The action takes place in and around the Banks' household somewhere in London at the turn of the last century. Mr and Mrs Banks are involved with other things and cannot give their children, Jane and Michael, the attention they need. Jane and Michael, in turn, are misbehaving to get attention. The "winds of change" are literally blowing, and Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she teaches this distressed family how to value each other again.
Detailed synopsis
Official Mary Poppins merchandise, including adult & kids T-shirts, gift items, books, etc. can now be ordered online via Playbill Australia, with the possibility of overseas shipping (allow 2-4 weeks for delivery). |
 
The cast of Mary Poppins take their bows on Opening Night on 29 July 2010 (click to enlarge).
Mary Poppins leads Matt Lee, Verity-Hunt Ballard, Marina Prior, Philip Quast & Debra Byrne pose for the Press outside Her Majesty's Theatre after the opening show on 29 July 2010. © Herald Sun 24/7 News.
SCENES AND MUSICAL NUMBERS
Lyrics (Source: Allmusicals.com)
ACT ONE
A PARK IN LONDON: Chim Chim Cher-eeº - Bert
THE BANKS HOME: Cherry Tree Lane*, Part 1 - George & Winifred Banks, Jane & Michael, Mrs Brill & Robertson Ay
The Perfect Nanny - Jane & Michael
Cherry Tree Lane*, Part 2 - George & Winifred Banks, Jane & Michael, Mrs Brill & Robertson Ay
THE BANKS NURSERY: Practically Perfect* - Mary, Jane & Michael
THE PARK: Jolly Holidayº - Bert, Mary, Jane, Michael, Neleus & the Statues
THE BANKS HOME: Cherry Tree Lane (reprise) /
Being Mrs Banks* / Jolly Holiday* (reprise) - George, Winifred, Jane & Michael
THE BANKS KITCHEN: A Spoonful of Sugar - Mary, Jane, Michael, Robertson Ay & Winifred
BANK, INSIDE: Precision and Order* - The Chairman & the Bank Clerks
A Man Has Dreamsº - George Banks
BANK, OUTSIDE: Feed the Birds - Bird Woman & Mary
MRS CORRY'S SHOP: Supercalifragilisticexpialidociousº - Mary, Mrs Corry, Bert, Jane, Michael, Fannie, Annie & Customers
THE BANKS NURSERY: Playing The Game* - Valentine, William, Mr Punch, the Doll & other Toys
THE BANKS ROOF: Chim, Chim, Cher-ee (reprise) - Bert & Mary
ACT TWO
THE BANKS HOME: Cherry Tree Lane (reprise) - Mrs Brill, Michael, Jane, Winifred, Robertson Ay & George
Brimstone and Treacle* Part 1 - Miss Andrew
THE PARK: Let's Go Fly a Kite - Bert, Park Keeper, Jane & Michael
Good For Nothing* - George
Being Mrs Banks (reprise) - Winifred
THE BANKS HOME: Brimstone and Treacle, Part 2 - Mary & Miss Andrew
THE BANKS NURSERY: Practically Perfect* (reprise) - Jane, Michael & Mary
THE ROOF: Chim Chim Cher-ee (reprise) - Bert
Step in Timeº - Bert, Mary, Jane, Michael & the Sweeps Video (Broadway show) 
THE BANKS HOME: A Man Has Dreams / A Spoonful of Sugar (reprise) - George & Bert
THE BANKS NURSERY: Anything Can Happen* - Jane & Michael, Mary, & the entire Company
A Spoonful of Sugar (reprise) - Mary
A Shooting Starº - The Orchestra
* New Song
º Adapted Song |
The week after opening, Mary Poppins shattered Her Majesty's Box Office records for the most number of tickets ever sold in one day, and then one week. The record was last held by Billy Elliot, and Miss Saigon before that. (Source: HMT Newsletter)
|
I just think that Mr Banks, because of the damage from his childhood, he passes that on to everyone: his wife, his children, all those around him.
Mary Poppins comes and she’s the healer, and of course Mr Banks makes a great change, but I think everyone else has their own journeys as well. It’s not until Mr Banks starts to have his epiphanies that he can let go and take on the responsibility of being a parent and learning to love, which he never learnt to do. He was never hugged, he was never kissed, and so he could begin to learn to have fun and realise how fast your children grow up.
Philip Quast |
We had to come up with a need for Mary Poppins to come to the Banks family. At first we thought of having the father be at war overseas, but then we had a better idea: he would be emotionally absent. We made it a story about a dysfunctional family. And in comes Mary Poppins to heal them.
Richard M Sherman |
[In the stage version] Mr Banks' character has been deepened and given 'a true crisis'. After Mr Banks has been made redundant, he learns he has been 'ambushed by work and absorption in the wrong things'. He rather fancies Mary Poppins, in a harmless sort of way, but is almost unaware of the effect she is having on the family life. By the time he might be ready to say thank you, he is so absorbed in newfound love for his family that she has disappeared to her other galaxy and is gone.
Georges Stiles & Anthony Drewe |
The Poppins story must revolve around the redemption of the children's
distant father, George Banks. Travers's father, who also worked at a bank, died young and the yearning for
her lost parent infuses everything she writes. (...) George Banks is propped up by his insecurities and his wife Winifred knows it is a worthless situation. She knows his values are false. It is very rare that we change the way people see us. We are told that if we have this car or wear these clothes or live on that street we will be seen a certain way. People have always done it and people do it today. And then we transfer that anxiety onto others. That's what George Banks does. He transfers his anxieties on to his wife and his children.
Julian Fellowes |
|
