Act One
Bert, a man of many trades, informs us that something big is about to happen to the Banks family. At No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane, Jane and Michael Banks are constantly misbehaving, and Katie Nanna – the latest in a long line of nannies – has had enough ("Cherry Tree Lane"). She leaves, and George Banks asks his wife, Winifred, to place an advertisement in the newspaper for a new nanny, but the children decide to write their own ad ("The Perfect Nanny"). Mary Poppins arrives and fits the children's requirements exactly ("Practically Perfect").
Mary Poppins takes the children to the park, where they meet Bert, who is creating his latest works of art. Bored with the park and wary of Bert's scrappy appearance, the children try to escape, but Mary urges them to see the magic in everyday life. Then, the park bursts into brilliant colors as the statues come to life and dance with them ("Jolly Holiday").
As Mary Poppins begins to win over the children, George informs Winifred that they must maintain order and convention. Winifred feels that she is disappointing both her husband and children, struggling to understand her role within the family... and within the world ("Let's Hope She Will Stay"). The household prepares for Mrs. Banks' party ("A Spoonful of Sugar") but, even with a dose of magic from Mary Poppins, no one shows up. Mrs. Banks is left feeling more lost than ever.
Mary Poppins takes Jane and Michael on a trip to visit their father at the bank where he works ("Precision and Order"). There, George has a choice: to give a loan to Herr Von Hussler, a businessman with a dubious money-making scheme, or to John Northbrook, who presents a solid plan for a factory that would help many, but offers little collateral. An innocent question from Jane prompts George to remember the ideals and values he once held ("A Man Has Dreams"). He decides to take a chance on Mr. Northbrook and gives him the loan.
On the way home from the bank, the children and Mary Poppins run into the Bird Woman, who is feeding the birds in front of St. Paul's Cathedral. Jane is still worried about outer appearances and shuns her, but Michael gives the Bird Woman money ("Feed the Birds").
Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael and Bert meet Mrs. Corry, the mysterious owner of an unusual "talking shop," where people purchase words along with gingerbread. The children are surprised to hear that, when their father was a boy, he came to this shop to enjoy its magic and spirit of invention ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious").
Things begin to go very wrong for George. Von Hussler goes to another bank and makes millions, and George is blamed for passing on the deal and is suspended without pay. In his stress, George yells at the children. In turn, an angry Jane and Michael fight over their toys, which magically come to life to teach them a lesson ("Playing the Game"). Recognizing the children are not yet ready for the lessons she has to teach them, Mary says goodbye to Bert ("Chim Chim Cher-ee"), leaving a note that reads, "au revoir," or "till we meet again."
Act Two
The fall has turned to winter. The house is bustling again because a nanny is returning to No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane. However, it's not the much-missed Mary Poppins, but Miss Andrew, who raised George. Miss Andrew is a harsh woman, who believes that children should be punished on a regular basis with a horrible-tasting medicine ("Brimstone and Treacle"). In a panic, the children escape the house and run to the park, where they meet Bert, who explains that the cure for every ill can be found at the end of a kite string ("Let's Go Fly a Kite"). Their kite flies up into the London sky and, when it comes back down, Mary Poppins is with it. George has also been hiding from Miss Andrew ("Good for Nothing"). With her entire family missing, Winifred worries that she is to blame, but resolves to assert herself and fight harder for the people she loves ("Being Mrs. Banks").
Mary returns home with the children and defeats Miss Andrew in an epic battle of wits and will. George returns, relieved to find that Miss Andrew has left, but still anxious about supporting his family. Winifred reminds him he can count on her and the children to stick by him.
Whisked up to the rooftops, Mary Poppins, Jane and Michael meet Bert and his fellow chimney sweeps ("Step in Time"). The sweeps dance across the rooftops of London and into the Bankses' house, wishing good luck to George and shaking his hand as they go.
The Bank Chairman asks to see George immediately. George fears the worst, but Bert reminds him that his family is more important that his ambitions ("A Man Has Dreams – Reprise / A Spoonful of Sugar – Reprise"). George leaves for the bank as Winifred wishes that she could go with him. Mary Poppins and the children encourage her to do what she believes is right ("Anything Can Happen").
In front of the bank's board of directors, George launches into a defense of his actions before they can tell him that he was right all along: Von Hussler's scheme has fallen through, and the competing bank that approved his loan has been ruined. Northbrook's business, on the other hand, is thriving and earning a healthy profit. Winifred shows up, ready to defend her husband, but, when she finds the board is promoting him, she negotiates his raise for him. George announces that, from now on, his family comes first. As George and Winifred walk along the streets of London, Mary Poppins takes Jane and Michael on one more magical adventure – this time, through the heavens.
Her job done, Mary Poppins says her goodbyes and flies off to her next task. Although the Banks family is sad to see her go, they are glad that they have finally found one another.
Bert
The narrator of the story, is a good friend to Mary Poppins. An everyman, Bert has many occupations, including hurdy-gurdy player, sidewalk artist and chimney sweep. Bert watches over the children as well as the goings on in Cherry Tree Lane. He has charm, speaks with a Cockney accent and is a song-and-dance man.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: F#4
Vocal range bottom: B2
George Banks
The father to Jane and Michael Banks, is a banker to the very fiber of his being. Demanding "precision and order" in his household, he is a pipe-and-slippers man who doesn't have much to do with his children and believes that he had the perfect upbringing by his nanny, the cruel Miss Andrew. His emotional armor, however, conceals a sensitive soul. A baritone, George may speak-sing as necessary.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: Eb4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
Winifred Banks
George's wife and Jane and Michael's mother. A former actress, she is loving and distracted homemaker who is busy trying to live up to her husband's desire to obnly associate with "the best people" as well as be the model wife and mother. She suffers from the conflicting feelings that she's not up to the job of "being Mrs. Banks," yet, she is, and more. She has great warmth and simplicity to her tone.
Gender: female
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Jane
The high-spirited daughter of Mr. and Mr. Banks, is bright and precocious but can be willful and inclined to snobbishness.
Gender: female
Vocal range top: F#5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Michael
The cute and cheeky son of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Excitable and naughty, he adores his father and tries to be like him. Both he and Jane misbehave in order to get the attention of their parents.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Katie Nanna
Jane and Micahel's nanny at the beginning of the show. Overwhelmed and upset, she has absolutely had her fill of the Banks children.
Gender: female
Policeman
A neighborhood fixture who is respected by and observant of households on his beat.
Gender: male
Miss Lark
The haughty next-door neighbor of the Banks family who treats her dog, Willoughby, as if her were child.
Gender: female
Admiral Boom
A retired Royal Navy man and neighbor of the Banks family. A physically large man with a loud and booming voice, he speaks in Navy jargon and has a soft spot for his neighbor, Miss Lark. Can be any vocal range as needed. If Admiral Bloom doubles as the Banks Chairman, he can be a baritone.
Gender: male
Mrs. Brill
The housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked and harrassed, she's always complaining that the house is understaffed. Her intimidating exterior is a cover for the warmth underneath. Mrs. Brill doesn't have a high opinion of nannies in general and Mary Poppins in particular. She does not have to be a strong singer.
Gender: female
Vocal range top: D#5
Vocal range bottom: F#3
Robertson Ay
The houseboy to the Banks family. Lazy, sleepy and grumbling, he never gets things right and believes himself to be useless. He doesn't do a lot of singing, but his "Spoonful" solo can be a fun surprise.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: G#4
Vocal range bottom: F3
Mary Poppins
Jane and Michael Banks's new nanny. She is extraordinary and strange, neat and tidy, delightfully vain yet particular, and sometimes a little frightening but always exciting. She is practically perfect in every way and always means what she says. A mezzo soprano with strong top notes, she should be able to move well. She can have a more traditional soprano sound, but precision and diction is the key.
Gender: female
Vocal range top: C6
Vocal range bottom: Gb3
Park Keeper
Uniformed and officious, he makes sure no one breaks park regulations. His life is defined by rules, but he secretly hankers after his childhood.
Gender: male
Neleus
The statue of a young boy posed with a dolphin in the park. Neleus was separated from his father, Poseidon, and misses him very much. A small and lonely being, he is very happy to befriend Jane and Michael. This role is a wonderful opportunity to feature one of the strong dancers in your ensemble.
Gender: male
Queen Victoria
A statue in the park.
Gender: female
Bank Chairman
The head of the bank where Mr. Banks is employed, is an Edwardian stuffed-shirt. He can speak/sing his lines if necessary.
Gender: male
Vocal range top: D4
Vocal range bottom: C3
Miss Smythe
The Bank Chairman's humorless secretary.
Gender: female
Ensemble
Annie, Fannie, Valentine, Teddy Bear, Mr. Punch, Doll, Chimney Sweeps, Toys, Parkgoers.
Von Hussler
A businessman seeking a loan from the bank for a shady business deal. He speaks with a German accent.
Gender: male
John Northbrook
An honest business man seeking a loan to build a factory for his community. He speaks with an accent from Northern England.
Gender: male
Bird Woman
Covered in a patchwork of old shawls, and her pockets are stuffed with bags of crumbs for the birds. She tries to sell her crumbs for the birds. She tries to sell her crumbs to passersby, who ignore her as if she doesn't exist. Sings "Feed the Birds." There can be a gruff, folksy quality to her voice that relfelcts the hardness of her life.
Gender: female
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: Gb3
Mrs. Corry
Owns a magical gingerbread shop. She is a mysterious woman of great age who speaks with a Caribbean accent (or any accent that would make her seem exotic).
Gender: female
Miss Andrew
George's overbearing and scary nanny. With her bottle of nasty-tasting brimstone and treacle to keep naughty children in line, she is a bully who only knows one way of doing things - her way. A soprano with an alto belt, there can be some heaviness to her voice along with range.
Gender: female
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: Gb3
Inspiration
Mary Poppins is a musical based on the book series by P.L. Travers of the same name and, more notably, the 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. The stage show features many of the original songs made famous by the Oscar-winning duo of Richard and Robert Sherman, with additional music and lyrics from George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, respectively, and a book by Julian Fellowes, creator for the television series, Downton Abbey.
The genesis of the musical came at the hands of mega-producer, Cameron Mackintosh (Les Misérables, Cats, Miss Saigon). In 1993, he met with Pamela Travers, the author of the original book series, to get her permission to musicalize the stories of Mary Poppins. When Travers agreed, he got in contact with Disney Theatrical in 2001, sparking a partnership that would allow the show to use music from the original movie.
Around 2002, Stiles and Drewe (Olivier winners for Honk!) had heard about the new collaboration and wrote a demo song entitled "Practically Perfect" for the producers. Once they listened to the song, they were brought onto the creative team. Fellowes was then brought aboard for his "clear understanding of the social niceties of the English class system that prevailed in the Edwardian era." Rounding off the production team for original production were director, Sir Richard Eyre, and Bob Crowley, a multi-Tony winner who had previously worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Ballet and Royal Opera. A workshop of the musical was held at the end of 2003 at the Old Vic Theatre, using the cast from a recently closed production of My Fair Lady.
The stage adaptation pulls some elements from the original book that were eliminated from the film, including the walking statue and the ladders to the stars. Several scenes from the film were omitted, most notably the scenes of Uncle Albert laughing on the ceiling and the dancing penguins in "Jolly Holiday," which were replaced with dancing statues and a trip to Mrs. Corry's shop, respectively. The musical generally places more emphasis on Jane and Michael being naughty children and on their parents having more of a dysfunctional relationship. Mrs. Banks is no longer a suffragette, but a former actress, and Mr. Banks' back story is much more fleshed out. A handful of musical sequences have also been placed in a different chronology, including bumping up "Let's Go Fly a Kite" to the middle of the show, rather than the end.
Productions
Mary Poppins had its world premiere at the Bristol Hippodrome in London with a limited engagement from September 18, to November 6, 2004. The production, starring Laura Michelle Kelly and Gavin Lee, then moved to the Prince Edward Theatre on December 15, running more than three years until January 12, 2008. With a very successful production, the producers' eyes turned west, and the New Amsterdam Theatre housed the Broadway premiere on November 16, 2006. Initially starring Broadway performer, Ashley Brown, and returning player, Gavin Lee, it made minimal changes to the songs and staging. After almost seven years of success, the Broadway production closed on March 3, 2013, to make room for Disney Theatricals' new production of Aladdin.
For the touring productions of the show, the sets were significantly reduced in size and intermediate scenes were removed to accommodate for smaller houses. The first tour began in the UK on June 4, 2008, playing until April 18, 2009. The US tour started in Chicago on March 25, 2009, featuring performances from the leads of the Broadway production, Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee. Like its Broadway equivalent, the tour was extremely successful, playing its last performance in Anchorage, Alaska, on June 2, 2013.
Mary Poppins has also seen a significant amount of play outside of the UK and the US. The first foreign-language production opened on October 18, 2008, in Goteburg, Sweden, performed entirely in Swedish. Other locations for international productions include Finland, Mexico City, Australia, Japan and France. The first regional production of the musical was staged at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge in Ontario, Canada.
Cultural Influence
- Mary Poppins is the first Disney Theatrical show to open in the UK. It is also the first show to open in collaboration with another theatre company.
- At the time of writing, Mary Poppins was the 30th longest-running show in Broadway history.
- Mary Poppins was the first live-action Disney movie to be adapted to the stage. Its success gave Disney Theatrical confidence to adapt other live-action films: High School Musical, High School Musical 2, and Newsies.
Trivia
- The West End production of Mary Poppins was nominated for eight additional Olivier Awards in 2005, including Best New Musical and Best Director.
- The Broadway production of Mary Poppins was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Choreography. It was also nominated for six Drama Desk Awards (including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Book of a Musical and Outstanding Choreography), eleven Outer Critics Circle Awards (including Outstanding New Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Score), and a Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Production of a Musical.
- Celebrities that have starred in Mary Poppins (aside from those listed above) include: Christian Borle (Bert), David Haig (George Banks), Scarlett Strallen (Mary), Gavin Creel (Bert), Philip Quast (George Banks), Lisa O'Hare (Mary), Robert Madge (Michael), Louise Gold (Miss Andrew/Miss Smythe), Rebecca Luker (Winifred Banks), Daniel Jenkins (George Banks), Jack Montgomery (Michael), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Jane), Aden Gillett (George Banks), Harry Stott (Michael), Jenny Galloway (Mrs. Brill), Linzi Hateley (Winifred Banks), Jane Carr (Mrs. Brill), Henry Hodges (Michael), Jonathan Freeman (Admiral Boom/Bank Chairman), Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Ensemble), Martin Ball (George Banks) and Simon Burke (George Banks).
"Practically perfect"
– The Journal News
"Nobody does magical entertainment like Disney except Cameron Mackintosh. The two have teamed up for a Mary Poppins that s a roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza!"
– New York Daily News
"Irresistible! A fresh fountain of youth that will make many a grown-up feel like a kid again!"
– USA Today
"LOVELY.... Four stars! A super hit!"
– New York Post
"The most bewitching thing to hover over a Broadway audience in years."
– The Washington Post
"[An] entertaining narrative that both expands on the time-honored story from the film while largely reinventing it by going back to the source books of the late Pamela Travers."
– Variety
Inspiration
Mary Poppins is a musical based on the book series by P.L. Travers of the same name and, more notably, the 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. The stage show features many of the original songs made famous by the Oscar-winning duo of Richard and Robert Sherman, with additional music and lyrics from George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, respectively, and a book by Julian Fellowes, creator for the television series, Downton Abbey.
The genesis of the musical came at the hands of mega-producer, Cameron Mackintosh (Les Misérables, Cats, Miss Saigon). In 1993, he met with Pamela Travers, the author of the original book series, to get her permission to musicalize the stories of Mary Poppins. When Travers agreed, he got in contact with Disney Theatrical in 2001, sparking a partnership that would allow the show to use music from the original movie.
Around 2002, Stiles and Drewe (Olivier winners for Honk!) had heard about the new collaboration and wrote a demo song entitled "Practically Perfect" for the producers. Once they listened to the song, they were brought onto the creative team. Fellowes was then brought aboard for his "clear understanding of the social niceties of the English class system that prevailed in the Edwardian era." Rounding off the production team for original production were director, Sir Richard Eyre, and Bob Crowley, a multi-Tony winner who had previously worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Ballet and Royal Opera. A workshop of the musical was held at the end of 2003 at the Old Vic Theatre, using the cast from a recently closed production of My Fair Lady.
The stage adaptation pulls some elements from the original book that were eliminated from the film, including the walking statue and the ladders to the stars. Several scenes from the film were omitted, most notably the scenes of Uncle Albert laughing on the ceiling and the dancing penguins in "Jolly Holiday," which were replaced with dancing statues and a trip to Mrs. Corry's shop, respectively. The musical generally places more emphasis on Jane and Michael being naughty children and on their parents having more of a dysfunctional relationship. Mrs. Banks is no longer a suffragette, but a former actress, and Mr. Banks' back story is much more fleshed out. A handful of musical sequences have also been placed in a different chronology, including bumping up "Let's Go Fly a Kite" to the middle of the show, rather than the end.
Productions
Mary Poppins had its world premiere at the Bristol Hippodrome in London with a limited engagement from September 18, to November 6, 2004. The production, starring Laura Michelle Kelly and Gavin Lee, then moved to the Prince Edward Theatre on December 15, running more than three years until January 12, 2008. With a very successful production, the producers' eyes turned west, and the New Amsterdam Theatre housed the Broadway premiere on November 16, 2006. Initially starring Broadway performer, Ashley Brown, and returning player, Gavin Lee, it made minimal changes to the songs and staging. After almost seven years of success, the Broadway production closed on March 3, 2013, to make room for Disney Theatricals' new production of Aladdin.
For the touring productions of the show, the sets were significantly reduced in size and intermediate scenes were removed to accommodate for smaller houses. The first tour began in the UK on June 4, 2008, playing until April 18, 2009. The US tour started in Chicago on March 25, 2009, featuring performances from the leads of the Broadway production, Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee. Like its Broadway equivalent, the tour was extremely successful, playing its last performance in Anchorage, Alaska, on June 2, 2013.
Mary Poppins has also seen a significant amount of play outside of the UK and the US. The first foreign-language production opened on October 18, 2008, in Goteburg, Sweden, performed entirely in Swedish. Other locations for international productions include Finland, Mexico City, Australia, Japan and France. The first regional production of the musical was staged at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge in Ontario, Canada.
Cultural Influence
- Mary Poppins is the first Disney Theatrical show to open in the UK. It is also the first show to open in collaboration with another theatre company.
- At the time of writing, Mary Poppins was the 30th longest-running show in Broadway history.
- Mary Poppins was the first live-action Disney movie to be adapted to the stage. Its success gave Disney Theatrical confidence to adapt other live-action films: High School Musical, High School Musical 2, and Newsies.
Trivia
- The West End production of Mary Poppins was nominated for eight additional Olivier Awards in 2005, including Best New Musical and Best Director.
- The Broadway production of Mary Poppins was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Choreography. It was also nominated for six Drama Desk Awards (including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Book of a Musical and Outstanding Choreography), eleven Outer Critics Circle Awards (including Outstanding New Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Score), and a Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Production of a Musical.
- Celebrities that have starred in Mary Poppins (aside from those listed above) include: Christian Borle (Bert), David Haig (George Banks), Scarlett Strallen (Mary), Gavin Creel (Bert), Philip Quast (George Banks), Lisa O'Hare (Mary), Robert Madge (Michael), Louise Gold (Miss Andrew/Miss Smythe), Rebecca Luker (Winifred Banks), Daniel Jenkins (George Banks), Jack Montgomery (Michael), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Jane), Aden Gillett (George Banks), Harry Stott (Michael), Jenny Galloway (Mrs. Brill), Linzi Hateley (Winifred Banks), Jane Carr (Mrs. Brill), Henry Hodges (Michael), Jonathan Freeman (Admiral Boom/Bank Chairman), Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Ensemble), Martin Ball (George Banks) and Simon Burke (George Banks).
"Practically perfect"
– The Journal News
"Nobody does magical entertainment like Disney except Cameron Mackintosh. The two have teamed up for a Mary Poppins that s a roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza!"
– New York Daily News
"Irresistible! A fresh fountain of youth that will make many a grown-up feel like a kid again!"
– USA Today
"LOVELY.... Four stars! A super hit!"
– New York Post
"The most bewitching thing to hover over a Broadway audience in years."
– The Washington Post
"[An] entertaining narrative that both expands on the time-honored story from the film while largely reinventing it by going back to the source books of the late Pamela Travers."
– Variety
Billing
Requirements
Original Music and Lyrics by
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Co-Choreographer
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Lighting Design
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Stephen Mear
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Howard Harrison
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Video Warning
ANY VIDEO RECORDING MADE OF THIS PERFORMANCE IS AUTHORIZED FOR PERSONAL, AT-HOME, NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY. THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION OF SUCH RECORDING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED UNDER FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAW.Included Materials
| Resource | Quantity |
|---|---|
| ERRATA LIST | 1 |
| LIBRETTO/VOCAL BOOK | 28 |
| PIANO VOCAL SCORE | 2 |
| PRODUCTION HANDBOOK | 1 |
| PRODUCTION HANDBOOK DIGITAL | 1 |
| ZFX FLYER | 1 |
| CHOREOGRAPHY DVD:"SUPERCAL..." | 1 |