Mary Poppins (musical)
| Musical dates | |
|---|---|
| Original title: | Mary Poppins |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | Robert B. Sherman , Richard M. Sherman , George Stiles |
| Book: | Julian Fellowes |
| Lyrics: | Robert B. Sherman , Richard M. Sherman , Anthony Drewe |
| Premiere: | September 15, 2004 |
| Place of premiere: | Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol, England |
| Place and time of the action: | London, 1910 |
| Roles / people | |
& Ensemble |
|
Mary Poppins is a musical based on the Mary Poppins children's book series by PL Travers and the Disney film adaptation of the same name from 1964. It mixes elements from the books and the film. Mary Poppins is a bit stricter than in the film version and thus corresponds more to the book version. In London, children under the age of three were not allowed in because of a few scenes that could be frightening to the very young; the musical was recommended for children aged seven and over.
The music largely corresponds to the music by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman known from the film . Additional music is provided by George Stiles (music) and Anthony Drewe (lyrics). The musical ran from 2004 to 2008 on London's West End and from 2006 to 2013 on New York's Broadway .
action
1st act
Chimney sweep Bert introduces the audience to the house at 17 Kirschbaumweg, where George and Winifred Banks live with their children Jane and Michael. When the children pissed off a nanny again, they formulate a newspaper advertisement about what the perfect nanny should be. But her father has completely different ideas about the qualities a nanny should have. When Mary Poppins appears, she may not be the nanny George Banks envisioned, but she got the job nonetheless. It quickly turns out that Mary Poppins is no ordinary nanny, but has magical abilities.
When Mary Poppins takes the children on a trip to the park and they see Bert there in ragged clothes and with a dirty face, Mary Poppins teaches them that you should always look behind the facade. Meanwhile, Winifred Banks worries that she will not be able to meet the expectations of her husband and children. To do her husband a favor, she plans a tea party, but the kids accidentally destroy the preparations in the kitchen. But Mary Poppins has a solution and magically creates order again. But ultimately none of the guests appear.
When the children with Mary Poppins visit their father for the first time at the bank where he works, he remembers his dreams as an idealistic young man. But as a result, he makes a bad business decision. On the way home, Mary Poppins and the children meet an older woman who is feeding the birds. When they arrive home in a good mood, they see their father angry because he got problems at the bank because of his wrong decision. Jane and Michael also begin to argue.
Finding that there is still a long way to go, Mary Poppins leaves the house first to get her to think.
2nd act
Mary Poppins is replaced by a new nanny, Miss Andrew, who was also George Banks' nanny. But she cannot deal with the children at all, and the parents are also very dissatisfied with her. When the children flee from Miss Andrew in the park, they meet Bert there, with whom they fly a kite. When Mary Poppins suddenly reappears, the children are happy to see her return and tell her about the changes that have been made by Miss Andrew. When Mary Poppins goes home with the two of them, she meets Miss Andrew there, and the two start an argument during which Mary Poppins teaches Miss Andrew a lesson and lets her experience their methods first hand. When her parents return home, they are delighted that Miss Andrew is no longer there.
Bert introduces the children to several chimney sweeps with whom he is friends, and the children learn a dance from them, but in which they also leave the house of the banks in a mess. When George Banks has meanwhile received a telegram from his bank telling him to be there immediately, he has already resigned himself to being fired because of his wrong decision. As he sadly makes his way to the bank, his wife follows him to support him. Finally, Mary Poppins and the two children follow. Arriving at the bank, George learns that he did not, as initially suspected, caused the bank great damage, but that he brought the bank great profits.
After everything has turned out fine, he, his wife, the children and Mary Poppins return home. Arriving home, Mary Poppins, who has taken the family into her heart, realizes that her task has now been completed and the family is happy together again. She explains that she has to leave the family because of this and says goodbye to Bert too. Although everyone is sad about it, they understand the decision, and the children explain to her that they will never forget her. Mary Poppins flies away and eventually disappears over their heads.
Music track
1st act
- Chim Chim Cheree (Prologue / Chim Chim Cheree) - Bert
- Cherry Tree Lane 1 (In our house 1) - George, Winifred, Jane, Michael, Mrs. Brill and Robertson Ay
- The Perfect Nanny - Jane and Michael
- Cherry Tree Lane 2 (In our house 2) - George, Winifred, Jane, Michael, Mrs. Brill, and Robertson Ay
- Practically Perfect - Mary Poppins, Jane and Michael
- Chim Chim Cheree (Park Reprise) - Bert
- Jolly Holiday (Such a beautiful day with Mary) - Bert, Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael, Neleus and the statues
- Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise) / Being Mrs. Banks (To be Mrs. Banks) / Jolly Holiday (Reprise) - George, Winifred, Jane and Michael
- A Spoonful of Sugar (With a teaspoon of sugar) - Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael, Robertson Ay and Winifred
- Precision and Order - bank chairman and bank clerk
- A Man Has Dreams - George
- Feed the Birds - Bird Woman and Mary Poppins
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Supercalifragilisticexpialigetic) - Mary Poppins, Mrs. Corry, Bert, Jane, Michael, Fannie, Annie and customers
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (encore) - Bert and customers
- Chim Chim Cheree (recapitulation) - Bert and Mary Poppins
- Temper, Temper (2004-2009) ; from 2009 replaced by Playing the Game - Valentine, William, Mr. Punch, the glamorous doll and other toys
- Chim Chim Cheree (Roof Duet) - Bert and Mary Poppins
2nd act
- Entr'Acte: Run Away - Orchestra
- Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise) - Mrs. Brill, Michael, Jane, Winifred, Robertson Ay and George
- Brimstone and Treacle 1 (herb juice and fish oil 1) - Miss Andrew
- Let's Go Fly a Kite - Bert, park ranger, Jane and Michael
- Good for Nothing (Just a Failure) - George
- Being Mrs. Banks (Reprise) (To be Mrs. Banks) - Winifred
- Brimstone and Treacle 2 (herb juice and fish oil 2) - Mary Poppins and Miss Andrew
- Practically Perfect (Reprise) - Mary Poppins, Jane and Michael
- Chim Chim Cheree (roof recapitulation) - Bert
- Step in Time - Bert, Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael and the chimney sweeps
- Step in Time (encore) - Bert, Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael and the chimney sweeps
- A Man Has Dreams / A Spoonful of Sugar (With a teaspoon of sugar) - George and Bert
- Anything Can Happen - Mary Poppins, Jane, Michael and Ensemble
- A Spoonful of Sugar / A Shooting Star (Finale) - Mary Poppins
Deviations from the film
The new songs that don't appear in the movie are:
- Cherry Tree Lane
- Practically perfect
- Being Mrs. Banks
- Precision and Order
- Temper, temper; from 2009: Playing the Game
- Brimstone & Treacle
- Good for Nothing
- Anything Can Happen
- A shooting star
Songs removed compared to the movie:
- Sister suffragette
- The Life I Lead (The reprise version does occur, however)
- I love to laugh
- Fidelity Fiduciary Bank
- Stay awake
Emergence
The English musical producer Cameron Mackintosh met the author of the Mary Poppins books, Pamela L. Travers , in 1993 and acquired the rights to develop a stage adaptation of her books from her. In 2001, first discussions began between Cameron Mackintosh and the chairman of Disney Theatrical, Thomas Schumacher, about a possible collaboration so that the stage version could use the music from the film, which ultimately led to success. A preliminary draft of the show was written in 2002.
At this time, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe also found out about the project and wrote a demo version of a new title to introduce the new character "Mary Poppins". When they presented this title to Cameron Mackintosh, he liked it so much that he added them to the creative team. Julian Fellowes was hired to write the libretto . The renowned theater and film director Richard Eyre could be won as a director, and the award-winning set and costume designer Bob Crowley took over the equipment for the musical. In order to be able to implement Mary Poppins' magical abilities on stage, Jim Steinmeyer, an illusion designer who worked as a consultant for well-known magicians and had already developed magical effects for the Disney musical Beauty and the Beast, was hired.
At the end of 2003 a first workshop of the play took place in London's Old Vic Theater , which took place with the cast of the just finished play My Fair Lady . After four weeks of rehearsals in Sadler's Wells , the first public rehearsals were held from September 15, 2004 in the Bristol Hippodrome, which lasted until November 6, 2004. On December 15, 2004, the premiere was at the Prince Edward Theater in London's West End , where it ran until January 12, 2008.
Differences from the film
The musical version by Mary Poppins is not a direct adaptation of the film, but mixes elements of the film with elements of the books that already served as the basis for the film and adds its own elements. In comparison to the film, for example, the floating tea party at Uncle Albert's is missing, as are the scenes where Mary Poppins immerses himself in a street scene with Bert and the children (which was realized in the film through the combination of real and trick film). Instead, based on the books, the stage version shows the visit to Mrs. Corry's shop, the dancing statues and the ladders growing to the stars.
Due to the differences to the film and dramaturgical changes, some music titles have been removed from the film, while new titles have been added (see section Music titles ). Also, some titles taken from the film have been incorporated into other scenes for the same reason:
- A Spoonful of Sugar - While this title is sung in the film while magically tidying up the children's room, the stage version serves to clean up the mess that Michael and Jane accidentally wreaked in the kitchen.
- Jolly Holiday - As the corresponding movie scene is missing in the stage version, this title is used for the scene in which Mary Poppins brings the statues to life in the park.
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - This title is used when visiting Mrs. Corry's store.
- Feed the Birds - In the film this song is sung by Mary Poppins before the visit to the bank, and the bird woman is shown as a fantasy. In the stage version, the title is sung by Mary Poppins and the bird woman after the bank visit.
- Let's Go Fly a Kite - While this title is sung by the Banks family at the end of the film, in the stage version it is sung by Bert and the children earlier in act two.
The plot and the layout of the characters are closer to the books in the musical than in the film. So the stage version emphasizes more the naughtiness of Michael and Jane; Mary Poppins is also a bit stricter than in the film version.
In two new scenes, her magic is used to punish the children Jane and Michael. These scenes can be frightening to the very young, which is why London has refused entry to children under the age of seven.
Winifred Banks is no longer a suffragette, but a former actress who now only takes care of her family. The character of George Bank was expanded compared to the film; this is how one learns that he had a difficult childhood and that his parents ignored him. He was afraid of his own strict nanny, Miss Andrew, who is the exact opposite of Mary Poppins and who will be his children's nanny in Act II until Mary Poppins returns. Also in the stage version there is no run on the bank in which George works, and he does not lose his job.
Performances
In 2006 the musical came to New York's Broadway , where it ran from November 16, 2006 (previews from October 14, 2006) to March 3, 2013 in the New Amsterdam Theater .
On April 11, 2010, the Dutch version of the musical premiered in the Circustheater Scheveningen . Mary Poppins is played by Noortje Herlaar, who was discovered for the role on a TV talent show. The role of Bert is played by William Spaaij.
From October 2014 to January 2016, the show was shown in the Ronacher in Vienna for the first time in German with a translation by Wolfgang Adenberg . The show was on view in Stuttgart between autumn 2016 and January 2018. It has been performed in Hamburg since spring 2018.
- September 18, 2004 - November 6, 2004: Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol, England (previews from September 15, 2004)
- December 15, 2004 - January 12, 2008: Prince Edward Theater , London, England
- November 16, 2006 - March 3, 2013: New Amsterdam Theater , New York, USA (previews from October 14, 2006)
- April 2010 - August 28, 2011: Circustheater Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands
- October 1, 2014 - January 31, 2016: Ronacher , Vienna
- October 23, 2016 - January 28, 2018: Stage Apollo Theater , Stuttgart, Germany (previews from October 21, 2016)
- February 25, 2018 - August 18, 2019: Stage Theater an der Elbe , Hamburg , Germany (previews from February 2018, 1140 performances)
occupation
orchestra
The orchestra is made in the German version of twelve musicians: flute (also piccolo and alto recorder ), oboe (also English horn and harmonica ), Clarinet in B (also clarinet in E flat and bass clarinet ), percussion (2 players in the Hamburg version to a reduced), 2 trumpets (1st also cornet and flugelhorn ), trombone (also euphonium ), horn , keyboard (two players), cello, double bass (also electric bass ).
Leading roles
| Premiere cast London (2004) | Premiere cast Vienna (2014) | Premiere cast Stuttgart (2016) | Premiere cast Hamburg (2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Poppins | Laura Michelle Kelly | Annemieke van Dam | Elisabeth Huebert | |
| Bert | Gavin Lee | David Boyd | ||
| Jane Banks | Charlotte Spencer | Fiona Bella Imnitzer | Fanny Sigg | Marjan |
| Michael Banks | Harry Stott | David Paul Mannhart | Zinedine Strasser | Liam |
| George Banks | David Haig | Reinwald Kranner | Livio Cecini | |
| Winifred Banks | Linzi Hateley | Milica Jovanovic | Jennifer van Brenk | Milica Jovanovic |
| Miss Andrew | Rosemary Ashe | Maaike Schuurmans | ||
| Admiral Boom | Ian Burford | Dirk Lohr | ||
| Robertson Ay | Gerard Carey | Niklas Abel | ||
| Bird woman | Julia Sutton | Sandra Pires | Betty Vermeulen | |
| Mrs. Brill | Jenny Galloway | Tania Golden | Petra Welteroth | Heike Wiltrud Schmitz |
| Mrs. Corry | Melanie La Barrie | Kudra Owens | Anastasia Bain | |
| Annie / Doll | Poppy Tierney | |||
| Fannie | Savannah Stevenson | |||
| Park Keeper / Mr Punch | Kevin Williams | Maik Lohse | ||
| From Hussler / Jack-in-the-Box | Alan Vicary | |||
| Miss Lark | Claire Machin | Roimata Templeton | ||
| Katie Nanna | Louisa Shaw | |||
| Northbrook | Nathan Taylor | Maik Lohse | ||
| William | Terel Nugent | |||
| Policeman | Tim Morgan | Carl van Wegberg | ||
Sound carrier
- Mary Poppins - Original London Cast Recording (2005)
- Mary Poppins - Original Australian Cast Recording (2011)
- Mary Poppins - Original Vereinigte Bühnen Wien Cast Recording (2015)
Web links
- Mary Poppins in the Internet Broadway Database
- Mary Poppins in the Guide to Musical Theater
- Mary Poppins on Musical Heaven