Steadstyle Chicago
March 2009 Theatre Review by Venus Zarris
Mary Poppins
Every once in a while, if you're lucky, the stars align. They create a synchronicity that affords you the perspective that you are living a charmed life. If you've never experienced this, perhaps Mary can help. My morning started with a call to my Mom. I told her that I was going to see "Mary Poppins" on stage and that this made me think of her. The very first film that I ever saw at a movie theater was "Mary Poppins" and it was my mother who took me. It was just the two of us and I was transfixed. That experience left an indelible tattoo on my psyche. I loved it with all of my tiny little heart. It was nothing short of magic.
Flash forward a few decades to last night. I must admit that I found it hard to imagine that this Mary at this theater would come close to the effect of the first Mary at that first theater. I was very pleasantly proved wrong. With magnificent sets that resemble illustrations from a Maurice Sendak children's book, costumes that range from turn-of-the-last-century period perfect to Cirque de Soleil's most colorfully and creatively outlandish, real dancers (this is not swing choir dance steps but a bona fide hoofer show!) first rate performers and musicians and squeal inspiring wire work, "Mary Poppins" the stage musical becomes its own beguiling incarnation.
Act 1 introduces our characters in typical musical theater tradition with so many grand and subtle whistles and bells that we are left ringing from the fun. Ashley Brown's Mary has Julie Andrews' pipes but her approach to the character is slightly more self aware of her superiority. She is colder than Andrews and so, although completely wonderful, it takes us a little longer to warm up to her. She never really exposes the endearing emotional connectivity to the children or to Burt that Andrews rendered but she makes up for this detachment by running and winning a marathon of entertaining delight!
Mind you, Brown is stepping into an iconic part from an iconic film. She has the enormous task of keeping enough of the original characterization for us trust the part while simultaneously making it new and by the end of Act 2, when little Michael Banks utters the heartwarming line, "I love you, Mary Poppins," he is speaking for everyone in the theater.
And Oh, that Act Two! As dazzling as the first act is, it seems like an IRS audit compared to the almost non-stop joy ride of the second act. We are introduced to Miss Andrew, the bad-witch nanny to Mary's good-witch. And by bad I mean to say that Ellen Harvey creates a wickedly delightful villain that rivals any that Disney has offered in the past. Her brilliantly menacing performance actually eclipses the good of Mary for a short time. And their titanic battle is a blast! Harvey takes bad to a whole new level of wonderful!
The character of Miss Andrew is a new addition to the classic tale. This could have been a cheap device but instead proved to be theatrical alchemy. Another addition to Act 2 is the song "Step in Time". New songs can often be filler or a device to add a little more weight to existing characters but "Step in Time" brings down the house with dancing that rivals any full-company musical number and defies gravity literally, with its spectacular dancing, energy and special effects. Gavin Lee is amazing as Burt. Originally played by Dick Van Dyke in the film, Lee carries the narrative beautifully and triple threats his way into the hearts of the audience.
The orchestra, under the masterful direction of Annbritt duChateau, is terrific despite some sound mixing problems that really should be ironed out by the opening of such a big budget and long established production. Still, this show is a treat for the ears, a feast for the eyes and a banquet of dazzling delights! The entire ensemble is wonderful. Abigail Droeger and Christopher Flaim make perfect charges for Mary. This is a cast that deserves every moment of their standing ovation equally but special praise must be given to the dancers who add remarkable fireworks to this already over the top festival of the fantastic! I am finding it difficult not to detail the amazing special effects. Like a little kid with a secret, I'm bursting with excitement but I don't want to ruin any of the surprises. I will say that even though you might see how some of the tricks are executed, the magical results are still overwhelming!
I was a hard sell walking into "Mary Poppins". I'm a seasoned theater critic with powerful leanings towards local productions and against the Disney trap of over-hyped, commercialized superficial products. But "Mary Poppins" is no "Little Mermaid On Ice". Rather, it is one of the most magical things to come from that Magic Kingdom since the original film. You will almost never hear me favor an out-of-town show to the plethora of brilliant local theater options in Chicago. But "Mary Poppins" offers something not found anywhere else currently playing in this city. That is, large-scale unadulterated theatrical spectacle. Do not miss this show. It is a gift for all children, both young and old. "Mary Poppins" is playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph, through July 12, 2009.
About Venus Zarris
Venus
Zarris is the Editor and Chief Writer for ChicagoStageReview.com.
She is a feature writer and theater critic for Gay Chicago Magazine,
as well as other print and on-line publications. Her writing has been
featured at colleges and universities in Illinois and Michigan and on
National Public Radio. Venus's photography and writing is on
permanent collection at the New York Historical Society and the
Library of Congress. Steadstyle Chicago is proud to welcome
Venus' intelligent, witty and provocative writing to our site.
Second Thoughts by Alan Bresloff
There is pure family magic at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre as Broadway in Chicago presents "Mary Poppins," a full scale musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film. This production, which will tour the rest of country when it leaves here, features the two original Broadway stars, Ashley Brown as Mary and Gavin Lee as Bert. They truly make the music and the magic on Randolph Street, but they have a lot of help. The ensemble that makes up this road company is filled with singing, dancing and acting talent. Matthew Bourne's choreography is fantastic. And talk about energy. Of course, the music and lyrics by Richard M and Robert B. Sherman are wonderful and the book has been modified a bit from the movie version, but the essence remains.
I am sure everyone knows the story. The Banks family, George (Karl Kenzler) and Winifred (local actress Megan Osterhaus) have two children, Jane (Abigail Droeger or Aida Neitenbach in some performances) and Michael (Christopher Flaim or Justin Hall in some performances), who are quite the brats. One nanny after another is forced to leave the Banks home because of them. Then one day, Mary Poppins arrives and changes begin to take place. Not only with the two children, but with their father, a strict banker who lives his life with "Precision and Order". He also is transformed by the Mary Poppins magic, which brings the family together and takes away the need for a nanny at all.
It is hard to contemplate how the magical moments of a Walt Disney film can be translated to a live stage presentation. We have seen many of these in the past and each time audiences are amazed. This one is no different. The set and costume design by Bob Crowley are marvelous and the lighting effects by Howard Harrison add even more magic. This is not just a musical play, it is in fact a musical theatrical experience. A special visit to the theater that will become a fond memory, where audience members will be able to talk about being witness to a production that was as flawless as one could anticipate. A show where a character walks up the wall, flips so he is walking upside down from one side of the stage to the other, flips again and comes down to the stage, and never appears stiff or falls out of character. Gavin Lee is a show stopping talent if I have ever seen one.
Of course, Ms Brown is a marvelous talent as well. She sings and dances with the best and we also get to see her airborne quite a few times with her final exit being one that is hard to believe. In fact, one might say that you get your money's worth just on these two things and "Step in Time," where the stage is filled with tap dancing Chimney sweeps doing some amazing steps. But there is so much more. The story has a strong moral and the production will certainly take your mind off the outside world problems. I found myself to be a kid again and watching the others in the opening night audience jump to their feet to applaud the evening's entertainment, I think it was everywhere in The Cadillac Palace Theatre.
A production this strong cannot run on just its leads. The ensemble and other cast members of this production are very strong. The kids are dynamite! We witnessed the transformation of Abigail Droeger and Christopher Flaim, both with great stage presence, from brats into the world of Mary and Bert. There are standout performances by Valerie Boyle, Mary Vanardel ("Feed The Birds" woman), Ellen Harvey as Miss Andrew (the nanny one loves to hate), Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Mike O'Carroll and Q Smith.
The standout ensemble includes local actor Michael Gerhart, Wendy James, Brian Letendre, Laird Mackintosh, Dominic Roberts, Tom Souhrada, Tia Altinay, Carol Angeli, Gail Bennett, Kiara Bennett, Brandon Bieber, Troy Edward Bowles, Elizabeth Broadhurst, Geoffrey Goldberg, Emily Harvey, Tiffany Howard, Kelly Jacobs, Jesse Swim, Nick Sanchez, Shua Potter, Koh Mochizuki, Vanessa McMahan, Justin Keyes and Clark Johnsen. They are a terrific bunch of performers. Their abilities and talents are the ingredients that might be compared to a great chef's perfect meal. They are the spice, the sauce and the flavor that makes the meal complete. Bravo!