Mary Poppins to close on 3 Mar 2013

Mary Poppins to close on 3 Mar 2013 The Broadway production of Mary Poppins will conclude its Broadway run at The New Amsterdam Theatre on 3 Mar 2013, after 2619 performances. The show had been selling tickets through to 07 Jul 2013. Mary Poppinsopened on Broadway in 2006, just two years after debuting in London's West End, where it had received nine Olivier Award nominations and won Olivier and Evening Standard Awards. The Broadway production was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical . Mary Poppins, which has played on Broadway for more than six years, will rank as the 22nd longest-running show in Broadway history by the time its run is complete, ranking between Best Musical winners 'Hairspray' and 'Avenue Q' on the list of long runs. Thomas Schumacher, producer and president Disney Theatrical Productions, said, "Mary Poppins has been a labor of love for Cameron, all of the show's brilliant creators and those of us at Disney Theatrical for over a decade. But the show's extraordinary success is due to the 500 plus actors, musicians and stagehands who have brought the show to magical life on Broadway and, most importantly, to the audiences who have fallen in love with Mary, Bert and the Banks family every night. We thank them and New York for six tremendous years." Cameron Mackintosh said, "Bringing Mary Poppins to the Broadway stage with Tom & Disney has been a complete joy and I am thrilled that Mary has been able to inhabit the glorious New Amsterdam for over six years and is now playing overseas to ensure the medicine goes down in the most delightful way. 'Til we meet again." The show is based on the stories by P.L. Travers and the 1964 Walt Disney film. The musical features many of the original songs from the film, with music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, who won two Oscar's for the film Mary Poppins. The new stage production features new songs and additional music and lyrics by Olivier Award-winners George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The production has been created in collaboration with Cameron Mackintosh. The Broadway production stars Steffanie Leigh as 'Mary' and Nic Dromard as 'Bert.' Dromard has played the title role on Broadway since October 2011, one of only four actresses cast in the iconic title role during the entire Broadway run. The principal cast also features Karl Kenzler (Mr. Banks), Megan Osterhaus (Mrs. Banks), Valerie Boyle (Mrs. Brill), Janet MacEwen (Bird Woman), Dennis Moench (Robertson Ay), Q. Smith (Miss Andrew) and Jonathan Freeman (Admiral Boom). Carly Paige Baron, Maya Jade Frank and Elizabeth Teeter alternate in the role of 'Jane Banks.' Aidan Gemme, Anthony Pierini and Hayden Signoretti alternate in the role of 'Michael Banks.' The Broadway production of Mary Poppins opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on the 16 Nov 2006, following previews from the 14 Oct. The musical opened to mostly good reviews: "A roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza" (New York Daily News); "Was fine as a Disney movie and is even better as this Broadway musical" (New York Post); "A real Broadway musical - the kind we haven't seen in a long time." (Journal News); "Most children, however, really don't know the difference between great and mediocre performances, and they will love the show." (newyorktheatreguide). However, not all the reviews were so favourable: "Handsome, homily-packed and rather tedious show." (New York Times); "Resembles a vast, elaborate clockwork toy of yesteryear." (Star-Ledger); "A wee bit of a letdown." (Washington Post). Director Richard Eyre leads the award-winning creative team assembled for Mary Poppins with co-direction and choreography by Olivier Award winner Matthew Bourne. Mary Poppins features a book by Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes, set and costume design is by Tony Award winner Bob Crowley, co-choreography by Olivier Award winner Stephen Mear, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy, orchestrations by William David Brohn, and musical supervision by David Caddick. Mary Poppins creator Pamela Lyndon (P.L.) Travers was born Helen Lyndon Goff in Australia on August 9, 1899. While touring as a theatre actress, Pamela began publishing poems, articles, and stories; which led to a career in journalism. It was in 1934, while living in England, that she wrote the first of six books featuring Mary Poppins. Pamela Travers passed away on April 23, 1996.