Mary Poppins celebrates its first anniversary on Broadway

Fri 16 Nov 2007 The Broadway production of Mary Poppins celebrates its first anniversary on Broadway. The musical opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on the 16 Nov 2006, following previews from the 14 Oct 2006, and is currently selling tickets through to 11 May 2008. To mark the occasion the cast of Mary Poppins, headed by Ashley Brown as Mary Poppins and Gavin Lee as Bert, will perform�Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious� during the first hour of the NBC/Macy�s Thanksgiving Day Parade, live from Herald Square. The parade will be aired on Thanksgiving morning on NBC, from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Mary Poppins 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 cast features Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Gavin Lee (Bert), Daniel Jenkins (Mr. Banks), Rebecca Luker (Mrs. Banks), Jane Carr (Mrs. Brill), Mark Price (Robertson Ay), Cass Morgan (Bird Woman), Ruth Gottschall (Miss Andrew), and Michael McCarty (Admiral Boom). Alexandra Berro, Nicole Bocchi and Lila Coogan will alternate in the role of Jane Banks. Matthew Gumley, Henry Hodges and Jacob Levine will alternate in the role of Michael Banks. 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. (For more information and tickets click here)