London in the turn of the 20th century was not always a spoonful of sugar, or practically perfect in every way.
As the suffragettes marched to get votes for women, men were often working long hours away from home. And the children, no matter their social status, were often left to nannies and governesses to be looked after.
Most would have loved the magical English nanny, which author P.L. Travers dreamt up in her series of books, to be blown in by the east wind to land at their doorstep.
Such is the iconic character of Mary Poppins, made even more famous by Walt Disney when his studio released the 1964 musical film version of Travers’ books. It featured a young Julie Andrews in her first starring film role.
Now a stage musical, adapted by Cameron Mackintosh, Mary Poppins made its debut in London’s West End in 2004 and on Broadway in 2006, and is about to appear in Vernon for the very first time when Center Stage Performing Arts Academy and Lights of Broadway present it at the Performing Arts Centre May 6 and 7.
“It was 23 years in development to get the musical on the stage,” said Center Stage/Lights of Broadway owner/director Charity Van Gameren. “They were trying to find the right balance from what P.L. Travers wrote to the Disney film. For Broadway, it goes back to some of the original stories.
“While Disney is childlike and light, the Broadway musical tells more of the story of the family and features songs you’ve never heard before. The songs add more and gives the story its due.”
New songs include Practically Perfect, sung by Mary when she first arrives on the scene, and Playing the Game, performed when the Banks children find themselves on the Brat-o-meter for fighting and Mary brings the toys to life to admonish them.
The film’s fans need not worry as many of the beloved Sherman Brothers-written songs from the Disney film are also in the musical, with some differences in the context of how they appear.
There is no Uncle Albert or flying, I Love to Laugh tea party, nor dancing animated penguins, but some statues in the park do come to life, hints Van Gameren, adding her younger students will perform in Let’s Go Fly a Kite and A Spoonful of Sugar, here sung when the Banks kids make a mess baking a cake and Mary Poppins comes to the rescue.
“She doesn’t stop the kids from making a mess, but shows how to help them solve their ordeal,” said Sophia Friesen, as Mary. “She brings a lot of joy and makes a big difference in their lives. The emphasis is on teaching the kids what it’s like to be happy. She seems to have done this before and comes into the lives of kids and families and has mended them in her practically perfect way.”
Van Gameren says her lead not only looks the part of the titular nanny, she can spell and sing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious frontwards and backwards(!) with ease.
“Sophia has done an amazing job as Mary and has a pure classical voice.”
Mary Poppins’ teachable moments not only affect the two troublesome Banks children, Michael and Jane, but their mom Winifred, and dad George. Audiences will see notable changes in their character development.
“This is true to the story of the Banks family; how the dysfunction of the family develops and why George is the way he is. It goes into his background,” said Stephen Friesen, who here gets to be taught by his real-life daughter in the role of the rule following banker. “Mr. Banks is tormented in the show. He’s trapped in what society has pushed on him and what he has pushed on himself.”
“Winifred in the musical has more of a say in this story than in the film,” added Molly Crandlemire, whose character is now a former actress instead of a suffragette, as in the film. “You see more growth in the family.”
Meanwhile, Jane and Michael, played by Madison Sutch and Roan Reid, are much more sassy and rude to their parents.
“We fight with our parents a lot, but Mary Poppins makes us happier,” said Reid.
“Everyone knows the movie and may be coming in with these expectations, but I like the play much better. It’s more real,” added Sutch.
“It doesn’t mince the dark parts of family life. There is sadness in the show,” said Van Gameren.
Another character who makes an impact is Bert.
Alex Khazen says his character, played in the film by a singing, dancing and questionable Cockney accented Dick Van Dyke, is much more than the happy-go-lucky chap we know from the screen.
“The perception by the audience is that Bert is simple, yet he is complex. On the surface he presents his jolliness and throws things aside and laughs it off than faces it. But his backstory is that he grew up without a father figure so lived in his imagination,” said Khazen. “The (Banks) kids talk back to their parents as a form of attention. Bert relates to that and encourages independence. He represents a mature paradox.”
All the main actors have been working on their accents with acting instructor Sarah Mori Jones, who has brought in voice coaches to help the cast with the Cockney, Upper English and Welsh dialects, while choreographer Cherise McInnes has helped with the epic dance numbers.
“We will have about 62 kids singing and doing a tap dance number to Step in Time,” said Van Gameren. “We also have our costume moms working non-stop. The costumes really are amazing.”
Mary Poppins takes the stage at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre May 6 at 7 p.m. and May 7 at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Ticket Seller, 549-7469, ticketseller.ca.