First let me start by saying that I have never seen the “Mary Poppins” film, nor have I read the stories by P.L. Travers. In fact, I only knew two things about this show, the song “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocius” and that, at some point, Mary Poppins would fly off with an umbrella. So, going in to see this production I had no preconceived notions about what to expect. That being said, Disney’s production of “Mary Poppins” was an absolute delight.
From the time the curtain rose, the audience was treated to a feast for the eyes with the sets, lighting, costumes and make-up all working together to create a beautiful symphony of sight. I couldn’t stop looking at the set pieces, trying to figure out how they worked and from where they were coming. The set changes, light cues and sound cues were so well designed that every scene change looked like a choreographed dance. The use of colors and lighting made it delightfully difficult to determine which parts of the set were two dimensional paintings on backdrops and which parts were actual three dimensional structures. This created a great sense of awe and wonder in each audience member as we marveled at the creativity and ingenuity of the productions designers.
No production, however outstanding the production design is, would be complete without the performers and the cast of “Mary Poppins” did a fantastic job of making sure the set didn’t steal focus from them. The absolute standout performance of the evening was that of Con O’Shea-Creal (Bert). His performance was stupendous, bringing Bert to life in such a way that I wanted to see more of Bert than I did Mary Poppins. Con’s singing was fantastic, his acting was remarkable and his dancing reminded me of Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor in “Singing in the Rain.” Con exhibited a natural charisma that really endeared Bert to the audience.
The two other standouts were Alexa Shae Niziak (Jane Banks) and Lucas Schultz (Michael Banks). Because the story revolves around Mary Poppins’ relationship with the Banks children, these child actors had a huge amount of stage time which required them to memorize lines, blocking, songs and choreography. Not only did they have to learn all of this, but they had to take what they learned and make it good, which I’m glad to say they did. I watched them very closely and these kids never missed a beat, never dropped a cue and maintained their character throughout the entire show. Alexa and Lucas demonstrated a level of dedication, discipline and skill from which many seasoned stage veterans could learn. These two children have brilliant futures ahead of them.
All in all, Mary Poppins was a phenomenal production, full of that old Disney magic. Kids of all ages will enjoy this show.
Great review. I am not surprised that you lauded the children, Jane and Michael Banks. Glad that you enjoyed their performances. I am Lucas Schultz’s great grandma and know he is on his way to stardom. At the age of 88, I pray I’ll be around long enough to be a witness. He is a super nice youngster with equally nice siblings and two terrific parents.
I took my five year old Granddaughter to this production in Alaska. We loved every minute of the show. Lucas played Michael here and I enjoyed him so much I actually googled him after the show. As a grandma I understand your pride and as someone who loves movies and the theater I look forward to seeing more of Lucas.