Beginning Friday, November 10th, theatrical magic comes to Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough when St. James Players opens their 45th season with their production of Mary Poppins.
Directed by Natalie Dorsett, Mary Poppins stars Gillian Harknett as the strange and mysterious nanny, Warren Sweeting as her enigmatic friend Burt, and Macayla Vaughn and Ben Freeman as Mary’s wards Jane and Michael Banks. A favourite for generations, Mary Poppins is a continuation of St. James Players tradition of presenting high-quality theatre for the entire family.
Forget everything you remember about Mary Poppins: this show is going to turn everything you think you know on its head. While based on the books by P.L Travers and heavily influenced by the Academy Award winning 1964 Walt Disney film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, the stage version of Mary Poppins is altogether different in plot and characterization.
Developed for the London stage by Disney Theatrical in 2004, the production includes all of the memorable songs written by Robert and Richard Sherman for the film, but with additional lyrics and some brand new songs by George Styles and Anthony Drewe.
Furthermore, the new script by Julian Fellows keeps the characters, relationships, and basic plot of the original story, but creates new family dynamics within the Banks family that gives the show much more depth. In fact, some of the most interesting scenes are ones that were developed for the stage show and didn’t appear at all within the film.
The result, dare I say it, is a much more interesting and compelling version of Mary Poppins than anything we’ve seen before.
I don’t even know how to express in words just how tight the St. James Players production of Mary Poppins is. The company gels together beautifully in drama, dance and song, and the entire production is spit spot solid. Fast moving, energetic, colourful and often emotionally potent, Mary Poppins has managed to surpass my already high expectations based on a few previews I was invited to. I knew it was going to be good, but it is even better than I could have ever predicted.
Obviously it takes a special performer to play the role of Mary Poppins, and St. James Players found just the right person in Gillian Harknett. While she has been in musicals before, this is Gillian’s first starring role and she proves herself to be one of the most tremendous hidden talents in Peterborough theatre. I can’t believe that someone as incredible as Gillian has been simmering under the radar until now, but I’m glad that she has finally stepped forward to allow her talents to shine.
Poised and elegant, Gillian puts an interesting spin on Mary, who is as delightful as the character that we remember from the film, but has an odd supernatural quality to her, creating a far more mysterious character. Gillian’s Mary is also far more authoritative and arguably vain. The result is a more interesting version of Mary Poppins; even someone who has seen the film multiple times will have no idea just what she’ll do next.
I cannot praise enough the perfection of Gillian’s performance. She glides onto the stage and just seems to bring this iconic and beloved character to life before our eyes. Although she previously expressed to me her reluctance to take the lead role, Gillian is truly leading lady material, and hopefully this won’t be the last we see of her in a starring role. Audiences are going to fall in love with her.
Now I’ll admit I have a certain fondness for Warren Sweeting, who plays Burt. Being brought to St. James shows by my parents as a kid, when I first really found my love for theatre, I remember watching Warren as the romantic lead in a plethora of shows year after year. I remember being moved by his musical talent, and he was a major personal touchstone in my theatrical experience as an audience member. But Warren has been mysteriously absent from the spotlight since I began writing theatrical reviews, so to see him back in the spotlight in Mary Poppins is a true nostalgic treat for me — and he is as good as I remember him being.
Just as Gillian gives a natural performance as Mary, Warren recreates Burt the chimney sweep in the same seamless way. As the show’s narrator leading the audience through the tune “Chim Chim Cher-ee”, Warren has an incredible chemistry with Gillian that’s so important to the foundation of the show. While Gillian plays Mary as delightful yet odd, Warren brings joy and a sense of humanity to the show that Mary can not. Friendly and high spirited, he is always up for the next adventure in the magic that follows Mary wherever she goes. But there is also that hint of romance between Mary and Burt, as you wonder if they are or aren’t (spoiler alert: they probably aren’t).
But while Mary and Burt are the leads of the show, the story really isn’t about them at all — it’s about Mary’s employers, the Banks family: George, his wife Winifred, and their two spoiled children Jane and Michael. The dynamics of the family are really the crux of the show, and the way they are characterized is probably the most interesting departure from the film.
Living a life filled with tension, the Banks are a family in crisis — although they don’t yet realize it — who rediscover one another and a better way of living via Mary. In this production, the Banks are edgier and have a great deal more depth, creating a far more interesting drama.
At the head of the family is George Banks, played marvelously by actor Keith Goranson. A blustery bully of a man, George is more interested in appearances in his upper-crust society than the important things in life, such as being a good husband, kind father, and nice person. What is interesting is how we get insights into his upbringing; a “nurture versus nature” theme is developed about why he has become the man he has, why he is so damaged and, as a result, is damaging his family.
Keith plays a man who is at a drastic crossroads in his life, and takes George through a journey to rediscover his humanity. It’s a great take on this character from a fantastic character actor.
In the role of Winifred Banks, Christie Freeman gives one of the most potent and human performances in the show, and her character is possibly the most different than any in the Disney film. In the film, Mrs. Banks is an absent parent more interested in getting women the vote than in being a mother. In the stage show, this subplot is done away with and it’s actually quite the opposite: Christie plays Mrs. Banks as a shattered woman who lives under her husband’s thumb and feels she is inept at high society appearances, running a household, and being a mother.
With her potent performance, Christie takes Mrs. Banks on an emotional journey of finding her own voice while she creates kind of relationship with her husband and children that she wants.
Possibly the most impressive members of this cast are Macayla Vaughn and Ben Freeman as Jane and Michael Banks. At age 13 and 11, Macayla and Ben have the most stage time and the most lines of all the performers in the show — and their performance is miraculous.
Often in large musicals, kids are shuffled on and off the stage like human props. But to make this show work, the performers who play Jane and Michael need to be as interesting and compelling as the adult performers who are supporting them. This show couldn’t have found two more perfect performers. Macayla and Ben go toe-to-toe with Gillian and Warren without missing a moment, a line, or a beat. Two of the finest child actors I’ve ever seen in a musical, their performance is truly a triumph and I hope this won’t be the last time I see them on stage. Macayla and Ben are just incredible.
Within such a large cast, it takes a lot of different players to create the world of Mary Poppins, and there are a lot of character roles that stand out in this show.
Jacquie Butler and Robert Ainsworth create comedy within the Banks home as the frantic maid Mrs. Brill and the dimwitted butler Robertson. Madison Earle gives a strange yet beautiful performance as Neleus, a stone statue that comes to life and befriends the children. Tim Jeffries proves his craftsmanship as an actor in a spirited performance as an Irish worker named Northbrook, who comes looking for a loan from Mr. Banks.
Rachel Dalliday plays the haunting old bird lady (I’m ashamed to admit the bird lady was my favourite character from the film). Cynthia Wardrope plays the magical Mrs. Cory, who sells the art of conversation, and Rosemarie Barns plays the frightening Mrs. Andrews, who can only be described as the anti-Mary Poppins.
Of course, one of the most famous elements of Mary Poppins is the music, and under the guidance of musical director Dustin Bowers, the music for this show is a notch above some I’ve seen in the past. In Mary Poppins, the music doesn’t just act as a soundtrack; it interacts with and talks to the performers throughout the show. The creates an interesting relationship between the performers and the orchestra that I’ve seen in smaller shows, such as First Date and Ordinary Days, but rarely in a show of this size.
Furthermore, Gillian and Warren are vocal powerhouses, and their individual musical talents take the songs we know and love and lead the cast into some really exciting and dynamic large production numbers. The multi-layered harmonies in “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” are amazing to listen to and “Practically Perfect” becomes a real earworm.
Some of the most interesting production numbers are ones that were never in the film. For instance, instead of animated penguins, the company dances with stone and bronze statues that come to life in “Jolly Holiday”, and Gillian gives her strongest performance when she has a musical showdown with the cruel Mrs. Andrews in a new number called “Brimstone and Treacle”. The way Gillian and Rosemarie Barns play off of each other is incredible, and the notes that Gillian hits are rarely heard in Peterborough musical theatre.
There is also a really interesting (and somewhat frightening) new number called “Playing the Game”, which features members of the cast as neglected and mistreated toys that come to life. Although all of the performers involved in this number are excellent, there is one performer, Brooklyn Welles, who is worth keeping an eye out for. My attention kept floating to her, playing a wind-up doll wearing a red dress, and for some reason she really gave me the chills. She could be the creepiest doll this side of Annabelle. To say the least, I was captivated by her performance in this particular scene.
But the truly outstanding moment of this production is the performance of “Step in Time”. Choreographed by Mellissa Earlie, this number is the highlight of the night and is just insane to watch. The combination of energy, acrobatics, music, step dancing, and pure joy comes together in one giant theatrical frenzy that deserves a standing ovation in itself. It is just incredible. Words can’t describe it, you just need to see it for yourself. It is easily the highlight of the entire show.
There is no other way to put it: I loved Mary Poppins. The positivity of the material combined with the joy that radiates from the performers is potent, and it is just as magical as Mary herself. At a time where the world seems to be filled with more cynicism and bitterness than usual, this show is the kind of thing we need to heal our consciousness, if only for a little while. It’s a show about how kindness and respect leads to the good things in life, and about finding the magic in our everyday lives.
For one night, leave the darkness behind and invite the light and colourful world of Mary Poppins, filled with magical nannies and dancing chimney sweeps, into your life. I can honestly say the magic of Mary Poppins is addictive, and it’s a show you don’t just watch; it’s a show you feel, and it’s a good warm feeling that goes right to your soul.
I’ve seen a lot of great musicals, but very few have been as pure and as joyful as Mary Poppins. This show is practically perfect in every way. This is one show you are going to want to see — it’s the best of the best.
Mary Poppins opens on November 10th and runs until November 18th at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors and available in person at the Showplace box office (290 George St. N., Peterborough), by calling 705-742-7469, or online at www.showplace.org.
