This is Extraordinary Things, a fansite dedicated to the Practically Perfect Nanny's
on-stage incarnation. Disney Theatrical and Cameron MacKintosh worked together to create a wonderful new
adaptation of Pamela Travers' Mary Poppins books (using material made famous in the
Disney film). This new stage musical first opened in West End, and is now on Broadway and
due to make her appearance all over the world.
40 years after the Disney movie first charmed audiences the worldwide over, Mary
Poppins finally arrived on stage. The Mary Poppins stage musical had its world premier in September
2004 at the Bristol Hippodrome, and in December 2004 officially moved to
The Prince Edward Theatre in West End, London.
The first thing anyone watching the musical would notice is that it is not
a direct translation of the movie. Instead it borrows more from the
books by P.L. Travers, with familiar aspects of the movie and a little
original Cameron MacKintosh interpretation thrown in. New music was written by the creative team of
Anthony Drewe and George Stiles to compliment the songs written by for the movie. The result is a clever,
sharp and sometimes even a little scary story about a nanny who has taken it upon herself
to help a dysfunctional British family.
The success of the West End production made it (perhaps inevitable) that it would
be transferred to Broadway. The Broadway version of Mary Poppins debuted at the
New Amsterdam Theatre in October 2006, taking on a few changes from the West End version.
The Broadway version was also a resounding success, and now there are a number of new
productions in the works.
1st August 2009 Put a section for the upcoming Finnish production, which will open in less two
weeks on 13 August 2009.
18th July 2009 Add a whole bunch of new pictures to the London,
Broadway and
UK tour galleries.
I've also added a note in the story synopsis that in
the US tour production, "Temper Temper" has been replaced by "Playing the Game".
7th February 2010 Ashley Brown plays her last performance as Mary in the US tour tonight. When the production moves to
Tempe, Arizona, the cast will have a bunch of new additions: Caroline Sheen (the original UK tour Mary) as
Mary, Laird Mackintossh as George Banks, Blythe Wilson as Winifred Banks, Rachel Izen as Mrs Brill and
Dennis Moench as Robertson Ay.
BroadwayWorld has a lovely long interview with Andrew Keenan-Bolger
HERE,
and another slightly shorter interview with Caroline Sheen
HERE.
Wales Online has a more Mary Poppins-focused interview with Caroline Sheen
HERE.
Something slightly different, the BBC website has a photo gallery on the production team working on the set for upcoming Dutch production
HERE.
I'm slightly delayed posting this, but ET online has a video interview with Dick Van Dyke prior to his cameo at the Ahmanson Theatre
HERE.
26th January 2010 JimHillMedia has a wonderfully detailed report on Dick Van Dyke's recent on-stage cameo in the Ahmanson Theatre
HERE.
Over on the international front, the Dutch production have their Mary Poppins: 24-year-old
Noortje Herlaar.
The original production opened in September 2004
at the Bristol Hippodrome, and in December of the same year moved to the Prince Edward
Theatre in West End, London.
Status: Closed (January 2008)
Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago (11 Mar 2009 to 12 Jul 2009)
The State Theatre, Cleveland (17 Jul 2009 to 9 Aug 2009)
Fox Theatre, St. Louis (13 Aug 2009 to 30 Aug 2009)
Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (3 Sep to 20 Sep 2009)
Music Hall @ Fair Park, Dallas (24 Sep to 18 Oct 2009)
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Houston (22 Oct to 8 Nov 2009)
The Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles (13 Nov 2009 to 7 Feb 2010)
ASU Gammage, Tempe, Arizona (11 Feb to 28 Feb 2010)
Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver (4 Mar to 4 Apr 2010)
Aronoff Center for the Arts, Cincinnati (8 Apr to 25 Apr 2010)
Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia (29 Apr to 16 May 2010)
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa, Florida (20 May to 6 Jun 2010)
Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (10 Jun to 27 Jun 2010)
Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington D.C. (1 Jul 2010)
Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Charlotte (26 Aug 2010)
The Finnish production opened
at the Helsinki City Theatre in August 2009. The entire show is performed
in Finnish.
Status: Active
Original Finnish cast
Images
The Dutch production will open
at Circus Theatre in Scheveningen, Holland in April 2010.
Status: Coming soon
Original Dutch cast
Images
The Australian production will open
in July 2010 at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne. P.L. Travers was Australian so in a way,
Mary is coming home.
Status: Coming soon
Original Melbourne cast
Images
Other productions in the works,
possible 2010 debuts.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Prague, Czech Republic
Stockholm, Sweden
Shanghai, China
Johannesberg, South Africa
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Korea
Japan
Must have for the Mary Poppins stage musical fan:
Mary Poppins: Anything Can Happen If You Let It, by Brian Sibley
Official book chronicling the transfer of Mary Poppins from the
Pamela Travers book and Disney film to the stage.
40 years after the Disney movie first charmed audiences the worldwide over, Mary
Poppins finally arrived on stage. The Mary Poppins stage musical had its world premier in September
2004 at the Bristol Hippodrome, and in December 2004 officially moved to
The Prince Edward Theatre in West End, London.
Must have for the Mary Poppins stage musical fan: