Mary Poppins (musical)

Mary Poppins
The Original London Poster.
Music	Robert B. Sherman Richard M. Sherman George Stiles Orchestrations by William David Brohn
Lyrics	Robert B. Sherman Richard M. Sherman Anthony Drewe
Book	Julian Fellowes
Basis	Mary Poppins book series by P.L. Travers and 1964 Walt Disney film
Productions	2004 Bristol (tryout) 2004 London 2006 Broadway 2008 UK Tour 2008 Gothenburg* 2009 North America Tour 2009 Helsinki* 2009 Budapest* 2010 Copenhagen* 2010 The Hague 2010 Melbourne 2010 Brno* 2011 Tartu* 2012 Mexico City 2013 Reykjavík* 2014 Vienna 2015 Oslo* 2015 UK Tour 2016 Montreal* 2016 Stuttgart 2017 South Korea 2017 Israel* * Non-replica productions

Mary Poppins is a musical with music and lyrics by the Sherman Brothers, with additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and a script by Julian Fellowes. The musical is based on the similarly titled Mary Poppins children's books by P. L. Travers and the 1964 Disney film, and is a fusion of various elements from the two.

Produced by Walt Disney Theatrical and directed by Richard Eyre with co-direction from Matthew Bourne who also acted as co-choreographer with Stephen Mear, the original West End production opened in December 2004, after a fall 2003 workshop at the Old Vic, and won two Olivier Awards, one for Best Actress in a Musical and the other for Best Theatre Choreography. A Broadway production with a near-identical creative team opened on November 16, 2006, with only minor changes from the West End version. It received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, and winning for Best Scenic Design.

The original Broadway production closed on March 3, 2013 after 2,619 performances. Since then the amateur rights have become available for the musical through Musical Theatre International, and has been a popular choice for schools and community theatres to produce due to the popularity of the film and books.^[1]

Development

In 1993, theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh met Pamela Travers and acquired the rights to develop a stage play adaptation of her Mary Poppins books. She only agreed to a stage production as long as the creators were all English, and no one who had worked on the film. She died in 1996. In 2001, Mackintosh and the head of Disney Theatrical Thomas Schumacher opened talks on a possible collaboration, so that the stage play would be able to use the songs from the Disney film. With both sides committed, a preliminary outline of the show was written in 2002.^[2]

Around this time, songwriters George Stiles and Anthony Drewe heard about the project, and independently wrote a demo version of a new introductory song for the character of Mary, titled "Practically Perfect". They submitted the song to Mackintosh, and due to his positive response, were officially brought on to the creative team. Julian Fellowes was brought on to write the show's script because of his "clear understanding of the social niceties of the English class system that prevailed in the Edwardian era".^[2]

An experienced production team was assembled, including Sir Richard Eyre, multi award-winning director of film, theatre and opera; and Bob Crowley, a theatre designer who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera. Crowley also has six Tony Awards for various Broadway productions.

A workshop of the show was held at the end of 2003 at the rehearsal room at London's Old Vic Theatre, using the cast of My Fair Lady, which had just closed in the West End.^[2] After four weeks of rehearsals at Sadler's Wells, the production moved to Bristol, where an out-of-town tryout opened at the Bristol Hippodrome on September 15, 2004.

Productions

Original West End production

Cameron Mackintosh's stage adaptation of Mary Poppins had its world premiere at the Bristol Hippodrome starting with previews from September 15, 2004, before officially opening on September 18 for a limited engagement until November 6. The production then moved to the Prince Edward Theatre on December 15, 2004, making it the only Disney musical to have premiered in the UK. The role of Mary was played by Laura Michelle Kelly, who subsequently won the 2005 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the role, and the role of Bert was played by Gavin Lee. Notable replacements have included Scarlett Strallen, Lisa O'Hare and Caroline Sheen as Mary Poppins and Gavin Creel as Bert.

Prince Edward Theatre 2005

The show sparked mild controversy not long after its debut when producers Cameron Mackintosh and Thomas Schumacher banned children below 3 years old from entering the theatre, deeming the show too scary for young children.^[3][4] The ban remained throughout the show's entire run, during which the theatre staff were to prevent patrons with children below 3 to enter. The show was officially tagged as being "for children seven years and up".

On March 17, 2005, Julie Andrews, who played Mary Poppins in the film, visited the show as a guest. She appeared onstage during the curtain calls, where she gave a speech recalling her own memories from making the film and praising the cast for their new interpretation.^[5]

The production closed on January 12, 2008, after a run of more than three years.^[6]

Original Broadway production

New Amsterdam Theatre showing Mary Poppins, 2007

Following the success of the West End production, a Broadway production debuted on November 16, 2006 at the New Amsterdam Theatre after previews from October 14. Broadway performer Ashley Brown was brought on board to play the title role, and Gavin Lee, who had originated the role of Bert in the West End production, reprised his role in the Broadway production. The rest of the original cast included Daniel H. Jenkins as George Banks, Rebecca Luker as Winifred Banks, Katherine Doherty, Kathryn Faughnan, and Delaney Moro as Jane Banks, and Matthew Gumley, Alexander Scheitinger, and Henry Hodges as Michael Banks. Starting on 9 October 2008, the role of Mary was played by Scarlett Strallen (reprising her role from the West End production) and Bert was played by Adam Fiorentino. Laura Michelle Kelly, who originated the role of Mary in London, officially took over the role which she reprised on Broadway on October 12, 2009. Tony Award nominee Christian Borle joined the cast the same day as Bert.^[7] Nicolas Dromard replaced Borle on July 16, 2010, on a limited engagement through August 22, 2010. Lee returned the role of Bert on August 24, 2010 and was reunited with former London co-star Kelly.^[8] Ashley Brown returned to the role of Mary Poppins in the Broadway production from March 8, 2011 to July 17, 2011 while Kelly was away filming a movie, reuniting her with Lee. Kelly returned to role on July 19, 2011^[9] and was later replaced by Steffanie Leigh.

The Broadway production differed from the London production in that the "Jolly Holiday" sequence was staged in full technicolour instead of the gray tones of the London show, and in "Anything Can Happen" the stairs to the heavens were replaced by a giant version of Mary Poppins' umbrella entering from the stage floor. These changes were later transferred back to the West End production. Most recently, a new song has been added to the score, entitled "Playing the Game". This replaces the already new "Temper, Temper" in the first act. This change has been added to all current and future productions of the show.

The Broadway version received generally positive reviews, ranging from enthusiastic^[10] to mediocre.^[11] Many critics praised the show for its technical merits.^[12][13] After running 52 weeks, the show recouped its original investment.^[14]

On July 16, 2011, the Broadway production surpassed Pippin to become the 30th longest running show in Broadway history.^[15]

This production closed on March 3, 2013, to make way for the Broadway production of Aladdin, after 2,619 performances and over six years of running on Broadway.^[16] The closing cast included Steffanie Leigh as Mary Poppins and Nicolas Dromard as Bert.^[17][18]

National tours

For the touring productions of the show, scenic designer Bob Crowley changed the sets, making the Banks' Household smaller in size, and deleting numerous intermediate scenes, so that smaller theatres could accommodate the large-scale demands of the production.

A UK tour of the London production commenced on June 4, 2008 and ended on April 18, 2009, with stops at venues including the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, Edinburgh Playhouse, and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.^[19] The original cast featured Caroline Sheen as Mary Poppins, Daniel Crossley as Bert, Martin Ball as George Banks and Louise Bowden as Winifred Banks.^[20] Caroline Sheen performed the role of Mary Poppins from June 4 to October 25, 2008 in Plymouth, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Lisa O'Hare took over the role of Mary Poppins on October 27, 2008 and performed in Edinburgh, Manchester and Cardiff, where the tour concluded. The UK Tour became the show's last production to include "Temper, Temper" before it was replaced by "Playing the Game" in future productions shortly afterwards.

A United States tour began previews on March 11, 2009 with the opening night on March 25, featuring Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee reprising their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert respectively.^[21][22] The tour began at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, and played in many U.S. cities. On November 15, 2009 during the opening night in Los Angeles, Dick Van Dyke (who played Bert in the film) appeared during the encore onstage and praised Lee's performance in the role.^[23] On January 22, 2010, to raise funds for a local charity and as part of a D23 event, Van Dyke did a cameo of his other role from the original film of Mr. Dawes Sr.^[24] The song "Temper, Temper" was cut from this production and replaced with a new musical number called "Playing the Game."^[25] The song also replaced "Temper, Temper" in the Broadway production beginning October 12, 2009.^[26] Caroline Sheen took over the role of Mary from Brown in February 2010 in Tempe, Arizona and played the role until February 2011. Dominic Roberts, who was an original Broadway and Tour cast member, took over the role of Bert from Gavin Lee August 17, 2010 for a limited engagement. Nicolas Dromard, who previously understudied the role of Bert on Broadway, took over the role from Dominic Roberts on September 10, 2010 and played the role until September 2011.^[27] Steffanie Leigh joined the cast as Mary Poppins on February 8, 2011^[28] and was replaced on December 6, 2011, in Toronto, by Megan Osterhaus who assumed the role of Mary Poppins after playing Winifred Banks on Broadway.^[29] Osterhaus was then replaced by Rachel Wallace and she went back to New York to resume the role of Mrs. Banks.

The final U.S. National tour played its last performance on June 2, 2013, in Anchorage, Alaska.

On February 25, 2015, Cameron Mackintosh announced that a new UK tour would begin at the Curve Theatre, Leicester on October 13, 2015. The tour is directed by Richard Eyre, and currently stars Zizi Strallen as Mary Poppins, and Matt Lee reprising his original role in the Australian production as Bert.^[30]

International productions

The first foreign-language production opened on October 18, 2008 in Gothenburg, Sweden at the Göteborg Opera.^[31] This production is externally licensed by Disney Theatrical to Josef Weinberger Limited, and performed entirely in Swedish, with the book translated by Magnus Lindman. The musical director was Björn Dobbelaere, with actors Linda Olsson as Mary and Magnus Borén as Bert. This production closed on March 14, 2009.

In April 2010, another foreign-language production opened at the Fortis Circustheater in The Hague (Scheveningen) and was presented by Disney Theatrical directly and Joop van den Ende Theaterproducties/Stage Entertainment. Noortje Herlaar portrays Mary Poppins and William Spaaij portrays Bert.^[32] The actress who plays the role of Mary Poppins was found in a TV-show: Op zoek naar Mary Poppins (Searching for Mary Poppins). This production closed on August 28, 2011.^[33]

The Finnish production opened at the Helsinki City Theatre on August 11, 2009 and ran until May 8, 2010.^[34][35] The Danish production opened in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Det Ny Teater on February 18, 2010.The role of Mary is played by Charlotte Guldberg and the role of Bert is played by Kristian Studsgaard.^[36] The Hungarian production opened in Budapest, Hungary in September 2009. A Czech production opened in Brno, Czech Republic in November 2010. The Estonian production opened at the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu in November 2011 with performances also in Tallinn. The original cast included well-known Estonian musical actresses Hanna-Liina Võsa and Nele-Liis Vaiksoo in the role of Mary Poppins.

The first Spanish language version of the show opened in November 14, 2012 in Mexico City, co-produced by Ocesa Teatro, starring Bianca Marroquin in the role of Mary Poppins, Mauricio Salas as Bert, Paco Morales as George Banks, Catalina Farias as Winifred Banks, Alma Cristal as Mrs. Brill, Andrés Sáez as Robertson Ay, Natalia Saltiel as Ms. Lark, Daniela Meneses, Arely Mayer and Aminta Ireta (alternating) as Jane Banks, and Sebastian Gallegos, Oscar Aguilar and Osmani Castillo (alternating) as Michael Banks. The Mexican production closed on August 11, 2013.

The Icelandic production opened at the Reykjavik City Theatre in Reykjavik, Iceland on February 22, 2013.

The German-language premiere of the musical premiered at the Ronacher Theater in Vienna, Austria on October 1, 2014. The cast includes Annemieke Van Dam as Mary Poppins, David Boyd as Bert, Reinwald Kranner as George Banks, Milica Jovanovic as Mrs. Banks, Maaike Schuurmans as Miss Andrew, Dirk Lohr as Admiral Boom and Niklas Abel as Robertson Ay.^[37]

The first Australian production began previews at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne on 14 July 2010, officially on 29 July. The cast included Australian theatre icons Marina Prior as Mrs Banks, Debra Byrne as The Bird Woman, Philip Quast as Mr. Banks, Judi Connelli as Miss Andrew, Matt Lee as Bert, Sally Anne Upton as Mrs Brill, and Christopher Rickerby as Robertson Ay. Verity Hunt-Ballard was awarded the role of Mary Poppins late in the casting stage, after a long and exhaustive search.^[38] She was temporarily replaced towards the end of the Sydney run by Scarlett Strallen, who had starred in the role in both the West End and Broadway productions. A shoulder injury at the end of the Brisbane run prevented her with continuing with the Australian tour. West End star and former Mary Poppins actress Lisa O'Hare was called in to reprise the role for the Perth run.^[39] An Australian Cast Recording was released on February 18, 2011.^[40] Maggie Kirkpatrick was the first choice for the role of Miss Andrews, but a family emergency kept her from accepting.

The Melbourne production closed on April 1, 2011.^[41] It was also confirmed that the musical would play in Sydney at the Capitol Theatre starting in April 2011^[42] concluding its run mid December 2011.^[43] The musical then went on an Australian tour, playing at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane until March 2012 and the Burswood Theatre, Perth until June 2012. After a four-month break, the production opened at the Civic Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand, from 18 October^[44] until 30 December.

Other Australian productions include Free Rain Theatre's version, which premiered at the Canberra Theatre in March, 2015. The show starred Alinta Chidzey in the title role, Shaun Rennie as Bert, Colin Milner as Mr. Banks, Christine Wallace as Mrs. Banks, and Georgia Forster and Victoria Hunt as Jane Banks, and Callum Doherty and Jake Keen as Michael Banks.

Synopsis

Act I

Bert, a man of many professions, introduces the audience to Cherry Tree Lane ("Chim Chim Cher-ee/Cherry Tree Lane- Part 1") in Edwardian London. Number 17 is where the Banks family lives: George and Winifred Banks, their two naughty children Jane and Michael, their cook, Mrs. Brill and their odd-job man, Robertson Ay. Things are not going well for Jane and Michael. They are out of control and, as the show starts, their latest nanny, Katie Nanna, storms out. After that, Mrs. Brill and Robertson Ay complain about living in a "madhouse." The children decide to write the advertisement for a new nanny ("The Perfect Nanny"), but George, having a very different idea of what constitutes the perfect nanny, tears up the piece of paper and throws it in the fireplace. Within moments, Mary Poppins arrives, restored advertisement in hand, and takes charge of the Banks children, having every confidence in her own qualifications and merits ("Practically Perfect").

On the children's first outing to the park, they meet Bert and, despite their reservations about his ragged clothes and dirty face, Mary teaches them that they must learn to look past appearances. To illustrate the point, Mary brings the park statues, including a mythological figure named Neleus, to life ("Jolly Holiday").

While Mary manages the children, other problems lie with their parents. Winifred is aware that she is somehow disappointing both her children and her husband ("Being Mrs Banks"). George, on the other hand, can't understand why she finds the role of wife and mother so difficult ("Cherry Tree Lane (reprise)"). In an effort to please her husband, Winifred sends out invitations for a smart tea party. Mrs. Brill makes the preparations, while telling an eager Robertson Ay to keep his hands off. The children inadvertently sabotage the kitchen preparations, but Mary sorts it out with a lesson ("A Spoonful of Sugar"). However, it is then revealed that none of the invitees are coming.

Mary takes the children to visit their father at the bank where he works ("Precision and Order"). There, George is busy dealing with possible investment clients: firstly, an ambitious man named Von Hussler with an elaborate money-making scheme, and then a middle-class man named Northbrook with a simple factory project. George is furious when Mary turns up with the children, but an innocent question asked by Jane (What's more important, a good man or a good idea?) makes him realise how much his values have changed ("A Man Has Dreams") since he was an idealistic young man. He then decides to accept Northbrook's project and rejects Von Hussler's, but unfortunately things take a turn for the worse afterwards.

Outside St. Paul's Cathedral, Mary introduces the children to the Bird Woman ("Feed the Birds"). Jane is suspicious of her, but Michael responds to the Bird Woman and throws crumbs for the birds. On the trip home, the children meet the enigmatic Mrs. Corry who runs a magic sweet shop that also sells words ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious").

The children return home in high spirits, unaware that things have gone wrong for their father. Unknown to them, George's decision to reject Von Hussler has cost the bank dearly, and he is suspended without pay. George explodes with rage at the children and they are sent to the nursery. Reacting to her father's outburst, Mary briefly points out that other members of the family are rarely there to take care of the parents, before Jane and Michael get into a fight over Jane's doll, prompting a displeased Mary to order them to bed and enchant them to sleep. The frightening consequence of Jane's anger becomes apparent moments afterwards, as Jane and Michael's disgruntled toys come to life and join Mary in teaching them a lesson in how to take better care of their belongings and toys (formerly "Temper, Temper", now "Playing the Game").

Believing that Jane and Michael need personal growth, Mary decides to leave Cherry Tree Lane ("Chim Chim Cher-ee – Rooftop Duet"), to bring them to their senses. Her distraught charges find a note saying that perhaps they will see Mary again eventually.

Act II

In a misguided attempt to please her husband, Winifred arranges for his childhood nanny, Miss Andrew, to take over from the suddenly departed Mary ("Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise)"). At the sight of her, a terrified George flees, exclaiming "the Holy Terror!" To everyone's shock and dismay, Miss Andrew is a brutal and cruel tyrant, quick to administer her own terrible elixir ("Brimstone and Treacle Part 1") and discipline by threatening to split Jane and Michael up through boarding school.

Terrified of their new nanny, the children escape to the park and find their good friend Bert, who cheers them up and helps Michael fulfill his dream of flying a kite ("Let's Go Fly a Kite"). This marks the return of Mary. Jane and Michael are thrilled to be reunited with her, and then quickly tell her of the changes that have gone on at Number 17.

Mary (Laura Michelle Kelly) and Bert (Gavin Lee) during "Step in Time".

Also hiding in the park is George, who is depressed over his supposed lack of achievements ("Good For Nothing"). Searching for him is Winifred, who at last understands her husband and the damage that was done to him by Miss Andrew ("Being Mrs Banks (Reprise)").

When the children return to Number 17, Mary sets Caruso, Miss Andrew's lark, free from his cage. This leads to confrontation between the two nannies, ending with Miss Andrew having a taste of her own medicine as she is put in a large birdcage and vanishes down below ("Brimstone and Treacle Part 2"). Winifred and then George return at this point, surprised but pleased that Miss Andrew has "left".

On their next adventure, Bert introduces the children to his friends the chimney sweeps ("Step in Time"). The sweeps' dance eventually enters the house, causing chaos. As the sweeps quickly exit, George receives a telegram from the bank requesting his presence there. George assumes that it is to seal his fate and decides it's time to sell the family heirloom. However, the vase is shattered accidentally by Mrs. Brill, who goes into a despairing shock since she had been cleaning it from the top of the shelf. When she is being led away for comfort, George goes to clean the broken pile himself, to find it reveal a collection of gingerbread stars from his childhood. This leads to a brief moment of reflection for George ("A Man Has Dreams/ A Spoonful of Sugar (Reprise)"). After shaking hands with Bert, George leaves to meet the Chairman of the Bank.

At the children's encouragement, Winifred decides to follow her heart and be at George's side at the bank ("Anything Can Happen"). Unseen to anyone else, Mary takes Jane and Michael to follow, where they watch the unfolding events.

At the bank, George is shocked to learn the truth about his choice: far from ruining the bank, he has made a fortune by both rejecting Von Hussler and approving Mr. Northbrook's loan. They ask for the word that made them so successful, which George admits to be Mary's word, ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Reprise)"). Winifred, arriving to defend her husband, finds instead he is the hero of the hour. After she mentions Miss Andrew's name to the Bank Manager, the old man too relates his experience under "the Holy Terror". George apologizes for underestimating her, and together they return to the house ("Anything Can Happen (Reprise)").

Mary realizes that with the family reunited and happy, her task is done. With regret, she says goodbye to Bert with a kiss and sets off ("A Spoonful of Sugar (Farewell Reprise)"). Jane and Michael accept that Mary is leaving them and tell her that they'll never forget her. The two children watch as their parents waltz happily together and Mary flies high above the audience, disappearing in a flash.

Differences from the film and books

The stage musical is not a direct adaptation of the Disney film, but features elements of the film and the original books, plus original updated elements. The dancing penguins in the "Jolly Holiday" sequence and the tea party on the ceiling at Uncle Albert's (likely due to the inability to make things float on stage) from the film have been removed, although some community theatres' dress their chorus as penguins for "Jolly Holiday". The character of Neleus from the books comes to life in the musical, but was not seen the film. Mrs. Corry and her daughters have a cameo in the film, and are in the musical and books. There are many elements from the books that do not appear in the film or musical, such as Nellie Rubina and the Balloon Woman.

The musical places more emphasis on Jane and Michael being naughty and their parents being dysfunctional to heighten the drama. Jane and Michael are constantly answering back and fighting, necessitating a new sequence where Mary brings Jane's doll Valentine and the other toys to life to berate them in the song "Playing the Game". This sequence, originally titled "Temper Temper," was inspired from a chapter in the books titled Bad Wednesday. George Banks has been expanded from the film: in the musical it is revealed that he had a difficult childhood in which he was ignored by his parents, Jane and Michael's paternal grandparents, and was placed under the care of a fearsome nanny. This nanny, Miss Andrew, a character from the books, makes an appearance in the musical as the polar opposite of Mary Poppins, advocating "brimstone and treacle" instead of "a spoonful of sugar". Winifred Banks is no longer the suffragette of the film, but a former actress who is struggling to fulfill her husband's expectations of her. The character of Ellen the maid, played by Hermione Baddeley in the film, was cut entirely. A new character, Miss Smythe, was created to introduce the bank chairman. Admiral Boom does not blow his cannon making the house shake like he does in the film.

Also cut was the role of Miss Persimmon, played by Marjorie Eaton in the film. The bank chairman's father does not make an appearance like in the film, nor does Mr. Binnacle, Admiral Boom's assistant. New characters were developed to create a new conflict at the bank, the nice John Northbrook and scheming Herr Von Hussler. The park keeper from the books is in the musical but not the film. Another character from the books that is in the musical is Robertson Ay, the houseboy, who did not appear in the film. In the books, Jane and Michael have twin siblings, John and Barbara, and a baby sister Annabel, that do not appear in the stage or screen versions.

A number of musical sequences have been modified from their purpose in the film. These are:

• "A Spoonful of Sugar" – Originally sung when Mary first arrives at the Banks home; has been moved to a completely new sequence later in the show where the children destroy the Banks kitchen and Mary helps them fix it. It is also referred to in "Brimstone and Treacle Part 2" and featured briefly as a reprise at the finale.
• "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" – Originally sung during the park outing; has been moved to Mrs. Corry's sweet shop outing. It is also sung when George goes to his workplace (during the Anything Can Happen sequence) and during the curtain call. The song itself is also distinctly different, as the word is spelled, both vocally and physically.
• "Feed the Birds" – Originally sung by Mary before the Banks children visit their father's workplace; has been moved to after the visit and is now sung as a duet between Mary and the Birdwoman.
• "Let's Go Fly a Kite" – Originally sung as the finale by the Banks family at the end of the film; has been moved to near the beginning of Act 2, where it is sung by Bert and the Banks children.

Major characters

• Mary Poppins – the namesake and lead female character. Her last name describes her behavior, because she tends to "pop in" and "pop out" of children's lives whenever she pleases. She has the ability to fly and perform magic. Her trademark looks are dark hair, rosy cheeks, long coats, an umbrella with a parrot head, and her hat with cherry stems. Her family and background is never mentioned in the musical, although in the original books she has an uncle Albert Wigg, and a cousin, Arthur. She also claims to be cousins with inanimate things like the Man in the Moon, and a King cobra at the zoo. In one story in the original book, she briefly mentions her mother. She moves into 17 Cherry Lane to help the Banks Family.
• Bert – the narrator and leading man. In the book, his full name is Herbert Alfred. He is a song and dance man, charismatic and charming. A "jack of all trades", it is hinted he possesses some magic ability as well, or at least knows all about the magical world that Mary Poppins comes from. It is mentioned Bert has known Mary before the story starts, but no details of how are mentioned. His family and background are also never mentioned, nor where he lives. Bert spends time in the park that sits on one side of Cherry Tree Lane, and he mentions he has seen Jane and Michael before, but it is not until Mary Poppins arrives that he interacts with them.
• Winifred Banks – the wife of George Banks, and mother to Jane and Michael. In the musical and film, she is presented as a society woman. In the film, she is a suffragette and involved in social causes. In the musical, she is a former actress. Her family and maiden name are not mentioned, however in the books, she has two aunts that are mentioned, Aunt Flossie and Aunt Caroline. In the musical, Winifred is shown to be confused and overwhelmed with her family and her role in it. It is hinted that she did not grow up in the same strict manor as her husband, perhaps she did not even have a nanny as a child, and is not from this area, which makes it difficult for her to connect and make friends. In the original books, she has five children instead of two, including the twins, John and Barbara, and later a baby, Annabel.
• George Banks – the husband of Winifred, and father of Jane and Michael Banks. George grew up in a very strict and stern household. He mentions hardly ever seeing his mother and father, who did not believe in public displays of affection. George works at a bank in London, and it is hinted that his father did as well. George had a nanny named Miss Euphemia Andrew as a child, who was also very strict. George is often away at work and rarely spends time with the children. In the film and musical, as the story goes on, he learns lessons about being more affectionate to his family and is taught that they are more important than work.
• Jane Caroline Banks – the eldest of George and Winifred, she is described as being messy and having a bad temper. Her middle name in the books is Caroline, which is after Winifred's Aunt Caroline, who is also Jane's godmother.
• Michael Banks – the son of George and Winifred. He is a mischievous little boy who likes to play pranks on his nannies and not follow the rules. He longs for more attention and time with his father, which is most likely the cause of his behavior.
• Mrs. Clara Brill – the maid for the Banks family. She is overworked and often stressed due to the behavior of the children and the demands placed on her by Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Her family and background are never mentioned. She appears in the original books and film, which also feature another maid, Ellen. In the musical, Ellen was cut and only Mrs. Brill appears.
• Robertson Ay – the houseboy for the Banks family. He appears in the original books, but not in the film. His background and family are never mentioned. He is described as being lazy and sleepy. He often is the cause of chaos and is not very helpful, however the Banks family puts up with him.
• Miss Euphemia Andrew – George Banks' former nanny. She appears in the original books but not in the film. She is a very mean and strict nanny, the antagonist of the story. In the musical, after Mary Poppins leaves, Winifred contacts her and asks her to come to Cherry Tree Lane, which ends with a duel with Mary Poppins that ends with Mary defeating her and sending her off. Miss Andrew is described as an old spinster, never having married or having children of her own. She is mentioned throughout Act 1 of the musical but does not appear until Act II, which features her song "Brimstone and Treacle". Miss Andrew owns a beloved pet bird, a lark.
• Mrs. Clara Corry – Mrs. Corry is a magical woman who operates a magical pop-up "Talking Shop". Her customers are described as magical people known as "Chatterboxes" who feed off of good conversation and difficult words. Her shop is in the park and she is helped by her two daughters, Annie and Fannie. Mr. Corry is never mentioned. Mrs. Corry and her daughters are characters from the original books, and also appear in a cameo in the Mary Poppins film. In the musical, she leads the chorus, along with Mary and Bert, in singing and spelling out "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". She is described as being one of the oldest women in the world (although she doesn't look it). In the book and musical, she also gives out candy and assorted treats, including gingerbread stars that have real stars from the sky on them that customers can then light and place in the sky. In the musical she mentions that George Banks used to come into her shop when he was child, however it is not explained how this is possible.
• The Bird Woman – The Bird Woman is a beggar woman who is dressed in rags and looks disheveled. She sits on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral in London everyday, selling bags of crumbs for a tuppence. The cathedral is near the bank where George works, and after their visit, Jane and Michael meet the woman and Michael purchases a bag from her with the money he was given from Mr. Northbrook. Mary Poppins tells the children not to look down on her and respect her through the song "Feed the Birds". In Act II, George Banks, for the first time, stops at the steps and gives the Bird Woman money. She is a character from the books and the film. Her background and name is never mentioned.
• Miss Lucinda Emily Lark – Miss Lark is the eccentric elderly lady that lives in an elaborate home next door to the Banks family. She appears in the books and in the film. She often runs into Jane and Michael on Cherry Tree Lane when she is out walking her dog, Willoughby. In the books it is mentioned she has maids that take care of her home and garden for her. Her family is never mentioned. She has a flirtatious relationship with Admiral Boom.
• Admiral Boom – Admiral Boom is a retired sea captain that lives in a grand house next door to the Banks home. He appears in the original books and the film. He is an eccentric older man who often gives readings of the weather and keeps an eye out on the neighborhood. His house is described as being built to resemble a ship.
• Katie Nanna – the last in a long line of nannies at Cherry Tree Lane before Mary Poppins arrives, Katie Nanna appears in the original books and the film. In the musical, she is only briefly seen at the beginning of the story in Act I, quitting her position after Jane and Michael refuse to listen to her and run off on her in the park.
• Neleus – Neleus is a statue in the park across from the Banks house. Jane and Michael have often stood under the statue and played on it. When Mary Poppins arrives, she brings Neleus to life in "Jolly Holiday" and he becomes friends with Jane and Michael. Neleus appears in the original books but not in the film. In Act II, Mary Poppins reunites Neleus with his father, Poseidon, the King of Sea. They had been separated much like Michael has been with his father.
• Valentine – Valentine is Jane's favorite doll. He appears in the chapter "Bad Wednesday" of the book Mary Poppins Comes Back. For the musical, the story was changed drastically from the one in the books. In the musical, Valentine is brought to life by Mary Poppins and performs the song "Playing the Game", which is meant to teach the children a lesson about playing nicely with others and appreciating the value of their toys. Valentine is angry at the children for hurting his arm, and wishes they would play nice with him. After the song, the children refuse to play nicely, which leads Mary Poppins to take all of their toys with her when she leaves at the end of Act I.

Songs

The following is the song list of the original London production. Subsequent productions have different songs or rearranged their order.

Original London Cast "Janes & Michaels", Left to right (FRONT): Poppy Lee Friar, Jack Montgomery, Perry Millward, Harry Stott, Ben Watton, Jake Catterall, Nicola Bowman. Left to right (BACK): Charlotte Spencer, Faye Spittlehouse, Carrie Fletcher, with songwriter Robert B. Sherman. (Photo Date: 19 July 2004)

*Not included in the Original London Cast recording.
^"Playing the Game" replaced "Temper, Temper" in 2009.

Deleted Songs (from the film)

Songs that were in the original movie but omitted from the musical are:

• "Sister Suffragette" (replaced by "Being Mrs. Banks" and its reprise)
• "The Life I Lead" (replaced by the thematically similar "Precision and Order")
• "Stay Awake"
• "I Love to Laugh"
• "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank"

A deleted song for Mrs. Banks was called "What I Can Do", according to an interview with George Stiles and Richard Sherman. It was thought to be a sort of 1920s-style number, so they later wrote "Being Mrs. Banks" instead.^[45]

Recordings

The original London cast recording of the show was released shortly after its West End premiere. It features most of the major musical numbers from the show's score. When the Broadway production opened, a recording was released featuring several songs with the original American cast, including an edited version of "Feed the Birds" for Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins in the original American cast) on the song. On 18 February 2011, the Australian cast recording was released; the first recording to include the changes made to the show's score since its first London production.

• Chart positions*
• Australian version*

• Dutch version*

Awards and nominations

Original London production

Original Broadway production

References

External links

• Mary Poppins at the Internet Broadway Database
• Mary Poppins – Broadway production website
• Mary Poppins – Australian production website

P. L. Travers' Mary Poppins
Books	Mary Poppins (1934) Mary Poppins Comes Back (1935) Mary Poppins Opens the Door (1943) Mary Poppins in the Park (1952) Mary Poppins From A to Z (1962) Mary Poppins in the Kitchen (1975) Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane (1982) Mary Poppins and the House Next Door (1988)
Characters	Mary Poppins Mr. Banks Mrs. Banks The Banks children Bert Miss Lark Admiral Boom The servants
Adaptions	Mary Poppins (1964 film) Mary Poppins, Goodbye (1983 musical miniseries) Mary Poppins (2004 musical) Saving Mr. Banks (2013 related film)
Songs	"Sister Suffragette" "The Life I Lead" "The Perfect Nanny" "A Spoonful of Sugar" "Jolly Holiday" "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" "Stay Awake" "I Love to Laugh" "Feed the Birds" "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" "Chim Chim Cher-ee" "Step in Time" "A Man Has Dreams" "Let's Go Fly a Kite"
Category (all pages)