Mary Poppins

We weren't exactly looking forward to this musical.  Ho hum.  How good can a musical play be compared to the movie with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke that has become an American classic?  There were children all over the place and we hoped they didn't detract from the performance.  It was so cute because the theatre sold booster seats for children so that they could see the stage better and not sit so low into the seats.  A mother and her daughter, about 9 or 10 years old sat next to us.  The mother commented that her daughter was looking forward to the play because she has learned most of the songs at her school.

Were we ever surprised with the performance.  Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee who played Mary Poppins and Bert respectively did outstanding jobs.  The costumes, singing and dancing were absolutely outstanding.

There was one scene when Gavin Lee had ropes attached to a brace around his waist.  I wondered what he was going to do.  The next thing we knew, he started walking up the side of the stage, then at the top he was upside down.  He continued walking across the top, then did a couple of jigs, then continued walking down the other side of the stage.  They had to have had the ropes cinched just right so that he could dance the jigs while still upside down.  Otherwise, if he lost balance or footing, he could have been hanging from those ropes above the stage, looking rather foolish.

Overall, it was enjoyable and magical.  I found myself with the rest of the children of the audience,  enraptured with the sights and sounds of the musical that was a surprise treat.