Mary Poppins, the musical

Last week we went to go see Mary Poppins, the musical, at the Providence Performing Arts Center. We arrived early to get in our seats and by the time the show started it was a full house. It was hard to imagine what this would be like, since we were both big fans of the movie, we didn't know if we would like the musical just as much. It turns out we did like it, maybe even more than the movie!

Throughout the show there were slight variations and additions, from the movie to the musical. There were most of the same characters and songs. The actors all had great voices and really made you feel like you were there with them! The set design and scenery were amazing, which was to be expected since it was a Disney production. There were many times we wish we could have been taking pictures, since the entire production was so unbelievable.

I was disappointed that they didn't have the nanny scene in the movie with Mary Poppins flying in. Luckily there were a few other scenes where you would see her flying away. There was also a great musical number (Step In Time) with Bert walking around the entire frame of the curtain (some impressive stunt work).

I also really missed the laughing scene which I was looking forward to seeing how they would handle on the live stage. But they made up for it with things like Corey and her candy, which were not in the movie.

The portrayal of Mary Poppins, Bert, Mr. Banks, and Jane and Michael Banks were all really true to their characters from the movie. Mrs. Banks had a very different character, but it still easily fit with the show.

In closing, I found myself dancing in my seat and singing along to many of the songs. It's a great musical for the whole family and if you have the chance to see it near you, you definitely should!

--Emily