Broadway brings an old favorite to ‘Burgh

In a flurry of bright skirts and matching hats, Mary Poppins touts that she’s “practically perfect in every way.” That description fits “Mary Poppins” the musical as well. “Mary Poppins”

Now-Sunday, Jan. 23

Benedum Center

Tickets: $25-$73

Tickets through Pitt Arts: $22.83-$58.81

Pgharts.org

Grade: A

In a flurry of bright skirts and matching hats, Mary Poppins touts that she’s “practically perfect in every way.” That description fits “Mary Poppins” the musical as well.

The Benedum Center is currently hosting the Banks family’s dollhouse-like Victorian home where the children play and spectacle-filled park where Bert’s paintings come to life for the touring production of the Broadway show.

The story follows Mary Poppins, a nanny whose duty it is to fly from family to family as she is needed in their lives. In this production, she must teach the Banks children (Cade Canon Ball amd Paige Simunovich) how to have order and bring the family together. When she finishes, she will move on to the next family who needs her.

The show does not follow the exact plot of the movie, and there is the fresh addition of reimagined songs and fleshed-out background stories. There is a greater emphasis on Mr. Banks’ (Laird Mackintosh) tendency to overwork and his strained relationship with his wife (Blythe Wilson). This adds depth to the production, giving the characters obvious motivations.

For example, we learn why Mr. Banks is so absent from the children’s lives when he speaks fondly of his nanny Miss Andrew (Ellen Harvey) who taught him about order and later cowers from her when she arrives in a puff of black smoke.

Miss Andrew might be the biggest change to the plot, and her character is an excellent juxtaposition to the neat-but-kind paragon of perfection, Mary Poppins (Caroline Sheen). When the two women sing and act together, their powerful vocals and conflicting characteristics work together to create points of tension both musically and in the plot.

As for changes to the musical numbers, the mouthful of a song “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” is set in Mrs. Corry’s (Q. Smith) conversation shop. Full of vividly colored, fanciful costumes and precise choreography, it still hearkens back to the cartoonish movie version with an extra yet plot-relevant touch of whimsy. It’s really a matter of whether the viewer can stomach such a departure from the original.

Arguably, the most lively and endearing character is Bert (Nicolas Dromard). The heartwarming odd jobs-man and chimney sweep serves as the pivotal character, moving a set component dramatically to transition between scenes or reprising his catchy “Chim Chim Cher-ee.”

The show pointedly explores the love story between Bert and Mary Poppins more than the film, though not as a main plot focus. The production hints that Bert and Mary are a couple, but there is a subtle longing apparent throughout the show. It becomes apparent that this is because Mary is bound to go where she is needed, leaving Bert behind.

This romantic entanglement rounds out Mary’s character, keeping her from seeming uppity after her “Practically Perfect” number. Admittedly, it does add a twinge of heartache to an otherwise upbeat show.

For the finale, Mary Poppins soars above the audience gripping her signature bird-handled umbrella as the Bankses discuss their newfound functionality — a somewhat cheesy, yet stunning and heartwarming ending.