Mary Poppins on Stage CONFIRMED


SpectroPluto

SpectroPluto

Member
from playbil.com


Disney and Mackintosh to Team for Stage Mary Poppins
18-OCT-2002​

Disney Theatricals and Cameron Mackintosh plan to co-produce a stage musical version of the classic film "Mary Poppins." A spokesman for Mackintosh confirmed the news.

This will mark the first pairing of the two theatre giants, Disney Theatricals, represented on Broadway with the long-running hits The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Aida; and Cameron Mackintosh, who has produced the three longest-running shows in Broadway history, Cats, Les Mis?rables and The Phantom of the Opera. It's a necessary arrangement, too, as Disney holds the rights to the film's classic songs, while Mackintosh has the rights to the original book penned by P. L. Travers.

The New York Times reports that the stage Poppins will likely play London's West End — during the 2004-05 season — prior to Broadway, although Mackintosh's office could not confirm this information.

The beloved 1964 Disney film "Mary Poppins" starred Julie Andrews in the title role opposite the Bert of Dick Van Dyke. Directed by Robert Stevenson, the movie boasted a score by the Sherman brothers (Richard and Robert) and featured such tunes as "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Jolly Holiday," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Feed the Birds," "Chim Chim Cher-ee" and "Let's Go Fly a Kite." Nominated for an Academy Award as Best Picture, the film garnered Oscars for Julie Andrews as well as those for Best Special Visual Effects; Best Film Editing; Best Score; and Best Song ("Chim Chim Cher-ee").

by Andrew Gans
 
Gurgitoy2

Gurgitoy2

Active Member
I was just talking about the possibility of this happening to a friend of mine today. I hope they do it tastefully though.

I'm sure this is in response to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's performance in London's West End too. It's doing well with the public, so it stands to reason that Mary Poppins would make an equally easy transition to the stage, and it might just have a little more heart than Chitty (although please don't cast Michael Ball as Bert in the show!)
 
Gurgitoy2

Gurgitoy2

Active Member
You know, come to think of it Bedknobs and Broomsticks would make a pretty good stage musical too. I wonder if they've thought about that...
 
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Michael Zielski

Member
Aaaah......very interesting......bringing back the "good ol' days" again.....a time when the songs truly mattered--and they were sung by the characters......could there still be an interest?!??! Maybe it's also time to revive my old thread from a few months ago..........Mike.
 
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SharonKurland

Active Member
Bill-

I whole heartedly agree about Craig Bierko...I've seen The Music Man 3 times (besides the movie version, which I've seen more tmes than I can count) and he was the only Harold Hill who didn't distract me by not sounding enough like Robert Preston .

Don't think I saw Rebecca Luker in anything, though I'm now rusty...moved away from NY 2 years ago.

-Sharon-
 
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SharonKurland

Active Member
Y'know, part of me wanted to say that Rebecca Slater was Marion and Maria (I saw The Sound of Music before I moved too) but I stopped myself, thinking, "Nah, that's to easy ." Good actress, good singer...problem for me would be, just like in The Music Man I have a real problem if the main charcters don't sound like the original performers. So you're right...Brits (or a reasonable facsimilie) better be used or the whole time I'm gonna be saying, "THAT doesn't sound like [fill n a name]."

-Sharon-
 
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SharonKurland

Active Member
NEWSFLASH! Ms. Mary Poppins was found shot in her place of employment, the home of Mr. & Mrs. Banks. Ms. Poppins has been working there as a nanny to the two Banks children, Jane and Michael, since the last wind change.

She was transported to hospital where she is said to be in practically perfect condition, with only a slight graze to her left knee.

Suspects include Juliet Mills and Fran Drescher. Drescher has been quoted as saying "Poppins' fresh," followed by an evil giggle, in regard to her general demeanor.

Her physician, Dr. Ludwig VonDrake, says that Poppins requests a spoonful of sugar with all medicine, but is otherwise the epitome of a perfect patient.

Poppins is sure to have a rapid and complete recovery, says Von Drake, however in the future she may have some difficulty with jumping into pictures on rainy days, should arthritis of the knee occur.

-Sharon-
 
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SharonKurland

Active Member
> Mary Poppins was shot before
> The Sound of Music.
> I have to say that with her voice
> now, she might be able to play
> the cow in the Jolly Holiday
> sequence.
> I know I'm going to pay for this.....
>Mommy...make her stop.

You just paid for it . I actually could've been a WHOLE lot worse (or better )...but I only got 6 hours of sleep last night and life's a little crazy right now...so consider yourself spared .

-Sharon-
 
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will

Member
well if it makes it to the stage by 2004 for Mary's 40th Anniversary, maybe we will be treated to a theatrical re-release or IMAX release or atleast a 40th Anniversary DVD mega-release with tons o' extras and commentary by Julie and Dick...a great candidate for the VAULT DISNEY series or VISTA series. And a 40th Anniversary CD release with songs AND score and anything else Randy would like to include.
 
C

chris

Member
Ooh, Bill, you bad boy! LOL!

I'm with Will. We need a collector's 2 disc DVD set released for Mary Poppins with a tons of extras. New documentary and commentary with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke will be great. Disney needs to get started on this now while everyone is still alive and well. We've already lost Robert Stevenson (director), David Tomlinson, Matthew Garber and others.

Lord knows Disney has a ton of stuff to fill on a Mary Poppins set - the interviews, merchandise, posters, rare stills, Oscars, radio spots, toys, press releases, stories of the music recorded by so many artists of the day...etc., etc.

When a set like this is released, I sure hope they go in and fix a spot in the film that is messed up in all "restored" versions of the DVD release thus far. It's the scene where the four are about to climb up the stairway of smoke Mary created. The color goes all out of wack and turns all red with a blue spot at the top. Not how the original looked, I assure you. I found it hard to believe that this got past on the restored version of the film. Perhaps they let it go by since it occurs during sunset, so they thought we would not notice. The skin tones need to be addressed in much of the film also.

No doubt it will all happen in the future, I just hope Disney moves on this definitive set quickly as we need to hear from many of the cast and creators while they are still here! Mary Poppins has a special place in the heart of so many millions. Come on, Disney! let's do it right.
 
Gurgitoy2

Gurgitoy2

Active Member
These pictures are very funny! I too, hope Disney releases a collectors' set of Mary Poppins. I also hope MGM does the same with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, esecially if it makes it over here to Broadway. I also agree that they need to record any new bonus material, interviews, documentaries, commentaries, etc. while the cast & crew is still alive. Look at the "Vault Disney" collection, they just made it with David Swift! He died pretty shortly after he did all of the supplemental stuff.
 
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Eglantine

New Member
There was some talk several years ago, when Disney's stage producing ventures were just getting started, of Emma Thompson as a stage Mary Poppins (apparently, she sings!). Rebecca Lukker in her "Secret Garden" mode does have the bell tones, though perhaps not the accent. Samantha Eggar (whom you may remember from the 1968 "Doctor Dolittle") would today make a great Mrs. Banks vocally (and on stage, she could most likely play younger). Michael Ball, based on "Chitty," has the Bert warmth...but wouldn't he rather not make a career of being"The Stage Dick Van Dyke?" (Perhaps soon they'll have a West End revival of "Bye Bye Birdie" for him to "close the circle"). Also, with all due to Mr. Ball...the intense vibrato, while compelling in "Les Mis" and melting in "Song and Dance," is just a bit too much for "Chitty--" and would be in "Poppins,"if Bert were to get a new ballad. On the fast, Cockeney numbers though: fine. Too bad Tommy Steele is a bit too old for Bert...maybe he should feature cameo as both Uncle Albert and Mr. Dawes, Sr!
 
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