Theatre

MARY POPPINS: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL

Original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. Book by Julian Fellowes. Additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drew. Cocreated by Cameron Mackintosh. Directed by Shel Piercy. Musical direction by Wendy Bross Stuart. A Theatre Under the Stars production. At Malkin Bowl on Tuesday, July 11. Continues until August 18

Thank you, TUTS, for the first 2

must-see show of the summer. And it’s a good thing Mary Poppins is being presented outdoors: no walls could contain the exuberance of this terrific production.

This 2004 adaptation, overseen by British superproducer Cameron Mackintosh, draws on both the 1964 Disney movie and the series of novels by P.L. Travers that inspired it. Devotees of the film will notice that songs have been rearranged, fitted out with new lyrics, or cut altogether—but there is no shortage here of fantastic numbers. The plot has also been updated to highlight the dysfunctional dynamics of the Banks family, who live in Edwardian London. Patriarch George is a workaholic financier who values “precision and order” and has no time for his family; his wife, Winifred, is a former actress (but not a suffragette) who can’t accommodate herself to the regimented social expectations of her class; and their children, Jane and Michael, long for more fun in their lives.

That fun shows up in the form of Mary Poppins, a firm but loving nanny whose spoonfuls of sugar can turn the most mundane activity into a truly magical experience. Along with her friend Bert, a jack-of-alltrades, she ends up having a profound effect on the family. And yes, she flies with her umbrella.

Director Shel Piercy’s production is a visual feast: throughout the evening, he arranges the cast of 34 into indelible stage pictures, sometimes frozen in stillness (as in the gorgeous life-size diorama of black-umbrella-toting city dwellers behind “Feed the Birds”), often wildly kinetic. Nicol Spinola’s inventive choreography makes the show’s big numbers utterly thrilling: check out the semaphore spelling in “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” or the acrobatic tap sequences of “Step in Time”. And “Jolly Holiday” pays loving homage to the film’s fantasy sequence by attaching a pair of penguins to Bert’s shoes.

The performances in this production are uniformly excellent. Victor Hunter’s creamy-voiced Bert is all charm and heart, and Ranae Miller is a terrific Mary: her unapologetic selfassurance and powerful, clear voice make her practically perfect indeed. As George, Russell Roberts has a stodgy irritability that gradually gives way to genuine vulnerability, while Lalainia Lindbjerg-strelau gradually finds the steel at the core of Winifred’s warmth. Lola Marshall and Nolen Dubuc bring lovely voices and sharp comic timing to Jane and Michael. Sheryl Anne Wheaton and Andrea Pizarro create deliciously eccentric characters in Mrs. Brill, the cook, and Mrs. Corry, a shopkeeper. As the Bird Woman, Cecilia Smith has a physical frailty that belies her powerful voice in one of the production’s most tender moments. Jaime Piercy also gets to show off her impressive vocal range as the villainous Miss Andrew, George’s terrifying childhood nanny.

The designers also deserve huge credit for the success of this production, which is often an explosion of colour. Set designer Brian Ball creates visual magic in the transformations of the Banks’s home and its rooftop chimneys, and there are simple but breathtaking effects—like a wash of starry sky or the sudden appearance of kites—throughout the evening. Costume designer Chris Sinosich makes use of exquisite period details in the hundred or so costumes she’s designed, from the muted greys and browns of the bankers to the pastels of “Jolly Holiday” and the psychedelically saturated hues of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”.

Everything about this production works. Don’t miss it.

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA

2> KATHLEEN OLIVER

By William Shakespeare. Directed by Scott Bellis. A Bard on the Beach production. At the Howard Family Stage on Wednesday, July 12. Continues until September 17

Be patient. The first half of The Two Gentlemen of Verona is slow going. But the play takes off after intermission, and its many pleasures are worth the wait.

The featherweight plot follows Valentine, a bachelor who goes off to Milan to seek career opportunities, and Proteus, who stays behind to be with his love, Julia. But soon after, Proteus’s parents decide to send him to Milan as well, where he finds Valentine in the throes of his own romantic attraction to the Duke’s daughter. Silvia reciprocates Valentine’s feelings, but has been promised to the buffoonish Turio. Smitten, Proteus disclaims his former love and pursues Silvia himself—until Julia shows up disguised as a page, Sebastian. The plot is further complicated by the presence of some memorable servants, a dog, and a roving band of outlaws.

Two Gentlemen is one of Shakespeare’s early efforts, and the script contains a number of rookie-playwright flaws, like lots of talk that doesn’t advance the action—including a good deal of wordplay that hasn’t stood the test of time. There are other reasons why it isn’t produced very often: conflicts are resolved on a dime, the sexual politics are troglodytic, and did I mention the dog?

Director Scott Bellis confronts all these problems head-on. Some of his solutions work better than others.

In the first half, the tactic seems to be to have everyone ham it up and add lots of comic business; most of the actors are goofing around at full throttle. Early on, Julia receives a letter from Proteus, tears it up, and then reads the little scraps. Kate Besworth makes great comic hay of this scene, kissing the scraps, smacking the one with her name on it to punish herself—it’s inventive and fun, but it goes on forever and nothing is really happening. In the next scene, Proteus’s father is doing taxidermy on a pheasant when its head pops off. It’s funny for a few seconds, but it has nothing to do with the scene. Bellis has also interpolated some contemporary puns into the dialogue, but few of these redeem the effort.

But then, after intermission, we meet the outlaws, who capture Valentine and his servant, Speed, in the woods. I don’t want to give anything away, because the surprises here are so delicious. Let’s just say that the presence of the outlaws lifts the entire production to a new level of complexity, hilarity, and contemporary resonance—all the way to Bellis’s ingenious ending.

Even when the story isn’t cooking, it’s hard not to appreciate the physical energy and infectious good humour of the cast, who are clearly having a ball. Nadeem Phillip’s Valentine is sensually grounded, while Chirag Naik’s Speed maniacally bounces off him. Proteus’s character is as changeable as the name suggests, but Charlie Gallant always makes sense of his feelings, and he accompanies himself on the mandolin for a sweet-voiced serenade to Silvia. As the servant Launce, Andrew Cownden has the unenviable task of sharing the stage with Gertie the basset hound, who plays Launce’s dog, Crab. Gertie, already a local media sensation, steals every scene she’s in with her impenetrable stare, but Cownden is such a resourceful clown that he’s never entirely upstaged. Paul Moniz de Sà brings depth and dignity to the role of Silvia’s friend Eglamour, and Luisa Jojic, Carmela Sison, and Olivia Hutt shine as a pivotal trio of supporting characters.

Choreographer Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg creates a number of athletic pas de deux as lovers consummate their feelings, and Adrian Muir’s dramatic lighting often bathes the stage in a rosy glow. Mara Gottler’s costumes range from the elaborately layered garb of the servants to the simple barefoot-and-breeches look of the gentlemen.

For pure silliness, Two Gentlemen is unmatched among this year’s Bard offerings. Thankfully, the silliness eventually accumulates into a satisfying whole.

> KATHLEEN OLIVER