Stage show brings the magic
‘‘Anything can happen if you let it’’ is the prevailing message in Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical and in a Palmerston North first the show is about to open.
With a large cast of more than 40 actors, Abbey Musical Theatre has been getting its Christmas production stage ready for the past three months.
Director Phil Antis said it is one of his favourites musicals and this version had a few ‘‘secret moments’’.
‘‘I can’t say too much, but there will be magic.’’
Palmerston North actor Val Andrew is taking the lead role of Mary Poppins and said her parents had just arrived from Scotland in time for the opening night.
‘‘It will be the first time in 20 years that they have seen me on the stage. This one is just so special.
‘‘She’s iconic. Everyone knows her – young, old, everyone. My kids are loving telling everyone that their mum is Mary Poppins.’’
Tyrell Beck is taking on the male lead of Bert and said he was a character he had always wanted to play.
‘‘It is just heaps of fun. This is such a magical show and because it is such a great one for children you get that really big pay off at the end when the whole magical side of things just gets so overwhelming.’’
Antis said at the heart of the musical was a beautiful story about a broken family coming together.
‘‘There’s so much in it that you can pull out. I think the story means different things to different people. There’s the historical context, the great battle of the Edwardian era clashing with the Victorian era and for kids it’s got that sprinkling of magic all the way through.’’
The musical director is Barry Jones and he said the score had different arrangements than the film and can be tricky.
‘‘This score gives the music a lot more integrity, so they have rearranged all of the songs and the orchestration completely.
‘‘It gives it a real Broadway musical feel and the story and the music have a lot more depth than the movie did. There’s a lot more of a message for the kids in there now.’’
Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical opens at Palmerston North’s Wallace Development Company Theatre tomorrow and runs until December 15.