|
Past Reviews Regional Reviews: Seattle A Practically Perfect Mary Poppins for the Holidays Also see David's reviews of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, All the Way and Our Gay Apparel
Julian ("Downton Abbey") Fellowes' book rejiggers the familiar plot a bit, and the score augments the beloved (by all but Travers) Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman film score with some additional tunes by the team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. But the tale still takes place in London, England, toward the end of the Victorian era, and revolves around the Banks family of Cherry Tree Lane, whose lives are altered irrevocably by a magical flying nanny named Mary Poppins. Though youngsters Jane and Michael are ostensibly her charges, it is the patriarch George Banks, a rigid, troubled bank officer, whose fortunes are the most altered by Poppins' influence. Cayman Ilika is to the parrot-handled umbrella born as Mary, creating a no-nonsense yet still endearing version of the character, and singing with a vocal range and ease that has made her one of the area's most appealing musical theatre leading ladies. Triple threat song and dance expert Greg McCormick Allen as Mary's jack of all trades cohort Bert is Ilika's ideal co-star, and they carry many of the score's most beloved numbers ("A Spoonful of Sugar", "Jolly Holiday", etc) with panache. Allen tackles the demanding featured spot in the "Step in Time" chimney sweep spectacle with that sort of raffish insouciance that made both film Bert Dick Van Dyke and the great Gene Kelly legendary. Young Jane and Michael Banks are more than charmingly yet never cloyingly represented by bountifully talented child actors Mae Corley and Jaryn Lasentia. Andrew McGinn is allowed perhaps the most dramatically developed character in the show as Mr. Banks, and rises to the task with a performance worthy of the best of the BBC, while Christine Marie Brown is an affecting and vocally disarming Mrs. Banks. Nicole Beerman boisterously takes the lead on "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," Laura Kenny is a redoubtably doughty delight as the cook Mrs. Brill, and Erik Bratton serves up whimsy and slapstick with ease as clumsy servant Robertson Ay and a perplexed Park Keeper. Connie Corrick sings the classic "Feed the Birds" with a feathery delicacy as the Bird Woman, Nikolas Hagen shines as statue come to life Neleus, and the splendid Mary Jo Dugaw sees to it that the spoonful of brimstone she must serve up as Mr. Banks' one-time Nanny Miss Andrew is delivered with such bountiful badness as to send some children, and perhaps a few adults, home with nightmares not seen since viewing Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West. The song and dance ensemble give themselves over tirelessly to Van Meter's choreography, and co-music directors Tim Symons and Bruce Monroe assure sweet sounds are coming from both vocalists and the orchestra pit. Scenic designer Scott Fyfe has done well, and often exceptionally, condensing this grand-scale musical to the cozier confines of Village Theatre, with enchanting lighting design by Tom Sturge and well-appointed, gaily colorful cascades of costumes by Cynthia Savage. Village's holiday efforts are always a massive effort, and Mary Poppins is one in which all the effort pays off in far more than tuppences. Mary Poppins runs through January 4, 2015, at Village Theatre, 303 Front Street North in Issaquah, Washington, and January 9th - February 8, 2015, at the Everett P.A. Center, 2710 Wetmore Avenue Everett, Washington. For tickets or information contact the Issaquah box office at 425-392-2202 or the Everett box office at 425-257-8600 or visit them online at www.villagetheatre.org.
|
