This charming and classic Broadway musical is based on the book by P.L. Travers, and was adapted by Disney for the 1964 musical starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Set in London, it tells the story of The Banks Family, whose two children- Jane and Michael- have a tendency to exhaust nannies who leave in a huff, never to set foot on Cherry Tree Lane again. It isn’t until the children decide to take it upon themselves to write their own advertisement for a nanny that Mary Poppins appears, parrot head handle umbrella in hand, and endears herself to the family forever.
Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer were introduced to Mary Poppins through the movie about a month ago and have been singing Chim Chim Cheree and quoting lines from the movie nonstop. So when we were invited to Mary Poppins, I knew a trip to The Kennedy Center would be a fabulous first performance for them to attend on such a renowned stage. Certainly they would love the performance but I wondered if they would make it through the 2 hour 45 minute show whose run time was much longer than any production at Imagination Stage, Strathmore, Wolf Trap, and Adventure Theater we had previously attended.
Then suddenly the house lights dimmed and the stage lit up. For the entire show, the children were on the edge of their seats, rarely looking away for fear that they might miss the magic of Mary. It was hard not to be captivated by the dazzling set (the Banks’ house opens and rotates!), gorgeous costumes that transported us to a different time, live music (they had peeked in the orchestra pit pre-performance), and special effects. They wondered how Burt was able to walk up and around the top perimeter of the stage all while singing, what made it look like it was raining or snowing inside the theater, how Mary was able to slide up the banister, and others that I won’t spoil here! They loved singing along to their favorite songs (ok, I did too!).
As the house lights came up and the audience began to leave, Captain Computer wrapped his arms around my neck and while giving me a tight squeeze and burying his head in my neck said, “Thank you Mommy for bringing us to see Mary Poppins today.”
Upon returning home, both kids have added some new songs to their repertoire and can’t stop listening to the soundtrack. Captain Computer loves singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and will often sing it while running at high speed! I’ve noticed that both have been acting out scenes from Mary Poppins too!
Taking in the splendor of The Kennedy Center is always wonderful but for our children, seeing such an amazing performance of such a beloved show as their introduction to such a grand space was truly special.
Mary Poppins is playing at The Kennedy Center Opera House until August 22, 2010. Details and pricing about tickets can be found here.
Thanks to The Kennedy Center and Disney Theatricals for such a wonderful afternoon attending Mary Poppins! We personally paid for our parking and Mary Poppins souvenirs from The Kennedy Center gift shop. I was not required to write about the performance and all opinions are my own.
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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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