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OMT’s Mary Poppins has overflowing enthusiasm

June 23, 2016   ·   0 Comments

When the cast of Orangeville Music Theatre’s (OMT’s) Mary Poppins were extolling the joys of performing the show during a pre show interview, they were not exaggerating their feelings.

This must be the most enthusiastic cast to perform Mary Poppins in the history of the show. Mary Poppins is on this weekend at the Town Hall Opera House, 87 Broadway, for the last few performances.

As the show opens on a vision of Bert, he is so tall and long legged that, at first, we mistakenly thought  he was on stilts! He soon convinced us otherwise but he towers over everyone else and this was delightfully  comical. This Bert, played  by Jake Shewfel, is as close to Dick van Dyke as anyone could be. Funny, playful on the accent, playful with the role.

OMT productions almost always support large casts and this is no exception. There is so much going on, so much of the time. They seem to stretch the stage to accommodate the many bodies in ways that work, the imaginings of the costume and set designers having toiled overtime to convey the full magic of the story.

No doubt, you have a general or, even, very specific idea about the tale of Mary Poppins but, just to remind you, the Banks children chase off one nanny after another with their obnoxious ways, which actually result from the stiff nonsense they receive from their nannies. Vicious circle.

From out of nowhere comes Mary Poppins to take control not simply of the children but of the Banks household and, especially Mr. Banks himself. Follows one magical moment after another with the children amazed and bemused by where Mary Poppins takes them and how different their boring park is when they go there with her.

Stunning performances by the two young actors playing the roles of the Banks children,

Lucas Mguyen as Michael and Sathya Zachariah as Jane. Theirs are major roles and they really played them well.

Kudos too, in a big way, to Kat Anderson as Mary Poppins, who told us that “I’m happiest when I’m doing a show.”

There is no question that Ms Anderson is having a wonderful time on stage and so is the audience. She has a fine voice and a good stage presence.

Well done, as well, to Bailey Mills in the role of Mrs. Banks with some hefty solo work to sing, which she aces.

In fact, the comedy and sincerity of all the actors shine through for a thoroughly enjoyable show. There are plenty of good performances on this stage with a cast of 35 people. The dancers come from the Academy of Performing Arts on Broadway; there are gymnasts, a veritable circus of talent transporting the audience to raptures of appreciation.

The proof is always in the audience. Basically, a sold-out show on opening night, the applause was often thunderous and the standing ovation at the end was completely spontaneous. Throughout, they held our attention and kept the story rolling and the moments lively. We laughed and cheered all evening.

Not surprisingly, the big feature of the silly song  “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” was huge fun and they carried it off with considerable aplomb. We think probably the audience was  largely singing along with them as the whole theatre was totally wrapped up in the action.

With the power of movie magic, the Disney film of Mary Poppins (which won 13 Oscars, the most of any Disney film before or since) is replete with wonders. However, the gang at OMT have a pretty good go at bringing them to the stage. The statues dance, the children sing, Bert – a great friend of Mary’s as it turns out – Mary and the whole cast charm the audience with the music, the humour and poignancy of this well loved tale of – well, who is Mary Poppins? Is she an elf of some sort? Certainly, she is more magic than reality but she arrives at the very moment she is needed and departs at the moment she must.

OMT’s Mary Poppins is on this weekend at the Opera House on Broadway. For tickets and more information, call the Box Office at 519-942-3423 or on line at www.orangevillemusictheatre.com

Written by Constance Scrafield

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