Theatre review: Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical brings the magic to Massey Theatre
Meghan Gardiner’s pitch-perfect nanny and stunning painted sets help bring Royal City Musical Theatre production of beloved classic to life
Royal City Musical Theatre’s Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical. Photo by Moonrider Productions
Royal City Musical Theatre presents Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical to May 12
EACH YEAR, Royal City Musical Theatre stages a splashy song-and-dance spectacle, complete with a full orchestra, eye-pleasing sets and costumes, and a cast led by top-industry professionals, rounded out by promising local talent. Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical checks all these boxes and pulls off the magical elements with good stage effects; it’s a smoothly run show full of charm and musical-theatre mastery.
Based on the books by P.L. Travers—immortalized onscreen by the Julie Andrews–led Disney film—the stage show tells the beloved story of umbrella-flying nanny Mary Poppins (Meghan Gardiner), who lands in the home of the Banks family in early-20th-century London. With a script by Julian Fellowes, the musical brings back story elements left out of the film and adds a number of songs.
Assuming the legendary nanny, Gardiner absolutely soars in this show, both literately and figuratively. Her poise and confident, crystal-clear voice command attention, and audience members would likely obey any instruction she gives them. Her singing is stunning—she’s a first-rate soprano and, in the fashion of Mary Poppins, her enunciation is spot on, so we never miss a single lyric. On top of that, Gardiner can dance, and to prove that she isn’t just riding the wave of the talented hoofers in the big group numbers, she showcases a solo tap step in the second act that’s “perfect in every way”.
Director and choreographer Valerie Easton’s renowned expertise shows in the production’s rhythm and flow, comedic timing, and seamless interweaving of dialogue, song, and dance. One of Easton’s greatest strengths is tap choreography, and the iconic “Step in Time” is the show’s highlight, delivered with impressive precision and energy by the Chimney Sweeps, led by engaging triple-threat performer Darren Burkett as Bert. Another highlight is Noah McKimm, who offers great balletic skills, complete with leaps and turns, in his role of the dancing statue Neleus.
Among the many strong aspects of this show is the singing, under the musical direction of Peter Abando. Janet Gigliotti and Kirk Smith, as Winifred and George Banks, contribute outstanding vocals, revealing their conflicts and emotions in numbers like their respective “Being Mrs. Banks” and “A Man Has Dreams” that drive the story forward. Kudos must also be given to Katie-Rose Connors in the role of the sinister Miss Andrew, who refused to let a faulty microphone stand in her way on opening night. She ended her solo “Brimstone and Treacle” in spectacular fashion—no amplification was needed for her voice to overpower the orchestra and fill the theatre. This was in addition to Connors doing double duty on opening night, stepping in for the role of Mrs. Corry—an important part, as she’s the character who leads the legendary “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. Connors enthusiastically led the company through a high-energy, crowd-pleasing delivery of that number.
Charlie Emma Lynn, Meghan Gardiner, and Roan Osenton Boutin in Mary Poppins. Photo by Moonrider Productions
This production is full of delicious visuals: Brian Ball’s backdrops are jaw-droppingly beautiful, evoking turn-of-the-last-century landscape painting. The park scene, with its moody-blue skies and silhouetted birch trees, has an eerie and mysterious atmosphere. The scene changes are seamless, thanks largely to Ball’s multilevel design of the Banks’s home that remains upstage throughout, with various backdrops and moveable set pieces positioned in front when needed.
Alex Campagnaro’s costumes bring to life the iconic looks from the film, including Mary’s blue dress and red overcoat. There are also some fashionable turn-of-the-century outfits on display, as well as fun, quirky costumes in the fantasy moments of the show, including in Mrs. Corry’s whimsical sweet shop. Many of the show’s magical effects can also be credited to prop designer Stephanie Barclay, who has delightfully recreated Mary’s bottomless-bag shtick and kite-flying moments, among others.
On opening night, the orchestra could have used more polish, and Mary’s flying came off as a bit laborious and clunky.
But overall, this is an enchanting production—a point perfectly captured near the end, in “Anything Can Happen”, when we see the cast twirl black umbrellas adorned with lights, as prop trees and the stage itself illuminate around them. This show whisks us away to a world where characters float up into the night sky, objects come to life, loved ones reconnect, and people discover the magic of staying true to themselves. As the lyrics point out, “Anything can happen if you let it.” 
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