Theater review part deux: Mary Poppins

by Joan Arbery of Renegade Bus

Who else but Mary Poppins is practically perfect in every way? The same could almost be said for the Dallas Summer Musical’s Mary Poppins. Full of stunning sets and amazing stunts, awash with rousing music, and packed full of intricate dance numbers, Richard Eyre’s direction of Mary Poppins seems faultless. It has all the technical pieces in place, and certainly wows and astounds from top to bottom. But its acting is flat; and the speed with which one scene transitions to another never allows much dwelling on either. As a whole, Mary Poppins’ spectacle far outweighs its substance.

Of course, spectacle has its own fun. “Cherry Tree Lane” (Reprise), where the park’s statues come to life in a pseudo-erotic fashion, their silver and green skin almost too believable, is eerily enchanting. “A Spoonful of Sugar,” where Mary Poppins puts the kitchen to rights, “Precision and Order,” where Mr. Banks’ associates take on the spin of a clock in motion, and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” where everyone’s candied costumes kaleidoscopically synchronize in a dance, are positively marvelous. In the second act, “Brimstone and Treacle” (Part 2), with its smoke and mirrors effects, and “Chim Chim Cher-ee” (Reprise), with Bert’s sky-walking antics, truly awe. Mary Poppins’ ultimate ascent also merits much adulation. But the production still feels a little cold.

Perhaps it is that Mary Poppins herself is more brusque than warm. While Ashley Brown in the title role certainly makes Poppins marry business with pleasure, and clearly enjoys her petulant moments, her acting feels pro forma. Gavin Lee as Bert has more warmth and engagement in his role, making it seem as if there’s a man behind the mask. Karl Kenzler as George Banks at first seems stiff and wooden, but as he transforms into a more simpatico Banks, he seems freer. Ellen Harvey as Mrs. Andrew, the scabrous nanny, nearly belches fire with aplomb. Yet her fierceness comes more from screeching than from inner scariness.

There are tender moments, of course, between Bert and the kids, Bert and Mary, and finally between Mr. and Mrs. Banks, and Mr. Banks and his children. And, when order finally descends on Cherry Tree Lane, it is a serene ending. Yet, while, there are flashes of compassion, humor, and sorrow in Mary Poppins, relaying these emotions never quite seems the object of the production. The story seems a vehicle for the spectacle more than the spectacle an outgrowth of the story. It’s as if you’re being forced from one fantastic panorama to the next, and after awhile you’re dizzy and dyspeptic, like reeling from a rollercoaster.

That being said, the evening I saw the production, the Columbia-Mexico soccer match was at the Cotton Bowl. The State Fair, of course, was also going on. I forgot these crucial things and came without cash to Fair Park. I wandered for 20 minutes, aimlessly and expletively looking for a spot while my sister patiently listened to me berate the world. Finally we found a spot close to an underpass. It was dark and remote, but I thought if we ran we’d make it in time. As I got out of the car, a man came up and said it was $10 to park there. I had no money, and I was about to give up and go home. He saw how desperate we were to get to the show, and, forgiving us the cost, offered us a lift to the Music Hall. His kindness overwhelmed me. As I walked into Mary Poppins, I was transformed and uplifted by this man’s actions. Perhaps it was because of that real magic that I could not quite bring my heart to bear on a staged version.