Tregoney Shepherd News

My distant cousin Walter Elias 'Walt' Disney had a knack for turning everything into perfection, or at least practically perfect in every way. He took the mean, cranky nanny from P.L. Travers' book "Mary Poppins" and turned her into a saint. He excised two of the four Banks children, allowing the cutest ones to remain in the story. Travers' nanny couldn't dance on rooftops, didn't have adventures with Bert, didn't win at the horse races and couldn't sing. Travers was Australian; they take pride in being able to endure aggressive crocodiles, harsh deserts and appalling alloparenting. For those of us in the northern hemisphere who prefer our protagonists to be a bit on the spoonful of sugar side, Disney's Mary Poppins is just the ticket.

Producers Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh have announced full casting for Pittsburgh's return engagement of MARY POPPINS.

In this touring rendition of the P.L. Travers story (on which the 1964 Disney musical starring Julie Andrew and Dick Van Dyke was based), some of the telling in Julian Fellowes book is more "British" - darker -- than we might expect.

Watch the video below for the inside story of how Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman dreamed up the lyrics for 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' in Disney's classic film, Mary Poppins. For the theatre, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe expanded the song to make it 'a stage excursion for the whole cast.' Check out the interview, featuring lots of great footage from the touring production, below!

The award-winning musical "Mary Poppins", which opened Friday, August 10th at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles has once again been declared a spectacular hit with Los Angeles audiences. BWW TV's Los Angeles correspondent Michael Sterling and JLE Media Producer Jerry Evans spent the day and evening with the stars of the North American National touring company... Rachel Wallace (Mary Poppins) and Nicholas Dromard (Bert), an original Broadway company member. Check out the interview below!

Mary Poppins, which opened at the Ahmanson on August 10 and runs through September 2, proves to be the perfect film to turn into a show. Flashy, whimsical, and packed with songs like "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Feed the Birds, "A Spoonful of Sugar" and "Let's Go Fly A Kite" that had America humming in 1965, the film provided Julie Andrews with her movie debut and an Oscar to boot. In its present incarnation, it is a splashy riot of color, comedy and song that had the audience I saw it with fairly rapturous after every big number.

Center Theatre Group, Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh present the award-winning musical "Mary Poppins" at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. "Mary Poppins" opened on Friday, August 10. Check out photos from the opening night arrivals, curtain call and after-party below!

Center Theatre Group and producers Thomas Schumacher of Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh are pleased to announce full casting for the award-winning musical "Mary Poppins" at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. "Mary Poppins" begins performances August 9 and continues through September 2, 2012, as a bonus option to the 2011-2012 Ahmanson season. Press Opening Night is set for Friday, August 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - coo, what a sight! 'Mary Poppins' flew into San Jose bringing magic and mayhem in the most delightful way. Hodges and Hodges were there for the magical high jinx and fun as well as the somewhat darker elements of 'Mary Poppins,' playing now through June 10th at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.

Who knew that Mary Poppins, that brightly colored stage spectacle of a musical comedy confection, would be the theatrical offering that most eloquently addresses the questionable shenanigans of unscrupulous bankers, financiers and other assorted nefarious London financial district/Wall Street types and which champions the importance of family and the common folk?

The Providence premiere of MARY POPPINS opens tonight, Thursday, February 9 at the Providence Performing Arts Center for a limited engagement of 2 weeks through Sunday, February 19. MARY POPPINS plays Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7PM, Thursday and Friday evenings at 7PM, Saturday evenings at 8PM, Sunday evenings at 6:30PM, and Saturday matinees at 2PM and Sunday matinees at 1PM with an additional performance on Thursday, February 16 at 2PM.

Prescott Fine Arts Association's SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE TOWN series presents, AMERICAN SONGS Sunday, June 20 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 each and may be purchased in advance by calling the PFAA box office, 928-445-3286 or by visiting the PFAA Box Office at 208 N. Marina St. in Prescott. Office hours are 10-3 Monday through Saturday.

Prescott Fine Arts Association's SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE TOWN series presents, AMERICAN SONGS Friday, June 18 at 7:30pm and Sunday, June 20 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 each and may be purchased in advance by calling the PFAA box office, 928-445-3286 or by visiting the PFAA Box Office at 208 N. Marina St. in Prescott. Office hours are 10-3 Monday through Saturday.

Prescott Fine Arts Association's SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE TOWN series presents, AMERICAN SONGS Friday, June 18 at 7:30pm and Sunday, June 20 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 each and may be purchased in advance by calling the PFAA box office, 928-445-3286 or by visiting the PFAA Box Office at 208 N. Marina St. in Prescott. Office hours are 10-3 Monday through Saturday.

Anthony Rapp, Will Chase, Raul Esparza and Michael Stuhlbarg will be among the stars taking part in the 2006 Sundance Institute Theatre Laboratory, which will take place at the Sundance Resort in Utah from July 10-30

Nancy Anderson, Jill Paice and Douglas Sills--times eight--will headline the Huntington Theatre's staged reading of Steven Lutvak and Robert Freedman's new musical Kind Hearts and Coronets, which will be presented at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion in Boston on April 6th