Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins
Thursday, December 10, 8pm
Ahmanson Theatre, LA

This was the second time that I've seen this musical. The first time was on Broadway the year it came out. Luckily, the original leads are in this touring production. The disappointing part came with the modifications that they understandably had to make to the physical set. On Broadway the whole house sank down when the scene was upstairs in the children's bedroom. It was very impressive. The touring company has to take this set to every theatre that they'll be performing in, so it's self-standing and less awe-inspiring than the original.

The show is very fun, on the whole. The dilemma will come with it's inevitable comparison to 'Wicked'. Unfortunately, they weren't able to modify the well-known story like the 'Wicked' creative team did. The musical feels compartmentalized into scenes that don't relate. The shifts are abrupt rather than organic. I suppose it's fine if your target audience is very young.

I would recommend this show, but bring along a child. They'll really love it!