"Mary Poppins," show #931

I find the stage adaptation of Mary Poppins to be an absolute delight by being one of the stronger screen-to-stage adaptations in the Disney canon. The songs and plot hold true when done right in front of you, and the added plots and tunes service the whimsy of Poppins and Bert while supporting the lessons learned for the Banks family. Good Company Players is tapping away with a marvelous production of this classic, making this the very spoonful of musical theatre sugar you’ll be happy to take.

(L to R: Camille Gaston (Bird Woman), Emily Pessano (Mary Poppins), Roman Alvarado (Michael), Eliot Quin Karle Bonetto and Daniella Sarkisian (split the role of Jane); Photo source: Good Company Players)

Emily Pessano dons the blue coat and bottomless purse of the iconic titular nanny with glistening vibrato and quippy deliveries that are perfectly suited for the role. Pessano's talents are showcased masterfully in her leading of “Practically Perfect,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” and “Playing the Game.” Pessano’s scene work opposite a dynamite duo of siblings, played by Roman Alvarado (Michael) and Eliot Quin Karle Bonetto (as Jane; the role is shared with Daniella Sarkisian) is equal parts comedy and tender care. Both Alvarado and Karle Bonetto handle the hefty load these child roles carry with aplomb and a complete knack for an adolescent attitude that comes off as completely endearing. Their duet in act one’s “The Perfect Nanny” is a pitch-perfect parade of their talents as singer-actors. Rounding out the leading cast is Shawn Williams as a dynamite Bert, leading his many interludes with charismas and a knack for a narrator’s intrigue. However, it’s in the show-stopping "Step in Time" where Williams, Pessano, and company deliver a simply outstanding tap number. 

(Center: Shawn Williams (Bert) and Ensemble; Photo source: Good Company Players)

In stellar support is Carly Oliver, who beautifully calibrates Winifred Banks’ motherly nature and spousal responsibility. Oliver’s voice fits well in the duet of “Good for Nothing/Being Mrs. Banks" opposite Terry Lewis’s George Banks (Lewis serves as the understudy and performed the role at the performance I attended. The role is played Lex Martin.). Both vocally and chemistry-driven performances are given genuine affection and arc as Lewis gives every ounce of paternal strictness that eventually softens in service of becoming a family-first man. Camille Gaston sings a stunning “Feed the Birds,” a melody that is both sweeping and intimate, paired with vocals that dominate and affect. 

(Carly Oliver (Winifred Banks) and Lex Martin (George Banks); Photo source: Good Company Players)

Amy Aller’s intensely fiery Miss Andrews steals the show at the top of Act Two with a domineering vocal performance of “Brimstone and Treacle." Haleigh Cook’s (Mrs. Corry) contributions to an excellently choreographed and executed “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocius” is superb. Bradley Tharpe and Kaitlin Marsh are scene-stealing staff of the Banks household as Robertson Ay and Mrs. Brill. (Marsh went on in understudy form as well; Ellie Campbell plays the role.)

(Front, L to R: Shawn William (Bert), Roman Alvarado (Michael), Haleigh Cook (Mrs. Corry), Emily Pessano (Mary Poppins), and Ensemble; Photo source: Good Company PLayers)

With heart and hearty laughter in abundance, directors Dan Pessano and Jessica Sarkisian have helmed a production that clips along at a perfect pace, allowing audiences of all ages to sit in the wonderful world that is Cherry Tree Lane. Choreographers Malinda Asbury, Kaye Migaki, and Sarkisian lift the energy in every dance number, with stellar showcase given to the ballet talents of Cohen Vasquez in his turns as Neleus and Valentine. Ginger Kay Lewis-Reed’s costumes floruish in the Disney-magic pop of color and iconic identifiers we all know and love from the film. David Pierce’s set design effectively handles the balance between the multi-locale demands of the script, highlighting the status of the Banks by way of their home, but also the fanciful areas of sky, roofs, and parks. This Mary Poppins is surely in good hands, and is worth you stepping in double-time to make sure you catch this show before Mary flies away!