‘Mary Poppins’ Takes Flight at Thousand Islands Playhouse
After being found causing havoc in the streets by a policeman, Jane and Michael Banks (Hannah Burns and Jackson Graham) have scared off yet another nanny. Just when their parents think they have lost all hope, Mary Poppins (Alicia Barban) appears to look after the mischievous duo. Through whimsy, magic, and spoonfuls of sugar, Mary helps the pair learn respect and to find wonder in the mundane, while also helping the adults in the family with a touch of the same.
Thousand Islands Playhouse puts their best foot forward presenting Mary Poppins in the Springer Theatre. The musical production features all of the classic songs of the Disney film (save perhaps “I Love to Laugh”) and, while maintaining most of the movie’s story, features scenes that bear a closer resemblance to the original books by P.L. Travers. While I am not personally as familiar with the books as I am with the film, the scenes that departed further from the movie were some of the most charming. “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” for example, is no longer set after a merry-go-round horse race, but now incorporates Mrs. Corry (Astrid Atherly)—a woman from the books who is made of gingerbread. The song follows her selling Mary and the children large colourful letters of the alphabet, which are then used to spell out the neologism.
The show features a strong cast of characters, with Burns and Graham impressively carrying a great portion of it on their young shoulders. Burns is delightful in her eye-rolling and stuck-up role, constantly contradicting the adults around her, while also producing heart-warming moments as the troubled eldest Banks child. At the performance I attended on July 18, Graham garnered a great deal of laughs with perfect comedic timing. One would think he was an old pro if not for his smiling with glee at the size of some of the audience reactions. On top of the loud laughs, he also got some booming “awe”s when creating tender moments with both the nanny and his parents.
Of the adult cast, Teddy Moynihan’s portrayal of Bert, the friendly chimney sweep, is a clear standout. Moynihan has the voice of an angel, is a skilled dancer, brimming with charm, and incorporates just enough tribute to Dick Van Dyke into his portrayal of the character—the familiarity is there for old fans, but also has a fresh look for newer audiences. “Step in Time” is by far the most engaging and impressive dance number I have seen the Playhouse attempt. Moynihan’s solo portion in particular brings a feeling of danger and excitement as he taps slowly across beams precariously lining the rooftops.
This would not be much of a Mary Poppins review without mentioning Barban’s portrayal of the titular character. She takes clear inspiration from the stricter nanny of Travers’ books here, and tactfully handles all of Mary’s vocal parts. Despite strong musicality, an issue I had with the production was the “practically perfect” nanny who seemed distant and slightly self-absorbed. She still performs a multitude of miracles on stage, but the magic feels like an exciting novelty—somehow disconnected from the cold presence that ushers it in.
Although Mary is a bit aloof, the production still feels hospitable thanks to the spectacular work of Brandon Kleiman and Robin Fisher, the set and costume designers, respectively. Kleiman’s backdrop for the set is an eerie maze of grey brick walls intersecting and clashing with one another with a front proscenium of colourful houses which give a small pop to the ominous set. This is effective as a tool for making the city feel vast, dull, and a little scary for when the children wander the streets alone while also making the magic and colour stand out even more.
The costumes pair so wonderfully with this feel, as whenever Mary is gone their colours remain a somewhat drab, neutral, low-contrast palette, but when she works her magic the stage suddenly explodes with colour as the ensemble rushes back on in cartoonishly vibrant outfits. The pair of designers together create a clear visual representation of how the children are seeing the world when Mary is involved in it, by having her appearance and touch make the entire stage burst with vibrancy despite their unpleasant environment.
The absolute highlight of the entire production for me was during “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” in which the costumes all remain muted, Mary is not on stage, and Michael flies a bright red kite. This small splash of colour signals to the audience that ‘bright colours mean magic,’ and although it is just a normal kite, the children see the wonder in it, and the audience does as well. The image is a perfect tableau, and my hat is off to Co-Directors Stephanie Graham and Brett Christopher for creating such a powerful picture on the stage.
I entered Mary Poppins expecting to see what broadway versions of popular movie-musicals often do: capitalize exclusively on audience nostalgia and lose a good portion of the magic along the way. I am ever so happy to have been wrong, as the production Thousand Islands Playhouse has on stage creates brand-new magical moments for old fans. The nostalgia is present, but it is seldom the only thing to be excited about. The show is truly supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Catch it in Gananoque before the wind changes and Mary flies off to somewhere new.
‘Mary Poppins’ is presented by Thousand Islands Playhouse, and will be playing at the Springer Theatre until August 16, 2025. Tickets and more information can be found here.
