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Research!

When you decide to direct, audition for, or even attend a show, the MOST IMPORTANT THING you can do is research the material. Nothing annoys me more than hearing directors agree to shows they don’t know anything about, actors that audition for shows they don’t know anything about, and patrons who buy tickets for shows they don’t know anything about. (Not saying you need to know EVERYTHING, but have some clue about what you’re getting into). 

Fortunately for Mary Poppins, research is about as easy as it gets! Most of you have probably already seen the original classic film (though the show is a bit different—more on that in a future post I’m sure). 

There’s also Saving Mr. Banks, the story of Walt Disney’s tumultuous relationship with author PL Travers, and the hoops he had to jump through to gain her permission to adapt the stories. It’s just a theory of mine, but after seeing this film I think you see what motivated some of the changes made when the movie became a stage musical. In the musical, Mr Banks’s arc is much more centralized. Additionally, PLT hated the film’s score (can you believe it?!) and mandated any new music for the musical be created by “proper” English composers. This possibly explains the inclusion of new songs created by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. 

And finally, Mary Poppins Returns! The delightful recent sequel to the original. Many elements from the musical (mostly taken from the books) managed to find their way into this film.

So with these nasty cold winter days, why not stay in and do some “research”? Mary Poppins and Saving Mr Banks are streaming on Disney Plus, and Mary Poppins Returns is on Netflix!