Using the pen name P. L. Travers, this Australian born author, dancer, journalist, poet, storyteller and Shakespearean actress named Helen Lyndon Goff made the world a magical and happy place with the creation of an unusual nanny who carried a carpet bag and an umbrella with the head of a parrot and could hold tea parties on the ceiling. Modeled after her own aunt who in her childhood saved the family from emotional and financial disaster, she gave the world "Mary Poppins" in a series of eight books that earned instant success.
Even as a child she was precocious and imaginative, picking a giant sunflower from a neighbor’s garden thinking the great golden face was the face of God. To learn more about this nanny named Mary, fly over to the Main Stage of the Warner Theatre in Torrington from Saturday, July 29 to Sunday, August 6 to get better acquainted thanks to the innovative Warner Stage Company. With music and lyrics by Richard and Robert Sherman, new songs by Anthony Drewe and George Stiles, the award winning musical was co-created by Cameron MacKintosh.
As nannies go. Mary Poppins is one of the magical best. Hailing from England in 1910, she unexpectedly arrives at number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane when the Banks family is in desperate need of her services. A strong wind delivers her, carpetbag in hand, to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Banks and their children Jane and Michael. Flying in with an umbrella is only one of her fanciful feats.
Jane and Michael Banks are thoroughly terrible and have chased their current nanny right out the door. Mere minutes after the children pen their advertisement for a new one, sung delightfully as “The Perfect Nanny,” who should arrive but Mary Poppins.
Here is a woman who can make statues come to life, whose best friend is a chimney sweep named Bert, who can befriend unusual people like a Bird Woman and a lady who runs a magical sweet shop and who can encourage toys to dance.
While trying to teach the children life lessons, like learning to value each other again, Mary P. inadvertently puts their father’s job at the bank in jeopardy. But, never fear, all will come out right in the end.
For tickets ($19-27), call the Warner Theatre, 68 Main Street, Torrington at 860-440-8539, ext. 151 or 800-440-8539 or online at tickets.warnertheatre.org. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Travel with Jane and Michael as they learn that “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down in the most delightful way,”
when a most amazing Mary Poppins has the spoon and the magic firmly in hand. It's "supercalifragilisticexpialidocius"(ly) great.
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